Up to 140 Salford residents with learning disabilities and autism are to benefit from a new £721,000 programme to support them into long-term employment. The city council has received £490,000 for the new programme through the Government’s Local Supported Employment initiative and topped it up with an extra £231,000 in matched funding.
Each participant will receive up to a year’s direct support from a newly-appointed team of job coaches to help them find work. They will also receive a further 12 months of support once they have secured employment which will be tailored to their individual needs and help them develop their careers.
The programme will be fully operational from January 2023 with funding available up to March 2025. The service will build on existing networks and partnerships in the city with dedicated work taking place with Salford and Greater Manchester employers to source appropriate employment opportunities and match these to the interests and skills of the participants, say bosses.
