Getting a job and volunteering for young people aged 16 to 25 with SEND

Everyone should be able to have a job. With the right support this should be a positive experience.

The benefits of having a job should be available for most people. We know paid work might not be an option for a small number of people with the most complex needs.

A job can mean having a role within your community, such as helping other people with tasks such as:

• shopping
• gardening
• taking out the recycling
• helping at a local park or visitor centre

If you need support to do a job or role within your community you may be able to use a personal budget to arrange this. You could get a personal budget if you receive one of the following:

• direct payments
• Individual Service Fund

Find more information in our independent living section.

Schools and colleges should tell you about the different options you can choose from.

These discussions should start in year 9. 

Find out more about the pathway to adulthood for a young person with an education, health and care (EHC) plan.

You can get help to find work:

• at your nearest Jobcentre
• on the National Careers service website
• through our new supported employment service provided by Pluss (if you are 16+ and have eligible care and support needs under the Care Act). You would need to be referred through Dorset Council Social Care Workers
• through Mencap's easy-read guides for finding work
• at Mencap's employment services which support people with a learning disability to develop the skills and confidence they need to get a job
• services that support young people with learning disabilities into paid employment in Dorset

Find out how other young people in Dorset have found work and volunteering.

Volunteering can help you learn the skills you need to find paid work. You don't get paid to volunteer and it shouldn't affect your benefits.

Find more information about volunteering and how it might affect your benefits from Scope.

Volunteering is a great way to:

• get a reference to help with getting paid work
• make friends
• learn new skills for work
• do something positive for your community

Find volunteering opportunities in Dorset

Volunteer Centre Dorset

Find information about Volunteering Dorset and how they can help you find a work placement.

Volunteer Centre Dorset run a Community Credits Scheme where you earn a credits for every hour you volunteer. You can use these credits for things like paying towards a taxi fare or a coffee in a local cafe. Find out more in this 5 minute video from Volunteer Centre Dorset:

Video about volunteering in Dorset and the Community Credits Scheme.

Livability Holton Lee 

Holton Lee has opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

What support you can get on a volunteering placement

If you're disabled, your rights are protected under the Equalities Act 2010. This means an organisation should not discriminate against you based on your disability and should consider how they can make reasonable adjustments to accommodate you in a volunteer placement. 

The Equality and Human Rights Commission has information on how organisations should treat volunteers.

Find more volunteering opportunities on:

• Volunteering Matters for people with a disability
• volunteering for young people

If you're a young person with a disability or health condition and are on, or about to start a work experience placement in a support internship or traineeship, you can apply to the Department for Work and Pensions' Access to Work fund for:

• funding travel to and from your work placement
• the cost of job coaches
• specialist equipment for days that you're at the employer's workplace
• mental health support