Henry Smith MP has supported a call from learning disability charity Royal Mencap Society to improve employment opportunities for people with a learning disability, to mark Learning Disability Week (19th-25th June).

Henry said;

“I’m delighted to support Learning Disability Week, which this year focuses on employment; specifically the benefits of employing people with a learning disability to help tackle the worryingly low levels of employment there currently are in this area.

“I’m concerned about the barriers facing people with learning disabilities when looking for work. It’s vital that all in our society have the opportunity to gain employment and earn a fair wage.”

Attending Mencap’s Learning Disability Week reception in Parliament, Henry spoke with people with a learning disability about the barriers they face when trying to find work, and heard from the Minister of State for Disabled People, Health & Work, Penny Mordaunt MP and employers who all urged action to help more people into work.

Fewer than 6 per cent of people with a learning disability known to social services are in paid employment, despite many more wanting to and being able to work.

When looking for a job, people with a learning disability face a number of barriers, including; confusing application forms, stressful interview processes, a lack of in-work support, and a lack of information and guidance for employers in understanding how to recruit and support people.

Research commissioned by Mencap for Learning Disability Week highlights the benefits of employing people with a learning disability, which include:

• Financial savings: Research shows that by staying in post longer, having fewer sick days and having good punctuality records saves on recruitment and training costs.
  • People with a learning disability stay in their jobs 3.5 times longer than non-disabled co-workers.
• Better staff morale: Employers have reported overall increased staff morale, increased company productivity and better workforce cohesion.
  • 72.2 per cent of employers regarded the impact on company morale as an important factor in deciding to employ people with a learning disability.
• Improved company reputation
  • 87 per cent of consumers agreed that they would prefer to give their business to companies that hire people with disabilities.

For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services, contact Mencap Direct on 0808 808 1111 (9am-5pm, Monday-Friday), email: [email protected] or visit: www.mencap.org.uk

Note to Editors:

Definition of a learning disability from Mencap:

A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which can cause problems with everyday tasks – for example shopping and cooking, or travelling to new places – which affects someone for their whole life.

People with a learning disability can take longer to learn new things and may need support to develop new skills, understand difficult information and engage with other people. The level of support someone needs is different with every individual. For example, someone with a severe learning disability might need much more support with daily tasks than someone with a mild learning disability.