Wiltshire Council recruiting employers as SEND champions
Now Wiltshire Council is asking employers in the county to sign up to a new scheme which gives young people with SEND the chance to try out a workplace and show what they can offer

To find out more visit: SEND Employer Champions
Reliable, loyal, hardworking - some of the key characteristics any employer would want when recruiting someone.
And these are also some of the ways to describe young people with Special Educational Needs and or Disabilities when they are given the opportunity to join a workplace.
Now Wiltshire Council is asking employers in the county to sign up to a new scheme which gives young people with SEND the chance to try out a workplace and show what they can offer.
Called the Wiltshire SEND Employer Champion Scheme, companies can sign up for bronze, silver or gold levels, participate in a number of activities and receive accreditation accordingly.
For now the council is keen to sign up new employers to the initial bronze level. To achieve the bronze level employers would:
- host workplace visits for young people with SEND young people in their capacity as interns
- provide job descriptions for the entry level jobs within the business so interns can realistically evaluate their skills against real jobs
- facilitate mock interviews or valuable advice on their interview expectations for our interns
For silver level a company would be a host employer for one intern for at least one year, for gold it is two years or offering a job on a minimum six-month contract.
Cllr Jane Davies, Cabinet Member for SEND said: We know how important it is to be independent, to have work opportunities and to have choices. I want to thank the employers who have already been part of providing these employment opportunities in the past as we know the benefits this has.
We are launching the Wiltshire SEND Employer Champion Scheme to introduce more local companies to having people with SEND working alongside your colleagues and contributing to your workplace. We know it's a step into the unknown for many which is why we're introducing the different levels and we hope people will contact us and find out more. You won't be on your own as we will provide training and ongoing support.
One manager who welcomed a young person called Jack explained how he became part of the work culture very quickly. She said: Jack is absolutely fantastic. The people that work around him absolutely love working with him so he's just part of the team now.
Jack explained what it has meant for him: Before doing this, I wasn't speaking to people. But now I'm a little bit more confident.
Jonnie also explained what it means to be in a workplace: I really enjoy interacting with customers. In my current role I stock shelves, help customers find stuff around the store and I do labelling.
Ali, one of the managers explained: At first I didn't know what to expect working alongside someone with SEND but I have to say it's been an absolute pleasure.
Employers who are interested in finding out more about the scheme and being part of it can contact west.cc@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window) or call 01225 718004.
For more information visit: