EmployAble has reached an important milestone – submitting an application to the Charity Commission for England and Wales to become an independent Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO).
It was just over two years ago that the concept of EmployAble was conceived. It was to be a vehicle to drive employment for autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities who were being excluded from the workforce and for whom there were no appropriate pathways to employment. The challenge was to prove that all autistic adults and adults with learning disabilities who are motivated to work can do so, regardless of the complexity of their needs or the severity of their disability.
The seeds of the idea came from the forward-thinking and aspirational Trustees of the Maurice Hatter Foundation. Once the idea gathered steam, they opened their doors to incubate the enterprise and nurture its development and, over the past 14 months, EmployAble has demonstrated the direct and measurable public benefit it provides to a cohort who face entrenched and disproportionate unemployment. This is evident on three levels:
* To the individuals: Over 40 people placed in sustainable, paid employment; 100% reporting greater happiness and self-esteem; and 85% of whom had been economically inactive for a decade or more.
* To the public purse: In excess of £260,000 in earnings generated, and an estimated £59,000 annual saving in avoided day-service costs – a saving that is likely to recur over candidates’ working lives.
* To wider society: More than 1,000 people trained in inclusive workplace practice, and a growing base of employer partners embedding inclusion into their own organisations.
EmployAble CEO Dr Beverley Jacobson said: “EmployAble’s transition to an independent CIO will allow our impact to scale sustainably, reducing reliance on philanthropic funding over time while reaching many more people who want to work but currently cannot access the support to do so.
“Whilst we await the Charity Commission’s review, we are busily gearing up for the real work to start!”
