Young Disabled People

We have a range of programmes to support young disabled people. Whether you’re still in school or ready to begin your employment journey, we can help you.

Inclusion Works! Getting Ready for Work Training

• Are you a young person thinking about your next steps?
• Are you interested in gaining employment, work experience or volunteering?
• Are you looking to increase your confidence, develop your skills, and improve your health and wellbeing?

Inclusion Works! is the programme for you!

Through a mixture of 1:1 support and group work sessions, we will help you to assess where you currently are, where you want to be, and support you to plan how to get there.

Our team has many years of experience working with young people. They will help you on your journey to find and maintain a job.

We work with a Young Person’s Advisory Group to develop our service. They provide their valuable lived experience and perspective and help to shape our practice.

How to get support:

Inclusion Works! is open to people who meet these criteria:

• Aged 16-24
• Are disabled, neurodivergent, experiencing poor mental health, and/or live with a long-term health condition

Our Young People team work across Edinburgh and the Lothians.
For more information about Inclusion Works! and to find out about the eligibility criteria in your local area, please contact our Young People Project Lead Heather Fleming by email: heather.fleming@intowork.org.uk

Heather Fleming

Young People Lead

About Heather

Heather is our Young People Lead. She supports young people with their employment journeys through the delivery of 1:1 support and group sessions.

Heather has worked in a variety of employability roles and initially joined Into Work as an Employment Adviser in 2017. She re-joined in 2022 to manage our service for Young Disabled People in Edinburgh, East Lothian and Midlothian.

• Year Joined: 2022
• Favourite Film: Catch Me If You Can
• Dream Holiday Destination: The west coast of Canada – to see a grizzly bear!

East Lothian Works – Employability+ Project

Our Employability Intervention Officer works across East Lothian high schools, supporting young disabled people and young people with additional support needs (ASN) from S4 to S6.

Working in partnership with Developing Young Workforce, Skills Development Scotland and closely with school staff, this programme helps young people overcome barriers to engagement and progress.

Helping them develop understanding and awareness of employment. Developing skills and confidence for life after school.

Through group learning and community activity we are helping young people think about and start to visualise their future choices and options.

How to get support:

For more information about Employability+, please contact elworks@eastlothian.gov.uk or ask your school guidance teacher

Nicola Falconer

East Lothian Employability Intervention Officer

About Nicola

Nicola is our Employability Intervention Officer. She supports secondary school pupils with Additional Support Needs (ASN) to gain a better understanding of the world of work.

Nicola supports young people to develop core employability/learning skills, including teamwork, timekeeping, and independence. For the last twenty years she has supported adults and young people, including eleven years as an adult literacy and numeracy tutor.

• Year Joined: 2022
• Favourite Book: The Man Who Planted Trees – amazing idea! How one person could quietly work to reforest an area
• Guilty Pleasure: I have no guilt over dark chocolate