12th Conference EUSE Lisbon 2015

1. “ Improving Diversity through
Supported Employment ”

2. PEER SUPPORT GROUP
PAVING THE WAY
TOWARDS EMPLOYMENT
Tea Kairi
FAIDD
hosted by:
In association with:

3. • Finland

4. • Finland's population is around 5.440.000
• 45.000 people with ID
• 25.000 people of these are between 18 and
65 years old
• There are ca. 300 day centers for people
with ID
• 14.000 people take part in their activities
People with ID in Finland and work

5. • Over 2000 people are “outplaced” from day
centers to ordinary workplaces.
– no job contract or salary
– allowance 0 – 12 €/day usually a longtime
arrangement
• 400-500 people are in paid jobs with normal
job contracts.
• Job coaching is organized mainly in the
biggest cities.
People with ID in Finland and work

6. • Changes culture and practices in services
• Based on evidence-based approach to
supported employment
– IPS (Individual placement and support)
• Increases the possibilities of people with ID to
get paid work
• The projects duration: 2013-2016
“Persons with ID to Working Life”
-project

7. Peer support group

8. 1. The participants can discuss questions
related to work
2. The participants find out their skills and
strengths
3. The participants learn about job related
terms
4. The participants discover their interests and
goals
5. Some of the participants start job searching
Aims of the peer support group

9. • Groups are first organized in one region
• Groups are led by project officer and/or local
partners
• The developed method is
spread among professionals
• The process includes:
– Informative occasion
– 7 meetings
– Follow-up meeting
The peer support group

10. The principles of the meetings
• Meetings have goals
and themes
• Functional and
encouraging activities
– for example person
centered planning (PCP)
tools
• Participation of a
support person
• ”Homework” is used

11. Goals and themes of the meetings
1. Creating team spirit and the goal of the group
2. Recognizing strengths and interests
3. Using my strenghts in every day life and work
4. My professional goal and ways to achieve it
5. My strenghts and how to support me
6. Job searching
7. Recap and feedback

12. • Factual information was new and difficult to
understand
• The possibility of paid work with contract was
unknown
• The need for information and encouragement
concerning employment
• Leaving sheltered work for paid work was
considered hard
Remarks during the way

13. • Experiences about the group were positive.
• “The group was good and we went through
useful things”
• ”We had a really good group and immediately
a good team spirit. ….It was nice to do the
tasks together”
Preliminary results

14. Preliminary results
• New things about work was learned.
• “I learned new things. I got a lot of
information.”
• ”…And we got knowledge that we hadn’t
before.”
• “I learned how one can search a job.”
• “One can also get a job with pension. Great”
• ”I learned about salary”

15. Preliminary results
• Empowerment and self-knowledge was
increased
• “ I learned I can also do something.”
• ”I learned about myself”
• ”I learned how I can tell about
my positive sides (what I can do
and where i am good in work)"

16. Preliminary results
• Processing strenghts increased self-esteem
and peer support
• ...”I have realised that things I am good at that
make me a goody are not my own imagination
but true. ..If others agree about me and my
strenghts, as I. Then its like that”
• ”I learned that others have same problems
and streghts”

17. Preliminary results
• Work related dreams were clarified
• Hopefullness and ecouragement in getting
paid work job increased
• “Getting a job is not as hard as I thought”
• “I learned that I can get a job somewhere.”
• The peer support group can also help in
decision making
• “The group encouraged to search work
bravely”

18. • What’s the best way to encourage job seeking
with persons with ID?
• How can peer support groups be used
beneficially in order to increase supported
employment with persons with ID?
Discussion

19. • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdCgzrlGZDM
Tea Kairi
Project Manager
FAIDD
tea.kairi@kvl.fi
+358505370196
Thank You