Making It Work Employment

23/12/2025

Sharon, Santa and the Making It Work Employment team elves (Clare and Laura) wish you all a very Merry Christmas 🎅🎄 and a happy new year 💚💜

fans Southend Care Ltd Southend-on-Sea City Council

17/12/2025

It's so important to recognise that "Severe" autism, as it is often erroneously named, is actually a co-occurrance of autism and some form of learning disability - not just some kind of hyper-strong form of autism.

It matters because autism and learning disabilities require different kinds of support, and the sort of support offered to an individual with learning disabilities might need to be amended to take into account their autistic-ness too. For example, managing communication and mobility may need significant tailoring to ensure it works for autistic needs too.

Conflating learning disabilities with autism is often used to silence autistic voices too, unfortunately, with claims of 'faking it' as we don't have the same lived experience as a person with learning disabilities. The whole thing is a bit of a mess and I'm reluctant to post about it for fear of being misinterpreted, if I'm honest.

17/12/2025

The Forum is a distribution point for free sim cards to those in the community who may be experiencing digital exclusion. Could you, or someone you know, benefit from free data?
No booking required - simply visit The Forum on Wednesdays or Thursdays, from 3pm - 5pm and ask a member of staff.

15/12/2025

Southend Care is wholly owned by Southend City Council, set up to deliver high quality care and support services. Opened in 2017, we have developed a strong track record as a local care provider working in close partnership with Southend City Council, the NHS and the Third Sector.

12/12/2025

Learning disability ≠ autism. Why does it matter?

Well, knowing the difference matters because it helps make sure everyone gets the right help, tailored to them. It's important you get the support you deserve. There are many people who will have both a learning disability and autism.

A learning disability is different from autism because autism does not affect general intellect. A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability, usually identified soon after birth or in the early years, and will last a person’s whole life."

People with a learning disability may also be neurodivergent (such as having ADHD or being autistic). Like a learning disability, autism is a lifelong condition. Autism is sometimes referred to as a spectrum, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism is not a learning disability, but people can have both.

👉 Learn more about what a learning disability is here: https://brnw.ch/21wYhSz



Image description: A pink graphic with white snowflakes on it. The white text says 'Learning disability and autism are not the same. But people can have both.'

12/12/2025

Wishing you a Merry Christmas
Southend Care Ltd

29/11/2025

Join us congratulating Dee. With supported Making It Work Employment Dee is now volunteering for Mencap at The Novel Coffee Shop and is loving every minute learning new skills.

Fantastic work Dee 👏🌟 Southend Care Ltd Southend-on-Sea City Council

13/11/2025

Something's gone wrong and we've got some technical issues at our end. Please take a look at on Twitter for the most up-to-date information from us.

07/11/2025

News: Only 4.8% of people with a learning disability are in paid employment, according to the landmark Keep Britain Working Review by Sir Charlie Mayfield.

It highlights significant barriers not only to finding employment but also to sustaining it.

Making It Work Employment never sign off anyone accessing their services. Keeping ourselves visible and accessible to employees and their employers. This helps negate any potential problems and helps prevent workplace crisis.

Supported Employment is key 🔑 at helping adults with barriers that want employmemt, find employment and keep it. Navigation of the workplace is difficult.

Southend Care Ltd 's employment team are contactable at makingitwork@southendcare.co.uk

06/11/2025

Making It Work Employment are Job coaching David in his new domestic assistant role at Project 49.
David is such a fantastic role model to service users on their employment pathways Project 49.

02/11/2025

Paula Pearl ♥

Today marks - a moment to shine a light on the incredible work of learning disability nurses across the UK.

Yet, despite the profound impact learning disability nurses have, this field of the profession faces serious challenges.

Our Learning Disability Nursing Review is underway, and we need your voice. If you’re a registered learning disability nurse, complete our survey and help protect the future of learning disability nursing.

🔗 Jonathan Beebee, RCN Professional Lead for Learning Disability Nursing writes: https://bit.ly/4nCbfN1

Take the survey: https://bit.ly/3X37AN9