Supported Employment

Service Description

To provide support for persons with disabilities in employment and to allow them to work in an integrated open setting with necessary support service.

Eligibility for the Service

• aged 15 or above;
• Persons with moderate disablement with working abilities lying between sheltered workshop and open employment without support, i.e. the majority of persons with moderate grade intellectual disability and those with mild grade intellectual disability coupled with other disabilities or being recommended/assessed by the service operator or allied health professionals such as occupational therapist, psychologist, etc. that they would be benefitted from the service; or
• Persons with moderate disablement with good working abilities but who are unable to adjust to the competitive open job market in the absence of support, i.e. those persons with severe physical, sensory, visceral or psychiatric disabilities.

Service Content

1. Employment counseling and work skills training
   • Arrange job placement, such as job analysis and job matching;
   • Provide support services including employment-related skills training, on-the-job coaching and supervision, job-related guidance and advice to the participants, their family members and the employers;
   • Provide support services to participants matching with the changing needs of the labour market and the economy; and
   • Allowance-generating work skills training (training allowance is in general calculated according to the kind of job training and the trainees' participation).
2. Job Attachment
   • The service operators will arrange job attachment for each participant. During the job attachment period, which is not more than three months, the participants who can fulfill the required attendance will have the job attachment allowance of $2,000 per month;
   • After completing the job attachment, the participants will be assisted to find suitable job or job trial in the open market; and
   • There is no employer-employee relationship between participants and organisations that provide job attachment opportunities.
3. Job Trial
   • The employers can try out work abilities of the participants through job trial. During the job trial period, the employers will receive a wage subsidy equal to 50% of the actual wage paid to the participants with a ceiling of $4,000 a month, whichever is the lower, for a maximum period of 6 months;
   • The participants under job trial should enjoy the status of employees and are entitled to the normal employment benefits as defined under Employment Ordinance, the Minimum Wage Ordinance, etc; and
   • Job trial may be skipped if the participants could secure an employment after the job attachment.
4. Post-placement Service
   • No less than 12 months of post-placement service is provided to the participants to help them settle in employment.

*Note: There is no employer-employee relationship between the service operators and the participants.

Application Procedures

Applicants can approach the service operators directly or referral can be made to the Central Referral System for Rehabilitation Services of the SWD.  The application is free of charge. 

Fees and Charges

Free.

Information of Service Unit

Online Submission

Only authorised personnel of recognised service operators of non-governmental organisations can make registries in relation to social welfare services through "The Client Information System (CIS) Online Submission" of SWD.