The social lives of people with learning disabilities one year after accessing a supported employment agency.

This paper reports on the individual outcomes of service users accessing an employment support agency. Findings are presented in relation to their relevance to policy and practice in community care generally. Changes in skills and behaviour, quality of life and social support networks pre-employment (time 1) and after one year of accessing support from the agency, including supported employment (time 2) were mapped using a range of quantitative and qualitative methods. Results indicated significant changes in network size and membership as well as social contexts from which network members were derived. No significant relationships were found between social network size and behaviour scores indicating that network size alone is a poor indicator of improved skills and behaviour. However, social network size was linked to gains in life experiences and quality of life and, in particular, greater satisfaction with leisure activities as well as quality and range of relationships at time 2. The paper concludes that whilst work will not guarantee social relationships, it can help maintain network size and provides a social opportunity for people with learning disabilities to meet new social contacts