{"id":66223,"date":"2025-06-16T15:08:20","date_gmt":"2025-06-16T14:08:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/?p=66223"},"modified":"2026-01-26T17:32:09","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T17:32:09","slug":"reaching-independence-helps-100-people-learning-disabilities-employment-work-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.devon.gov.uk\/news\/reaching-independence-helps-100-people-learning-disabilities-employment-work-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"Reaching For Independence helps over 100 people with learning disabilities into employment or work experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To mark Learning Disability Week<\/a> this week (16-22 June), we’re highlighting the work of our Reaching For Independence<\/a> (RFI) service, which supports people with social care needs to develop life skills and promote independence.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service offers short-term enabling support to people aged 17 years and upwards with eligible social care needs or likely to have them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is focussed on helping people to gain the skills and confidence to live independently, to use community facilities and services independently, or to take up new opportunities such as starting paid employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past year, RFI has helped support over 100 people into either paid employment or a work experience opportunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among them is James, who is now starting his second season at Haven\u2019s Devon Cliffs holiday park<\/a> in Exmouth, working as a food and drink delivery driver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When applying for the role, James was supported by Paul Trimming, a Community Enabler from the RFI team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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