Postgraduate Research Opportunity: Future Shifts: Growing Good Work Opportunities for People with Learning Disabilities and Autism Known to Adult Social Care Services

Project summary:

To deliver new understanding, evidence and positive real-world impacts around the connections between Supported Employment and adult social care services for working age adults with learning disabilities and/or autism in order to grow the employment opportunities and life quality of those individuals whilst supporting local social work services and budgets.

Start date: 1^st October 2025

Duration: 36

Funding: Funded

Funding towards:

Home fee
UKRI stipend rate

Funding details: Fully-funded scholarship for 3 years covers all university tuition fees (at UK level) and an annual tax-free stipend. International students are also eligible to apply, but they will need to find other funding sources to cover the difference between the home and international tuition fees. Exceptional international candidates may be provided funding for this difference.

Number of places: 1

Number of places extra: There will be a shortlisting and interview process.

RCUK eligibility: No

Eligibility: You should have an undergraduate degree at 2:1 or above and a Masters degree, or equivalent research and professional experience. The project requires qualitative and quantitative research skills as well as an ability to collaborate and co-produce with policy stakeholders and disabled people. You should have a commitment to social justice, disability inclusion, and social change.

Further info can be found here: www.strath.ac.uk/studywithus/postgraduateresearchphdopportunities/business/workemploymentorganisation/futureshiftsgrowinggoodworkopportunitiesforpeoplewithlearningdisabilitiesandautism

Study modes eligibility: Full-time. We support flexible working and there is potential flexibility regards location.

Fee Status: What fee status applies to applicants? Please omit any of the below that do not apply:

• Home
• International

Project Details:

Working age adults with learning disabilities and/or autism (LDA) have the lowest rate of paid employment of any disabled group, yet most working age adults with LDA want to work, can work, and evidence shows that good paid work is good for health and wellbeing.

Local authority adult social care services currently spend £7.5bn annually on this group but overwhelmingly on high-cost, long-term provision with little connection to employment as an option. SEQF Supported Employment offers a potential solution, has growing positive evidence, and is the direction of policy travel through DWP’s Connect to Work programme. However, key gaps in evidence and understanding exist that limit the potential for positive system change. Open to co-production with the researcher and external partners, the PhD has these priorities:

1. Explore experiences and impacts of Supported Employment services and employment transitions for working age social work clients with LDA, their unpaid carers, and social work staff;
2. Develop quantitative impact analyses and cost-benefit estimates of Supported Employment services for working age social care adults with LDA, including savings to local social work services;
3. Work with BASE, local partner areas, and wider stakeholders to develop KE activities and resources to maximise project impacts.

Primary Supervisor: Professor Adam Whitworth, Department of Work, Employment and Organisation (WEO), Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Additional Supervisor/s: Dr Kirsty Strokosch, Department of Work, Employment and Organisation

(WEO), Strathclyde Business School, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow & Laura Davis, Chief

Executive, British Association for Supported Employment (BASE)

Contact Details: Interested applicants are welcome to contact Prof Adam Whitworth, lead supervisor, for an informal discussion adam.whitworth@strath.ac.uk

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