Mr. Willem Le Roux:

I thank the Deputy for that. If there is one wish from me, it is for greater flexibility when it comes to people with disabilities. When we started our programme four or five months ago, everybody came in on the first day saying they would only consider part-time positions, a full-time job was not for them at that point and they wanted to hold on to some of the allowances they received from the State. There should be encouragement to dream a little bit more, to be more daring and not to be limited right from the set-off. Flexibility and understanding are needed.

The partnerships we could have with employers are important. Much more could be done in terms of the recruitment process where some existing practices could be adapted, including practical things like the interview process, how people advertise jobs or the job description, to be more understanding of what people with disabilities encounter in their lives when it comes to literacy issues. Using plain language in advertisements is another example. We could do practical things. On our programme, we try to make people as adaptable as possible but there are limits to that. There can be adaptability from the other side, that is, from employers and maybe even Government providers.

Disability awareness training should be mandatory for most employers. There should be somebody in a company or business with knowledge of working with people with disabilities. I would love to see that being promoted.

I think social farming is an innovative service. During the height of Covid we had to be very creative in our service delivery and do things differently. Social farming has been going for a long time but it is innovative and creative. That is what we need to connect with so I am a big supporter of that.

Partnerships would be a key change I would like to see.