LESS than three per cent of people who get support because they have a learning disability are in paid employment in Wiltshire.

Figures published by Wiltshire Council show that the figure is well below the national average of six per cent.

As part of papers seen during a Health Select Committee meeting in County Hall, Wiltshire Council officers stated: “Wiltshire’s current performance is one of the lowest in the South West and well below the national average of 6 per cent.” Carlton Brand corporate director of adult care and public health said: “What pricks my conscious everyday is the number of people with a learning disability in work or in meaningful voluntary work in the voluntary sector.

"It is way way below what we want it to be. That’s the sort of mirror I want to hold up in Wiltshire to say that is not what we want to do."

“We want to say that is not right what are we going to do about it. To fix this will take everybody working together to co produce the results. This will include carers, businesses and Wiltshire Council.”

Figures released by the Trade Union Congress also revealed an estimated 13,0250 people with disabilities have changed their jobs or fallen out of employment in Wiltshire in the last year.

Regional secretary of the South West TUC, Nigel Costley said:

“People with disabilities face many barriers when it comes to finding good, rewarding jobs. Employers must do more to ensure they provide the reasonable adjustments legally required to support their workers.”

“Disabled workers live with the constant threat of losing their reasonable adjustments every time their boss or job changes.”

In a bid to help more disabled people stay in work, the TUC and trade union GMB have created a disability passport where employers can note down what adjustments are need for that worker.