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Seashell Trust has hit out at Lord Freud's controversial comments about employees with disabilities – and says they have, in fact, a vital role to fulfil in the workforce

Lord Freud, welfare reform minister, has been forced to apologise after referring to working people with disabilities as: “There is a group... where actually as you say they're not worth the full wage and actually I'm going to go and think about that particular issue, whether there is something we can do... if someone wants to work for £2 an hour.”

Mark Geraghty, chief executive and principal of Seashell Trust, said: “I am extremely saddened to hear the comments made by Lord Freud. In the last 25 years, schools, colleges and charities across the UK have worked tirelessly, with increasing numbers of employers, to create an inclusive, rich and diverse workforce in relation to the employment of young people with disabilities.

“CEOs and MDs tell me regularly how much they have benefited from employing young people with disabilities and how it has enriched their business and workforce development.

“Lord Freud's comments conveyed iniquitous and undesirable messages , which I hope, will not have lasting impact on their plans and attitudes toward employing young people with disabilities.”

At Seashell Trust we work with profoundly disabled young people to help them achieve their potential and lead full and active lives.

We believe in integration for their students, including where possible becoming part of the workforce.

Students are encouraged to take part in work experience placements in local businesses with the long-term aim of paid employment, with support if necessary.

Sally Moores, job coach at the trust, said: “Lord Freud was absolutely wrong. Disabled people should not be paid less than an able-bodied person in the same role and certainly never less than the minimum wage.

“These jobs are not token gestures, payment has always been set as the same as other employees performing that role. Students take on tasks other people might be too busy to do but are time critical such as a post round or deliveries. For our young people, it provides the variety of short sharp-burst tasks that keep them motivated and allows other staff to concentrate on different tasks."

She also believes that disabled people, in fact, have a vital and unrecognised role to play in the nation's workforce.

Sally explains: “We could probably all identify those two hours a week where we come in early, or stay late, but if you were to advertise a two-hour role on the open job market, I doubt you would get many applicants. For our students, the reality is two to three hours per week is just what they need rather than full time or even a 20-hour part time week. By job carving these roles, employees feel more valued and their morale increases.”

While it is very unlikely any of our students will ever be able to take on a full-time position and they may need support in tasks, the aim is independent work.

Sally said: “Sometimes a longer training period or a working interview to allow time to learn to do tasks independently is required. Apprentice schemes or internships are useful and the company pays a lower rate while the person is training, but once they can complete the tasks independently they should be paid at the same rate.”

Seashell Trust has built up relationships over many years, with organisations including Lakeland, Sodexo at Astra Zeneca, Hilton Hotels, BNY Mellon, Deanprint, Think Money, Morson International and Tatton Park providing work experience and paid roles for student and graduates in areas such as catering, facilities management and office admin.