SUSE Annual Conference

Setting the Standard: Driving Quality in Specialist Employability Support.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this year’s Conference on 20th May at the Stirling Court Hotel.

The Conference Report is now available to view either online or download as a text only version:

SUSE Annual Conference Report 2025

Alternatively, to view a text only version in Word please select the file below:

Conference Interviews

View the Conference Interviews video

This year’s theme was Setting the Standard: Driving Quality in Specialist Employability Support.

The SUSE Annual Conference 2025 was an unmissable event for anyone working in or passionate about Supported Employment. The Conference provided a day packed with expert insights, practical strategies and innovative ideas to improve the quality and impact of Supported Employment and employability services.

Key topics explored include:

• Quality in Specialist Employability Support: How to elevate standards and make a measurable impact in your work.
• Addressing Increased Demand for Services: Solutions to meet the growing need for employability support without compromising quality.
• Meeting the Needs of the Employability Workforce: Effective strategies for supporting the people who deliver employability services, ensuring they are equipped, motivated and empowered to succeed.

The conference featured leading industry experts, inspiring speakers and networking opportunities with like-minded professionals. The Conference provided employers, service providers and policymakers, with the chance to contribute to the conversation on shaping the future of Supported Employment and specialist employability support and fostering an inclusive workforce.

Shaping the future of employability in Scotland.

What should SES services look like?

To kick off the day, delegates heard from Alexander Warren, AJP Dreams, about his vision for Specialist Employability Support services…

Interviews

Thank you to members of our Experience Network, Michael McEwan and Andrew Kerr for spending the day interviewing speakers and delegates to gauge their thoughts on SES, the Conference, how best to engage with employers, and how we can better design services to meet the needs of disabled people.

Here’s more about the Conference Day…

Agenda:

Speakers:

We were delighted to welcome the following speakers:

• Keynote Speaker: Tom Arthur MSP, Minister for Employment and Investment
• Andy Bell, CEO of HelpFirst. HelpFirst uses AI to help improve service delivery and increase efficiency in organisations that look after vulnerable people at scale, across social services, special needs education and large charities. Andy discussed the role and use of AI in service delivery.
• Ian George from Alliance for Inclusion along with Fiona Walker, SUSE Marketing and Communications Manager, presented a new project at the forefront of self-management activities. The team will be discussing a new tool which facilitates early action to sustain employment.
• Jenny Marshall, Head of Operations at Glasgow Centre for Inclusive Living, discussed DPOs and the Co-production of Employability Support
• David MacDougall, Managing Consultant from 50 Degrees discussed the Pathways to Work Green Paper and the Implications for Scotland.

Panel Discussion:

What does success look like for the new Specialist Employability Support (SES) services?

Ian Bruce chaired a panel of experts as they discussed the new SES services and what success looks like around quality, impact, choice, co-production, equity and resources.

Joining Ian was:

• Pegs Bailey, National Third Sector Employability Partnership Engagement Manager, Scotland
• Cameron Smith, Development Worker with Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities
• Arlene Callan, Director for Scotland with People Plus
• Chris O’Hanlon, Head of Employability Policy and Strategy, Scottish Government
• Ruth Cooper, Economic Development Manager, Renfrewshire Council

Workshops:

We were thrilled to offer a diverse range of workshops designed to inspire, challenge and equip delegates with new skills and perspectives.

There were 9 workshops available during the Conference. Each delegate could choose 3 to attend.

Workshops were hosted by:

• The University of Strathclyde
• SUMETO
• The Pain Association Scotland
• The Association for Real Change (ARC Scotland)
• Third Sector Interface Scotland
• Passion4Social
• HelpFirst
• Scottish Community Development Centre
• The ALLIANCE Scottish Sensory Hub

View the Conference Workshops

Workshop Sponsors:

Partners & Sponsors

 Partners and Sponsor.

Thank you to our 2025 Partners and Sponsors: