New Ealing charter aims to open doors to employment

Businesses across Ealing are being encouraged to help create more employment opportunities for young people with special educational needs and disabilities following the launch of a new borough-wide initiative.

The Ealing SEND Partnership Charter was officially launched at the University of West London's St Mary's Road campus on 7 September 2026, with HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh joining young people, employers, charities and community organisations for the occasion.

But behind the high-profile visit is a much bigger local issue.

Only 2.2% of people with learning disabilities in Ealing are currently in employment, compared with a London average of 7%.

The new charter aims to help change that by bringing businesses and organisations together to create clearer pathways into the workplace.

What is the Ealing SEND Partnership Charter?

The charter has been established by a partnership involving Ealing Council, the University of West London, West London Business, West London Chambers of Commerce, Ealing Business Club and the Ealing SEND Network.

Rather than simply asking businesses to pledge their support, the initiative is focused on creating practical opportunities.

Employers are being encouraged to consider offering young people with SEND:

• Work experience
• Supported internships
• Apprenticeships
• Paid employment

Businesses joining the initiative can work with the Ealing SEND Network to identify appropriate opportunities, match young people to roles and access support including job coaching.

That practical support could be particularly important for smaller Ealing businesses that want to participate but may not previously have had the knowledge or resources to establish an inclusive employment programme.

Why employment matters

Finding a first job can be difficult for any young person.

For someone with SEND, additional barriers can make that transition considerably harder.

Those barriers don't necessarily reflect a young person's ability to contribute. They can involve recruitment processes, workplace accessibility, lack of appropriate support or simply employers not knowing how to create suitable opportunities.

Ealing's own SEND strategy makes preparation for adulthood and access to training and meaningful employment one of its four major priorities.

The new partnership charter takes that ambition directly into the local business community.

It also complements the council's wider employment services.

Ealing already helps businesses advertise vacancies, recruit local candidates and develop apprenticeship and work-experience opportunities.

Duchess hears directly from young people

During her visit to UWL, the Duchess of Edinburgh met young people with SEND as well as employers and local organisations.

The discussion focused on some of the barriers people can experience when trying to enter employment and how appropriate support can help individuals develop skills and establish successful careers.

The visit also showcased the wider talents of Ealing's SEND community.

The Duchess watched a boccia match involving UWL and PACE Charitable Trust, followed by a signed dance performance from IMPACT Theatre, which uses the creative arts to develop communication and self-confidence.

Her message to the borough centred on the importance of giving young people opportunities, describing those chances as something that can make a significant difference to young people and their families.

Local businesses have a role to play

Perhaps the most important part of the Ealing SEND Partnership Charter is what happens after the launch event.

Ealing has thousands of employers ranging from major institutions and national companies to independent shops, restaurants, professional practices and small businesses.

Not every organisation will be able to offer a permanent job.

But the charter deliberately creates several possible levels of participation.

A business might provide someone's first experience of a workplace. Another could offer an internship or apprenticeship. Others may have suitable paid vacancies.

Collectively, relatively small commitments from employers across Acton, Ealing, Greenford, Hanwell, Northolt, Perivale and Southall could create significantly more opportunities.

UWL Vice-Chancellor Professor Peter John CBE said the university was proud to be a founding member and highlighted the potential for organisations working together to help young people with SEND progress and contribute to Ealing's future workforce.

From education into a purposeful adulthood

The charter also addresses a crucial point in a young person's life: what happens after education.

Schools, colleges and specialist services can provide considerable support while someone is studying, but moving from that environment into employment can represent an entirely different challenge.

Ealing's SEND strategy specifically identifies preparing young people for a “purposeful adulthood” with opportunities for training and meaningful employment as a strategic priority.

That makes the employment charter more than a standalone initiative.

If employers participate and suitable opportunities are created, it could provide another bridge between education and working life for young people who might otherwise struggle to make that transition.

And with the employment rate for people with learning disabilities in Ealing currently standing at only 2.2%, there is clearly considerable room for improvement.

The success of the initiative will therefore ultimately be measured not by how many organisations support the idea — but by how many young people get their first opportunity because of it.

At a Glance

What: Ealing SEND Partnership Charter
Launched: 7 September 2026
Where: University of West London, St Mary's Road, Ealing
Aim: Increase employment opportunities for young people with SEND
Ealing employment figure: 2.2% of people with learning disabilities
London comparison: 7%
Opportunities sought: Work experience, supported internships, apprenticeships and paid employment
Founding partners: Ealing Council, UWL, West London Business, West London Chambers of Commerce, Ealing Business Club and Ealing SEND Network
Launch: Marked by a visit from HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh.