Meet Laura Davis: A Leader Redefining What True Supported Employment Looks Like

A blog by Amy Sandiford

Laura Davis is the CEO of the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE), and one of the strongest voices advancing inclusive employment across the UK. Her leadership is grounded in a clear and unwavering mission: remove barriers, uphold model fidelity, and build pathways so disabled, neurodivergent and disadvantaged people can access meaningful, sustainable, and dignified work.

With a background spanning employer partnerships, operational leadership, and systemic advocacy, Laura has helped BASE transform Supported Employment from a service model into a movement — one shaped by values, evidence, and genuine collaboration.

As part of our UK study tour, we had the privilege of learning from her both in the workshop and later in person. Her insights connected the dots between purpose, partnership, and practice — and laid the foundation for the blog that follows.

When We Dilute the Model, We Dilute the Outcome

What the UK Taught Us About Quality, Fidelity, and Real Employment Pathways

Throughout the study tour, one message reverberated across every room we walked into:

Supported Employment works — but only when it is delivered with integrity.

Systems can drift.New providers enter the space.KPIs and commissioning pressures can push services toward shortcuts.

When this happens, the purpose — supporting real people into real jobs with real futures — risks being overshadowed by paperwork or pre-employment programs that lead nowhere.

BASE and the national leaders behind Connect to Work made it clear:fidelity is non-negotiable.It is the backbone of quality and the reason Supported Employment succeeds across the world.

This blog brings together the key learnings, stories, and technical concepts explored throughout the workshop — lessons that deeply align with our work at Valued Lives in Australia.

1. Supported Employment: A Human Commitment, Not a Transaction

Supported Employment starts with a foundational belief — highlighted by Laura herself:

“Every person is capable of meaningful work.”

It rejects outdated myths like needing to be “work ready” before engaging in employment. Instead, it follows the internationally proven “place first, train on the job” model.

Its five pillars are:

• Vocational Profile – a deep, person-owned exploration of interests, abilities, and support needs

• Job Development – employer engagement and job carving

• Job Match – the right job, right culture, right environment

• On-the-job Support – learning through doing

• Follow-on Support – ensuring long-term stability, progression, and confidence

This process works — not sometimes, not for select people, but consistently across disability types and regions.

2. Zero Rejection & Ending the Cycle of “Learner Churn”

One of the strongest principles in the UK model is the Zero Rejection Philosophy:

“We should never rule someone out because of a label or a decision made on their behalf.”

Alongside this comes a commitment to end learner churn — the cycle where people are pushed through endless “preparation courses” without ever stepping into real employment.

As one speaker said:

“Everyone learns on the job. Why should disabled people be asked to prove themselves more than anyone else?”

Ending learner churn means:

• Start job exploration early

• Use real workplace experience to build confidence

• Stop waiting for “readiness”

• Challenge assumptions disguised as barriers

3. Model Fidelity: The Heart of Quality

Fidelity simply means delivering Supported Employment the way evidence shows it works.

UK leaders were firm:

• Partial implementation = partial outcomes

• When we dilute the model, we dilute the results

• Fidelity is a learning tool, not a judgement

The Supported Employment Quality Framework (SEQF) helps services measure where they’re strong, where they’re drifting, and how to continuously improve.

One provider shared:

“We were award-winning — but SEQF still showed us where we needed to grow.”

Fidelity protects services from slipping into:

• Light-touch or “check-in only” support

• Course-first job-later approaches

• Employer “dump and run” placements

• Placement pressure instead of person-centred practice

It’s the difference between placing someone in a job and building a sustainable career.

4. The Social Model of Disability: Society Creates the Barriers, Not the Person

The workshop strongly reinforced the Social Model of Disability:

“Our role is to remove barriers — the person is never the problem.”

This lens shifts the practitioner mindset:

❌ “They’re not motivated.”✔️ “What fear, experience, or lack of opportunity shaped that response?”

❌ “Transport is their issue.”✔️ “Transport systems are the issue.”

❌ “They aren’t ready.”✔️ “What barrier is stopping them from starting?”

Practitioners become advocates, connectors, and problem-solvers, not gatekeepers.

5. Employer Engagement: A Genuine Partnership

The UK’s consistent message from employers was simple:

They want collaboration, not being told what to do.

Laura emphasised that employer engagement takes time — and it cannot be rushed for KPIs.

“Partnership means we don’t do things to employers.”

Effective employer engagement means:

• Being visible and consistent

• Supporting them beyond placement

• Understanding their business needs

• Sharing knowledge, not pressure

• Building trust before asking for roles

The worst mistake providers can make?

The “dump and run.”Place someone, disappear, and shatter employer confidence.

Never again.

6. Career Development: A Job is the Beginning, Not the End

Employment is not a finish line — it’s a launch point.

“Don’t disappear because someone looks stable. Sustainability matters.”

Career development is part of fidelity.It includes:

• Talking about aspirations from day one

• Mapping future roles and skills

• Recognising stepping-stone jobs

• Supporting people to dream and grow

Which leads to one of the most powerful stories of the tour…

7. The Story of Sam: Why Fidelity Changes Lives

At 15, Sam, a young man with Down syndrome, said he wanted to be a chef.

Everyone else told him he could only be a kitchen porter.

But Supported Employment practitioners listened to his goals — not assumptions.

Together, they crafted a career path:

• Started as kitchen porter

• Progressed to veg prep

• Paired with a mentor chef

• Learnt skills in a real kitchen environment

Within one year:

Sam was running a department at Eton College.Today, he leads a team at Wycombe Abbey School.

This is what fidelity creates:opportunity, dignity, and real careers.

8. Technical Concepts Explained Simply

Concept	Meaning
Supported Employment	Place first, train on the job, real wages.
Model Fidelity	Delivering the model as intended — no shortcuts.
Vocational Profile	Deep, holistic, person-owned information.
Job Match	The right role and workplace culture.
Zero Rejection	No one is screened out.
Social Model of Disability	Society’s barriers create disability.
SEQF	Framework for continuous improvement.
National Occupational Standards	What good practice looks like.
Connect to Work	12-month support, but the relationship continues.
Work Readiness	Rejected concept — readiness comes from working.
Career Development	Ongoing growth beyond job entry.
Employer Engagement	Partnership, not placement pressure.
Job Analysis	Understanding tasks to build good matches.
Follow-on Support	Staying connected long-term.
Learner Churn	Endless courses without jobs — to be stopped.

9. Our Commitment Moving Forward

The workshop encouraged us to ask:

“What will you commit to when you go home?”

My commitments — and those echoed by providers across the UK — are clear:

• Protect fidelity

• Build deeper employer partnerships

• End learner churn

• Honour the social model of disability

• Use vocational profiles holistically

• Support careers, not just jobs

• Prioritise sustainability

• Share knowledge across the sector

Supported Employment is more than a service — it is a values-driven practice, a social justice framework, and a promise.

10. Fidelity Is Kindness

The greatest lesson from the UK?

Fidelity is kindness. Fidelity is dignity. Fidelity is opportunity.

When we hold true to the model:

• people grow,

• employers thrive,

• communities strengthen,

• and inclusion becomes a lived reality.

When we compromise it,we compromise the futures of those we exist to support.

In-Person Meeting in Aldershot: Bringing It All Together

After the conference, we met with Laura in Aldershot — a conversation that helped turn abstract concepts into real clarity.

We discussed:

1. The Depth of Vocational Profiles

Laura explained how vocational profiles in the UK are deeply comprehensive — similar to Australian Discovery — but importantly person-owned.They travel with the individual throughout school, Supported Internships, and employment pathways.

This reduces siloed information and creates continuity — but still requires practitioners to see the profile as a living document that evolves with the person.

2. The Reality of Employer Engagement

Laura spoke candidly about the realities:

Employer engagement is hard — and that’s normal.

It takes:

• relationship-building

• time

• credibility

• and consistency

Over time, trust forms between providers, employers, and people with disability — and that’s what creates genuine opportunities.

3. Supported Internships

Supported Internships were new to me — and instantly caught my attention.

They have shown remarkable results in bridging the gap between school and employment.They offer:

• structured workplace experience

• consistent coaching

• real-world exposure

• and pathways to meaningful paid work

It’s a model Australia could learn from.

Final Thoughts

Meeting Laura — first through her workshop and then in person — grounded the entire study tour.

It wasn’t just theory.It wasn’t just practice.It was the joining of values, evidence, strategy, and humanity.

Supported Employment, delivered with fidelity, is one of the most powerful social inclusion tools in the world.

And as Laura so clearly demonstrated…

When we get it right, people thrive.When we drift, people pay the price.When we stay true, we change lives.