2026 European Supported Employment Conference

2026 European Employment Conference

About Base

Promoting, protecting and strengthening Supported Employment

BASE exists to champion evidence-based Supported Employment so disabled, neurodivergent and disadvantaged people can access good-quality employment with the right support.

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OUR VISION

A labour market where inclusion is real, practical and evidence-led.

We want a labour market where access to employment, quality support and employer confidence are built into the system rather than treated as optional extras.

This reflects BASE’s long-standing position that employment is for all, and that quality Supported Employment delivers better outcomes for individuals, employers and communities.

Our purpose

Promoting, protecting and strengthening the Supported Employment model.

BASE exists to promote, protect and strengthen the Supported Employment model so that disabled, neurodivergent and disadvantaged people can access good-quality employment with the right support.

Our Strategic Plan sets out how we will work with members, employers, commissioners and policymakers to reduce the Disability Employment Gap by embedding evidence-based practice, improving quality and influencing policy.

Why this matters

Focused on better outcomes

The aim is not just access to work, but access to good-quality employment supported by evidence, quality and meaningful partnership.

A national role with a practical purpose

BASE helps make Supported Employment more clearly understood, more consistently delivered and better embedded across policy, commissioning and practice.

Our role as a national body

Acting as a policy voice, a quality guardian and a connector across the sector.

We work on behalf of our members and the people they support to ensure Supported Employment is understood, commissioned and delivered consistently across the UK.

A policy voice

For the Supported Employment sector, helping shape understanding, priorities and decision-making at a national level.

A quality guardian

For evidence-based practice, promoting fidelity, improvement and confidence in the way Supported Employment is delivered.

A connector

Between providers, employers and system leaders, helping different parts of the landscape work together more effectively.

Values that guide our work

The principles that shape policy, quality and practice.

People at the centre

Disabled, neurodivergent and disadvantaged people remain at the heart of all policy, quality and practice decisions.

Ambition and expectation

We challenge low expectations and promote access to meaningful, sustainable careers, not short-term or tokenistic roles.

Partnership working

We work collaboratively with employers, providers, commissioners, researchers and government, recognising that system change requires shared ownership.

Quality and evidence

We promote model fidelity and continuous improvement, recognising that quality practice leads directly to better outcomes.

BASE System Section

Supported Employment across the system

A whole-system approach spanning education into adulthood.

BASE promotes a whole-system approach to Supported Employment, spanning education into adulthood and including a range of pathways that support progression, opportunity and consistency.

All pathways are underpinned by the Supported Employment model, ensuring consistency, accountability and progression opportunities regardless of location.

  • Supported Internships
  • Inclusive Apprenticeships
  • Paid employment (part-time and full-time)
  • Self-employment and social enterprise
Strategic priorities 2024–2027

See how BASE is turning purpose into action.

Our Strategic Plan sets out how BASE will strengthen quality, influence policy, support employers and reduce the Disability Employment Gap through evidence-based Supported Employment.

  • Quality and model fidelity
  • Policy and funding influence
  • Employer action and inclusion