We’re proud to share that our Supported Internship Programme has been recognised as a high-quality provision by the British Association for Supported Employment (BASE). Following an in depth review as part of their Supported Internship Quality Assurance Framework (SIQAF), we were awarded an outstanding score of 84% − placing us “up there nationally”.

This fantastic result reflects the daily dedication, expertise and passion of everyone who works at Team Domenica. It also affirms our commitment to creating life-changing opportunities for people with learning disabilities and autism.

What is the Supported Internship Quality Assurance Framework?

The SIQAF is a comprehensive assessment of a Supported Internship Programme, evaluating all aspects of the provision: from leadership, planning and tracking, to how an organisation prepares and supports young people during their placements, and after.

It is not a mandatory assessment, but we chose to undertake this review in order to ensure that Team Domenica continues to provide the highest quality support for our candidates.

The review: insight from every corner of Team Domenica

Back in February, we were visited by Lily Beyer (Project Manager at Internships Work) and Maureen McHugh (BASE Associate). Over the course of two days, they gathered evidence by reviewing data, observing training, visiting placements and engaging with our staff, candidates and partners. This included:

• Observations of class-based learning, enrichment activities and Café Domenica
• Conversations with current candidates, graduates and their parents
• Visits to supported internships in action, including Bella at Hove Town Hall, Brad at the Pier and Olly at Maldron.
• Discussions with employer partners such as – Maldron Hotel, Tonkotsu, Pizza Pilgrims, and Brighton Palace Pier
• Interviews with local authority representatives, including East Sussex County Council
• Consultations with other Team Domenica staff across admissions, enrichment, café training, curriculum and pastoral care.

The verdict: a high-quality, inclusive programme with impact

The review’s findings were overwhelmingly positive. Not only did our programme meet the SIQAF benchmark for ‘high quality’ (80%), we exceeded it – scoring 84%. The review highlighted key strengths across our provision, including:

• A deeply embedded culture of respect, inclusion and high expectations
• A robust and collaborative staff team who personalise support to each candidate
• Excellent integration of classroom learning with real-workplace experience
• High-quality employer engagement and partnerships
• Transparent and rigorous recruitment, admissions and induction processes
• Exceptional support post-internship, including follow-on employment planning
• Strong organisational values that are embedded throughout our programme

Importantly, our team are also committed to enhancing our provision, so that even more people with learning disabilities can access fulfilling, long-term employment. We therefore hope to implement some of the assessor’s recommendations going forward (such as increasing the number of hours candidates spend in the workplace).

The place to be: a whole-team achievement

This fantastic result belongs to everyone at Team Domenica. From those supporting candidates in their training, or on placements, to our brilliant employer partners – each person plays a part in delivering the high-quality experience we are recognised for.

To all our staff, supporters and partners: thank you. Together, we are setting the standard for what supported internships can be. We think Becky, our Head of Supported Employment, put it best:

We were really happy to welcome BASE as they took a deep dive into our Supported Internship Programme. The feedback was extremely positive, and we were so proud to receive a score of 84%. This is a testament to the whole team’s hard work and dedication. We’re excited to build on this success and continue making our programme even stronger.

If you would like to learn more about our employment programmes, please follow this link.