What is a Special Employment Center? Features and functions

The Special Employment Centers (CEE), also called Special Work Centers (CET), are companies that have the objective of favoring the labor integration of people with disabilities. That is, companies where the majority of their workers have some type of disability.

In this type of center is the figure of the psychologist. In this article, we will learn about some of their functions, the characteristics of EWCs, how they work, and what types of services they offer. In addition, we will explain the different types of disabilities of the people who work there.

• Related article: "The 10 functions of social workers"

What is a Special Employment Center?

What is a Special Employment Center? A Special Employment Center (CEE), also called CET (Special Work Center), is a company that hires people with some type of disability. The disability can be of any type (sensory, physical, mental and intellectual), depending on the type of work and the tasks and functions that it entails.

Thus, the Special Employment Centers are a fundamental source of recruitment and professional development for people with disabilities. Its objective is to provide workers with disabilities the realization of

a productive and paid job, appropriate to their personal characteristics and that facilitates labor integration of these in the ordinary labor market.

Characteristics

The Special Employment Centers are part of the protected labor market, that is, a type of market where positions are offered for socially vulnerable groups, as is the group of people with some type of disability in this case.

The worker who joins a CEE or CET must have an official certificate of disability, with a minimum degree of 33%; however, there is a small part of the template for people without disabilities, as we will explain later.

The EWCs or CETs were created in Spain by the Law for the Social Integration of the Disabled, now called the General Law on Disability.

Operation of a Special Employment Center

To fully understand what a Special Employment Center is, it is important to understand how it works. Normally in the Special Employment Centers there are other external companies that contract the services of the EWC; For example, a company whose product is packets of tobacco with its lighter and filters included, hires the services of the CEE to manufacture these products.

Services of an EWC

Generally, a CEE or CET includes a series of usual services. Generally, they are the following: gardening, maintenance, cleaning, janitorial and administration. In other words, the professionals with disabilities who will work on it will be trained (and/or have experience) in these fields.

Who works in a Special Employment Center?

Apart from workers with disabilities (for example, cleaning, gardening, maintenance, concierge workers,...), in the Special Employment Centers also have workers who are part of the USAP team (Attention Support Unit). Professional).

The USAP team is usually made up of psychologists and social workers., and is responsible for offering support and advice. On the other hand, there are also supervisors of the different services, coordinators, rulers, administrators, etc.; these workers may or may not have disabilities.

Disabled professionals

Now that we understand a little more what a Special Employment Center is, we can begin to locate its professionals with disabilities as well.

The term “disability”, according to the WHO (World Health Organization), is a general concept that covers deficiencies, activity limitations and participation restrictions of a person. But what does each thing mean? Impairments encompass bodily functions, activity limitations are difficulties performing certain tasks, and participation restrictions involve problems participating in life situations.

types of disability

People with disabilities who work in an EWC, have a minimum degree of 33% disability. Disability can be of different types:

1. sensory impairment

It affects one (or several) of the sensory modalities: visual (blindness, malignant myopia,...), auditory (deafness),...

2. intellectual disability

It is the most frequent in the Special Employment Centers. Involves deficits in intellectual or cognitive functioning. The degrees of intellectual disability in these workers are usually light, mild or moderate. People with severe intellectual disabilities usually go to occupational centers (OC).

• You may be interested in: "Intellectual and developmental disability"

3. Physical disability

It implies a motor deficiency; is about a condition that prevents or hinders free movement, physical performance and/or displacement in people. Examples of it are having a spinal cord injury (paraplegia, tetraplegia,...), amputations, scoliosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, etc.

4. mental disability

It implies the existence of a mental disorder or illness. The person presents disorders in adaptive behavior, usually chronic. It would include cases of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, cyclothymic disorder, etc..

The figure of the psychologist in a CEE

Finally, to continue understanding what a Special Employment Center is, we must bear in mind that the figure of the psychologist exists within it. But what functions does he perform? Basically, and roughly, the USAP team psychologist (already mentioned) is in charge of carrying out a good follow-up of the workers, in all areas of their lives.

Evaluates the different spheres of the worker and participates in his well-being, both in the workplace and outside of it. He also takes care of the work part.

At the follow-up level, the psychologist carries out the so-called PIIL (Individual Program for Labor Integration), a document for each worker with a series of objectives in the personal, labor and interpersonal relationship areas. This document can be done jointly with the social worker and after an exhaustive follow-up interview with the worker.

Bibliographic references:

• Baker & McKenzie. (2018). Labor insertion policies for people with disabilities through the protected labor market. Critical aspects for its maintenance and sustainable development. Executive Summary, 2-10.
• Ministry of Labour, Migrations and Social Security. (2018). Special Employment Centers. Public State Employment Service (SEPE).