Talking about Work: I used to talk about nothing else, I was excited and it got a bit too much for my parents

People with learning difficulties who had access to day services were invited to talk about their work placement or employment Focus groups were used to gather information on type of work placement opportunities and the participants' experiences. The majority liked their job as it offered purposeful activity and opportunities to meet people. Many individuals wished to increase the number of hours worked but several were relatively dissatisfied with their wages and negative interactions with workmates. The study identified that in spite of high motivation to work many individuals were unclear about their future occupational prospects. They did not have many opportunities to systematically explore and discuss their work related interests, range of placement options and how they could be accessed. Participants had not been involved in the search for their current placements. These omissions could result in increased reliance an day centres even for skilled individuals who might otherwise be employed in community settings.