Source · Select Committees · Work and Pensions Committee
Recommendation 22
22
Paragraph: 102
Support from Access to Work is only available for disabled people once they have been...
Conclusion
Support from Access to Work is only available for disabled people once they have been offered a job. This means that disabled people who are looking for work face uncertainty about whether they will receive the support they need, should they find a job, and that if they do, there is a period of waiting to find out what support they will receive. We heard that this delay and uncertainty can discourage employers Disability employment gap 75 from hiring disabled candidates.
Paragraph Reference:
102
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
At all levels, employers are required to adhere to key commitments within the scheme. At Disability Confident Committed (Level 1), this includes: attracting disabled people and ensuring that their recruitment processes are fully inclusive and accessible; communicating and promoting vacancies to attract disabled people; offering an interview to disabled people that meet the minimum criteria for the job; anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments as required; and supporting existing disabled employees to retain employment. It is unlikely that an organisation can become Disability Confident without employing a single disabled person. At levels 2 and 3 employers need to provide evidence of how they support their disabled employees, which would not be possible if they had no disabled employees. Employers at all levels must agree to undertake activities that will make a significant difference to the work-opportunities of disabled people. Throughout the learning journey employers review their policies and procedures against set criteria and gather evidence to demonstrate that their processes are inclusive and accessible to all and that they are supporting workplace opportunities for disabled people. As part of the Disability Confident review, we will consider whether the commitments, actions and guidance within the scheme’s criteria is sufficiently challenging and encourages meaningful change from employers. Health is Everyone’s Business (HIEB)