We are pleased to have contributed to the Disability Employment Gap Report and look forward to its recommendations coming to fruition. The ‘personalised, flexible and local’ approach that is recommended is exactly how our WorkFit employment programme is structured and thus, we would welcome the opportunity to work with the Department for Work and Pensions as a specialist provider, to improve the employment outcomes for people who have Down’s syndrome.
Carol Boys, Chief Executive, the Down’s Syndrome Association
The Work and Pensions Committee’s report into the disability employment gap has said the Government’s programme to help disabled people into work needs a ‘radical overhaul’. MPs heard evidence from charities, including the Down’s Syndrome Association (DSA), disabled people’s organisations, and from ministers from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) before putting together the long-awaited report. The report concludes that the DWP’s national programme for supporting disabled people to find, and stay, in employment, is not working. It said efforts must instead be delivered at a local level as part of a renewed effort to break down the unacceptable barriers disabled people face in the labour market.
People with disabilities are considerably less likely to be in employment than non-disabled people. The current disability employment gap – the difference between the proportion of disabled people and non-disabled people in employment – stands at nearly 30%. The report says the Government should scrap its current target of helping one million disabled people into work by 2027 and should instead, work to halve the current gap.
The gap between the proportion of disabled and non-disabled people in work has remained stubbornly high for years. The currently, overly centralised model of support simply isn’t working. We need a radical new localised approach. Support for finding and staying in a job that is much more personalised, flexible and effective should be delivered by groups of local authorities working with the NHS, training providers and charities.
Rt Hon Stephen Timms MP, Chair of the Work and Pensions Committee
What does the report recommend?
The Committee calls on the DWP to carry out a radical overhaul of its current approach. It recommends granting more powers and funding to groups of local authorities so that they can set up their own versions of the Work and Health Programme. The Committee says it is smaller, specialist providers that are best placed to deliver the support that people with disabilities need. It says local authorities should be responsible for commissioning and delivering employment support for disabled people in their area, working closely with the NHS, education providers and the third sector, funded by the DWP.
It also says the DWP should do more to encourage employers to ‘job carve’ roles for disabled people by creating opportunities that best match the skills of an employee.
In-work support for employers was also deemed important, so that companies feel supported to keep workers on and also so that disabled employees are given development opportunities. While the law requires employers to make reasonable adjustments to support disabled workers, in reality, some employers either do not understand their obligations or deliberately flout them. The Government must therefore ensure that employers have access to support and guidance on reasonable adjustments through its new online information hub. The report also found that MPs described the current Disability Confident scheme as a mere ‘tick box exercise’.
There was criticism that the current Access to Work programme, which provides advice and support to disabled people and their employers, is dogged by a ‘bureaucratic, cumbersome and time-consuming application process’. It is therefore suggested that the DWP work with disabled people to redesign the process.
The report also touches on the need for support back into work after the Covid-19 pandemic, problems with the disability benefits system, and the lack of trust between the DWP and disabled people.
How does the WorkFit model fit with all these recommendations?
WorkFit in England and Wales offers an effective, scalable and evidence-based model for actively supporting people who have Down’s syndrome and encouraging them and their families to consider paid work as a realistic and feasible option.
- We now have 1,200 candidates registered with the WorkFit programme and hundreds of people have already been placed into work.
- We are very proud that 92% of candidates placed by WorkFit in permanent paid work since 2012*, continue to be employed
(*does not include redundancy).
- WorkFit takes a ‘local’ approach to finding people jobs. We have five Employment Development Officers (EDOs) spread across the country, that personally liaise face-to-face (either in person or online), with candidates and employers to make sure the best fit is found for everyone. This dedicated EDO supports jobseekers and employers at all stages of the process.
- Support from the EDO at work is ongoing, and all support, resources and training are free of charge.
- WorkFit provide tailored training to employers about the learning profile of people who have Down’s syndrome so that they can be supported in the workplace. General training around employing someone with a learning disability can be helpful but often misses too many factors that can be crucial to success. Our bespoke WorkFit Employer Training provides a full and detailed picture of Down’s syndrome, along with strategies, resources, and full details of our ongoing support.
- WorkFit already use the ‘job carve’ approach, working with employers to tailor job roles so that both employers and employees are realistic and know what is expected of them.
- WorkFit has continued to support people in their roles throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Although many employees have been furloughed, some have continued to work throughout with our support, and we are now working hard to get everyone back into their jobs with whatever training they may need to re-start.
- WorkFit operates successfully without the need for job coaches or other third-party stakeholders by using a workplace ‘buddy’ system which significantly reduces overall costs and provides a more organic and typical career pathway for employees who have often had their different abilities highlighted and stigmatised. The WorkFit ‘buddy’ system means that colleagues support each other and complement each other’s skills and abilities.
- WorkFit supports employment opportunities in ALL industries with jobs in a range of settings, such as science lab technician, museum guide, dog groomer, cinema usher, trainee scaffolder, movie set painter. There are no limits to our ambitions or those of our jobseekers.
- We do not limit our approach to retail, catering and hospitality (the more traditional sectors for people with learning disabilities to be employed in), and we’ve had great success in banking and finance, construction and engineering, finance and law, warehouse and distribution, science and sport.
- We currently have candidates employed with Waitrose, DEFRA, Dunelm, Greggs, Hilton, GXO, various emergency services (police, fire and rescue, ambulance), and many more businesses and organisations across England and Wales.
- We recognise paid work is not right for everyone, so we support other employment options, including supported apprenticeships/internships, work experience and voluntary work. Because WorkFit is flexible and person-centred, it significantly improves employment outcomes for people who have Down’s syndrome.
- Independent evaluations of the DSA’s WorkFit model and extensive feedback from stakeholders provides compelling evidence of the success of the model in delivering significant impacts for people who have Down’s syndrome, their families and employers/co-workers.
The evidence – recent success stories
JONO
Jono has been working as a Teaching Assistant at Hilltop School in Maltby for more than four years and recently applied for an Admin Assistant role at the school. He was interviewed last week and offered the job. A spokesperson for the school said: “Jono is keen and helpful, eager to learn – a huge help at Hilltop. He has excellent IT skills and creates class resources. He is patient and kind with students, helps them with communication, and bonds with them. It is a joy to watch him grow and challenge himself.”
BETHANY AND DAVID
Bethany and David now have permanent paid jobs with West Mercia Police following successful work placements. They join 11 others employed in police forces across the country.
ESE
Three weeks after starting her role as part-time Office Administrator at messaging service Cord, Ese told us: “This job means the world to me and I feel so proud.” CEO of Cord Ben Henley-Smith said: “Ese is a joy to work with, she is fun, bright and really helpful. She has an infectious energy and a really great sense of humour. Whatever we need, she always says yes.”
ADAM
Adam just smashed a ‘fantastic’ interview which means he’ll be starting at Dunelm in Morpeth next month. Dunelm already employ seven people through the WorkFit scheme across the country.
JACK
Jack now has a permanent paid position at GXO in Washington. He says he is ‘delighted’ to be working there and told us that his job and manager Paul ‘make him happy’. GXO employ 16 people via WorkFit across their UK sites.
LAUREN
Lauren has recently started as a part-time Office Assistant at messaging service Cord. She told us: “It’s absolutely amazing here. My job is a dream come true. I work with a great team and I can recommend having a job!”
ANGUS
Angus has twice been nominated for ‘Employee of the Month’ at the Developer Society where he works. His parents say: “It is a feather in his cap which could not have been possible had he not got the job through WorkFit”. They thanked Angus’ WorkFit EDO Molly for helping him make the move to working from home during the pandemic.
You can read the stories of hundreds of happy and thriving employees helped into employment by WorkFit on our Twitter page.
To find out more about how you can make WorkFit ‘work’ for your business, or if you’d like to join as a potential employee, please visit the WorkFit website.
You can read the full Disability Employment Gap report here.