Originally Published: March 2015

Updated: July 2016

Disability Confident

By Ellie Moseley

In today’s economic climate job hunting may not be perceived as an easy task. The belief commonly held is there are more people competing for fewer jobs; Employers, inundated by applications are seen as able to cherry pick their ‘ideal’ candidate. People who think of themselves as less employable, for one reason or another, might find themselves feeling left behind.

One of these groups are disabled people and I attended a forum held by Disability Rights UK(1) which highlighted how disabled people feel disadvantaged in the job market. I attended the forum in two capacities; as someone who has been managing a disability for over 15 years and as someone who has worked as an employment advisor assisting disabled people. In my current role I am also involved in partnerships which are considering what needs to change strategically to better support people who consider themselves unable to work for health reasons.

Before we go any further it may be useful to define what is meant by disability within the scope of this guide. Under the Equality Act 2010 you are considered disabled if you have a physical or mental impairment that has a ‘substantial’ and ‘long-term’ negative effect on your ability to do normal daily activities. However for the scope of this guide I am referring to anyone who has a registered disability, a long term health issue or feels themselves to be held back as a result of any physical or mental health issue. Herein the term ‘disabled people’ should be taken to encompass this wider definition.

I have worked in the Welfare to Work sector for 13 years, starting off within crisis accommodation for people who were homeless. Many of these people presented with complex issues which meant they had a sporadic work history, if any at all. An integral part of the recovery and reintegration process was the development of a personal progression plan which was aimed at supporting individuals to move forward and reconnect with their goals.

Within this role it was important for me to learn how to assist individuals to sell themselves to employers despite the complex issues in their background; to enable employers to see these people are something more than the sum of the barriers they had faced. I worked closely with Devon and Cornwall Probation at the time and studied successful models for working with ex offenders. The result of my research was the development of a model which was published in a Neuro-Linguistic Programming magazine called Rapport(2). I combined this model with a staged disclosure approach that proactively informed employers about any criminal convictions a person held. This way of working became embedded into my practice and was very successful.

A couple of years later when I started a job supporting disabled people I saw that the model and the disclosure process could be applied in equally effective termswith any group of people who felt themselves to be less employable; facilitating my development of a staged disclosure of health conditions when applying for a job. It was this way of working that the researchers for Disability Rights UK picked up on in the forum I mentioned at the beginning of this article. I did not realise the approach I was using was different. I just knew what worked to enable me to support my customers effectively.

I am writing this article to pull together the different resources I use to help disabled people market themselves to employers. Subjects covered will include sourcing practical help, adopting the right attitude, condition management and guidance on disclosing to an employer.

Practical Help

It is vital that disabled people feel confident that they have as much right to apply for jobs as anyone else. This can often feel difficult, especially where reasonable adjustments are required. The term ‘reasonable adjustment’ refers to implementations needed at any recruitment stage to prevent a disabled candidate being disadvantaged. Many of the people you support will not be aware of the reasonable adjustments they require. Establishing where to get help can buildtheir confidence;

Access to Work

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) offer grants under their Access to Work scheme to pay for the practical items and adjustments that are condition related.

This can cover things like;

  • specialist equipment
  • travel when you can’t use public transport
  • a communicator at a job interview

For more information you can go to the gov.uk website(3 and 4). Jobseekers can check their eligibility using the toolkit on the website and can print off a letter to take with them to an employer to show what the scheme can offer.

The importance of knowing about Access to Work should not be underestimated. One of the worries people have when approaching an employer is how much more it may cost to hire them than a person without the same issues. Following an occupational health assessment Access to Work may be able to identify and fully fund the condition related reasonable adjustments that are required. If an application is made within 6 weeks of the job start then the recommendations made are fully funded (minus anything that that the employer should be providing as standard). If the application is made after 6 weeks funding will be awarded on a cost share basis (depending on the size of the employer).

The Law

Knowing about your legal rights can be a complex business. Thank fully there are websites that can be accessed by individuals and professionals alike. These clearly set out what is required under the law when employers are recruiting. The information below was taken from the Gov.uk (5) site;

It’s against the law for employers to discriminate against you because of a disability. The Equality Act 2010 protects you and covers areas including:

·application forms

·interview arrangements

·aptitude or proficiency tests

·job offers

·terms of employment, including pay

An employer has to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to avoid you being put at a disadvantage compared to non-disabled people in the workplace.

It is often empowering for people to establish their rights and it is relatively easy to access and understand this information.

Two Ticks Scheme(6)

There are many employers who are positive about employing people with disabilities. They can choose to identify themselves by using the ‘Two Ticks’ symbol in their marketing.

This means that they will guarantee people with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum basic conditions for the job.

I have often applied for jobs with employers that don’t subscribe to the ‘two ticks’ but I always state in my application that I would like to apply under the scheme (when I meet the basic requirements) – and I always get an interview. So, it is worth being cheeky and dropping it into your application!

Support Networks

Many people with disabilities report feeling isolated; compounding feelings of helplessness and low self-confidence. For this reason it can be helpful to get support with job seeking from an outside source. The amount of support on offer in each area of the country varies depending on funding and it can be difficult to know where to start. In Cornwall we have overcome this by setting up the Cornwall Works Hub within Inclusion Cornwall(7), which brings Cornwall ’s Back-to-Work provision into one place. During the last 12 months we’ve taken over 4000 enquiries from individuals and organisations seeking support.

In other areas, where they do not have a central advice point the following may be good places to start when looking for help;

  • Jobcentre Plus (JCP) – If you take the time to look beneath the surface there is a wide range of support JCP can offer.. They have Disability Employment Advisors in every office that will also have a good idea of support offered by other providers in the area. In the Cornwall, Devon and Somerset JCP district a Supplier Framework has been developed. JCP advisors can use this framework to identify and fund interventions which may move someone significantly closer to work. While this tool is not primarily aimed at disabled people there are many activities on offer which may support this group.
  • Work Choice(8) – This is a voluntary contract that offers help to get and keep a job if you are disabled. There are different service providers in different areas and all referrals go through your local JCP. Speak you a Disability Employment Advisor if you want to learn more about what is on offer.
  • Gov.uk(9) – This website offers an overview of support for disabled people looking for work.
  • Work Clubs – These have been set up around the country and their aim is to enable local communities run employment focused groups. Some of the work clubs will have a specialist focus and others will be open to all. If you are an individual wanting to join a work club then speak to your local JCP. If you are interested in setting one up for yourself you can find more information on the Department for Work and Pensions website(10). In Cornwall you can find a list on the Inclusion Cornwall website(11)
  • National Careers Service– provides impartial careers information advice and guidance. This can include help compiling a CV, setting career goals and planning pathways to your chosen career. While support can be accessed on a face to face basis it is also worth looking through the website(12).
  • Informal Support Networks – Obtaining help is as much about getting an outside perspective as it is about getting expert advice. Friends and family can provide invaluable support. Involve them in the job seeking process, recruiting their supportto provide motivation and to offer practical help.

Those who like to keep up to date with strategic thinking and direction may also find the following interesting;

  • The Disability and Health Employment Strategy; One Year On (13)– Outlines the government’s proposals for improving support for disabled people.

Employers who would like to know more may find something useful here;

  • Employing Disabled People and People with Health Conditions (14)- This guidance provides a summary of information and signposts to further resources to enable employers to become more confident when attracting, recruiting and retaining disabled people.
  • Fit for Work(15) - All employers across England and Wales can refer employees who have been off work for four weeks or more for a free Fit for Work assessment.

Attitude

Over the years I have found myself sat on all sides of the interview desk; as someone with a disability who is job seeking, as someone supporting another disabled person and as an employer doing the interviewing. Whatever your Customer perceives their barriers to be, support them to apply and interview for jobs believing they are the best person for that job; always assuming they will be treated fairly and in accordance with the law. There may be times when advocacy is required, and there is a need to talk about the attitude some employers hold. However, I prefer to start with my attitude and the attitude of the person I am supporting as it’s the only one with which we have the fullest influence. There is a saying in NLP circles ‘The meaning of your communication is the response you receive’; the attitude your customer carries (verbally and non-verbally) is likely to influence the attitude the employer mirrors back to them. Working on conveying positivity and confidence will pay dividends in an interview situation.

Condition Management

It can be helpful for the jobseeker to sit down prior to job seeking and work out exactly what they can and can’t do; the adjustments they need in the work place and how they contribute to condition management, building a Condition Management Plan (CMP). This will show a proactive approach and solidifies capabilities; underlining commitment to the process. Many conditions affect people in different ways and a CMP allows an employer to understand how your customer can be a productive employee who also happens to have a disability. It can be drawn up with a specific role in mind or more generally with a profession in mind.

Below, I have taken an excerpt from mine so you can get an idea of format and headings. You maychoose to draw one up in a different way.

Table 1 – Excerpt from a Condition Management Plan

Job Title: Cornwall Works Hub Manager / Role Description: Provision of information, advice and guidance to professionals and individuals via a help line, website and email. Attendance at meetings, collation of statistics, inputting, report writing and planning/delivering training.
Environment: Desk based with some work at other venues for time limited periods. Allocated work station in a co located open plan office. Kitchen / Staff room/Toilet on same floor with easy access. The whole building is fully accessible by lift. / General Description of Issues: Severe to moderate pain on a daily basis. Fluctuating energy levels. Fluctuating cognitive abilities. Fluctuating mobility levels. Side effects of medication.
Issue / Who Can Help? / Action / Responsibility / Review / Further Action
Promoting mobility / Take regular breaks to get up and walk – drink plenty of fluids during the day to promote movement if only to go to the toilet! / Me / Daily / Actions ongoing - no further action required.
Fluctuating cognitive abilities. / Manager and colleagues / Manage workload so as to contain different types of jobs that can be undertaken at different times when it is known that cognitive levels will be depleted i.e. late afternoon and at the end of the week. / Me / Quarterly / Actions ongoing - no further action required.
Pain management / Access to Work, manager, HR team. / Ensure occupational health assessment is undertaken and adaptations put in place i.e. specific chair, ergonomic mouse. / Employer, Me / Quarterly or if significant change to role occurs. / Actions – completed. Chair, mouse and keyboard supplied and fully funded by Access to Work following OT assessment and report. 06/15 Need for riser desk identified and has been supplied.

Disclosing to an Employer

So you may now know what you want to do to support your customer, where they can accesshelp, what they need to be able to work and have helped them formulate a plan to move forward. There is still perhaps the trickiest of elements to overcome; how and when to disclose to an employer.

Most people adopt one of two techniques; disclosing everything at the first chance or disclosing nothing at all. It can be tempting to withhold information, but I have found this often back fires as your customer may start a role within which they are not able to state and address their needs. Also, if they do not disclose they may not be protected under the Equality Act 2010.Alternatively they may do themselves no favours if they scattergun a potential employer with all their issues in one go.

Earlier I talked of a staged disclosure technique and while disclosure is a very individual process the following may provide some helpful guidelines.

Initial Call

Most job adverts contain contact details so you can find out more about the role. At this stage there is no expectation to identify yourself so it provides a very useful opportunity for your customer to anonymously talk to the employer and assess the viability of accommodating their needs within the role.

Application

When recruiting employers includeEquality and Diversity monitoring forms in the application pack. These contain questions about health and they should be fully completed. Employers are not allowed to take information supplied in these forms into account when choosing the right person for the job, in fact good practice dictates that these be handled separately from applications to ensure employers are not biased by it. However your customer may wish to give further information alongside the main application and there is an example of a three stage disclosure letter below. I have found these to be a very effective way of enabling the jobseeker to take some control over how and what they say. It can also be useful practice for what to say if the subject arises during other contact with the employer.

If you have a letter from Access to Work stating that you are eligible for help you can choose to include a copy of thiswith the application. This will let the employer know that they will be able to draw down funding to cover any required reasonable adjustments.

Three Stage Disclosure Letter

It can be tempting to draft this letter on behalf of the person you are supporting but it is really important that the customer is involved as much as they are able. The language should reflect the level and type of language they use. You may need to coach on what to include and how to word it but a skilled employment advisor will do this at a level the client can relate to and also ensure it is at an appropriate level for the job being applied for. Structure is key;