Thousands of businesses across the UK will benefit from a new £6.4 million online service to help employers better support disabled people and those with health conditions in the workplace.
The new online service is a direct response to the government’s 2019 consultation, ‘Health is everyone’s business’, in which employers asked for joined-up advice on supporting health in the workplace that is easier to find and act upon. The platform provides essential information about supporting and managing employees with disabilities or health conditions at work. Any employer can access the service, which provides free advice on how to manage staff who may be in or out of work with a disability or long-term health condition in a user-friendly online Q&A format.
BOOSTING DISABLED PEOPLE IN EMPLOYMENT
The service is aimed at smaller businesses, which do not have in-house HR support or access to an occupational health servicehelp to build more diverse and inclusive workforces. The new service also covers potential changes an employer could make to help them return to and stay in work. The service supports a government drive to boost numbers of people in employment and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to benefit from being in work.
The latest figures show the number of disabled people in employment has increased by 1.3 million since 2017; delivering on a government goal to see one million more in work by 2027. The 10-year employment goal was a government manifesto commitment originally set in 2017. It aimed to break down barriers for disabled people and those with health conditions; and to build more diverse and inclusive workforces.
“Since 2017 we have seen one million more disabled people in work, beating our target by five years. Now we want to go even further by giving more employers the tools and information they need to ensure disabled people and those with health conditions can succeed in the workplace,” stated Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Claire Coutinho. “There is no end to my ambition to build on the success of the Department by making sure disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else to start, stay and succeed in work.”
CREATING MORE INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS
Adding to her comments, the UK Government Minister for Scotland David Duguid said: “This will be a really valuable service for employers to help disabled people and those with health conditions start, stay and succeed in work. I encourage businesses across Scotland to use the UK Government backed online system and create more inclusive work environments.”
The site is currently in test mode, with businesses and disability groups invited to have their say through a short online survey, to help shape the future of the service. The site will be constantly updated and improved over the next three years, thanks to survey feedback.
The service is designed to give employers easy access to the advice they need to create the best environments for their staff with disabilities or long-term health issues. This will allow anyone from any background to start, stay and succeed in work. Once fully developed, the service will also help employers understand their legal obligations, including how to make adjustments for disabled people and those with health conditions.
Over the next three years, the government will invest £1.3 billion in employment support for disabled people and people with health conditions. This money will go towards building up existing provision, including expanding employment support, to grow the economy and help people with the cost of living.
The Support with Employee Health and Disability service is available online by clicking here.
RELATED ARTICLES
Business Disability Forum (BDF) has also launched a range of free disability inclusion resources for the UK’s small- and medium-sized business community (SMEs). Click here to read more.
The UK government has launched a new £7.6 million initiative to help over 2,000 adults with learning disabilities and autism move into work. Click here to read more.
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