A groundbreaking partnership between Jobcentre Plus, the Employersí Forum on Disability and leading income protection provider, UnumProvident, will help Jobcentre Plus to develop relationships with employers across Britain, and thereby significantly reduce the number of disabled people unnecessarily out-of-work.
This week the partnership has launched The Knowledge - Disability Solutions for Employers, a ëbest practiceí reference kit which concentrates on providing employers with the benefits of, and tools needed for, an inclusive approach to disabled employees. There are currently over a million disabled people in the UK who want to work, but cannot find employment.
The new partnership marks a major shift in Jobcentre Plus working practices, with an emphasis on UK businesses as clients, in addition to unemployed people. Challenging misconceptions about disability, The Knowledge highlights the case for positioning disability as a strategic business priority, reflecting the experience of the UK and international communities, as well as findings from the latest academic research. Also explained, is why many UK businesses have previously remained unconvinced of the importance of disability within the broader diversity perspective.
On a practical level, The Knowledge will help employers manage the legislation; make reasonable adjustments; and access government funds available to them for making any reasonable adjustments that may be needed to help disabled people into jobs.
Employersí misconceptions about hiring disabled people can contribute to the existing barriers faced by people with a disability who want to work. A recent survey of 200 senior directors by UnumProvident found that one in three senior directors said they felt the majority of employers, when considering two candidates of equal experience, would opt for a non-disabled candidate in preference to a disabled applicant ñ even if their disability was not a hindrance to performing the job. This is despite the fact that evidence indicates organisations currently employing disabled people are keen to continue doing so.
Leigh Lewis, CEO of Jobcentre Plus, said: ìWhen we start from a very different perspective; what the employer needs and what a person ñ who happens to be disabled - can do, the results are startlingly effective. I hope The Knowledge will stimulate more employers to want to work with us, enhancing their business with talent and opportunity.î
Susan Scott-Parker, Chief Executive, of the Employersí Forum on Disability said: ìCurrently, we have a situation where less than 50% of disabled adults are in a job and 2.3 million are on Incapacity Benefit. Shifting perceptions that prevent employers from accessing available talent is the key to improving this situation. I congratulate Jobcentre Plus on taking a fresh approach by building relationships with business to affect change in long-term unemployment.î
Joanne Hindle, Corporate Services Director of UnumProvident, said: ìIt is in everyoneís interest to help those disabled people who want to work find jobs. Currently, 36% of UK employers complain of staff shortages. We also estimate that the Government would benefit from an extra 5 billion a year if 500,000 people came off Incapacity Benefit into work ñ and this is 500,000 people who say they wish to work.î
Jobcentre Plusí Disability Employment Advisors will distribute the packs through their disability symbol network and to any other businesses they engage with.
GROUNDBREAKING PARTNERSHIP IS WIN WIN SITUATION FOR EMPLOYERS AND DISABLED PEOPLE.
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