Effective employment services

Rather than focusing on a person’s functional limitations through work capability assessments, Access to Work focuses on which supports or work environment enable individuals with disabilities to work. Part of this is the "right to control" giving persons with disabilities control over the budgets allocated to them.

Employment services play a key role in enabling job seekers to find jobs suited to their skills and interests, and employers to find the workers they seek. The United Kingdom recognised that effective workplace adaptation and support is pivotal, especially for particularly disadvantaged job seekers. HISTORY: In the United Kingdom, the first comprehensive framework for the employment of persons with disabilities was introduced by the Disabled Persons Employment Act 1944. The Act and its requirement that employers employ a quota of disabled persons were almost completely repealed by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. When in the early ‘90s the OECD called for “measures to enhance the competitive power of individuals with disabilities”, the discussion in the United Kingdom focused around employment services and training, help for employees, and incentives to take up work. In this context, and on the basis of the Employment and Training Act 1973, the Access to Work Programme was introduced by the Department for Work and Pensions in June 1994, aiming at extending and simplifying the range of services available. The programme provides practical advice and support to people with disabilities and their employers to help them to overcome work-related obstacles resulting from disability, complementing provisions of the Equality Act 2010, under which employers are obliged to make reasonable adjustments to the working arrangements or the workplace. Access to Work, along with other disability employment programmes, was recently reviewed under the lead of Liz Sayce, whose recommendations were accepted by the government in 2012. Currently it is being planned how to implement them. SUMMARY: Employment services play a key role in enabling job seekers to find jobs suited to their skills and interests, and employers to find the workers they seek. The United Kingdom recognised that effective workplace adaptation and support is pivotal, especially for particularly disadvantaged job seekers. Focusing on what enables a person to work, the Access to Work Programme of 1994 provides practical advice and support to people with disabilities and their employers to help them to overcome work-related obstacles resulting from disability, complementing provisions on reasonable adjustment of the Equality Act 2010. Access to Work helps to pay for the equipment an individual needs at work, a support worker, communications support and the cost of travelling to work. Most importantly, it tests a “right to control” giving persons with disabilities control over the budgets allocated to them and has introduced a Mental Health Support Service.

Solution, Innovation and Impact

Focus on abilities Rather than focusing on a person’s functional limitations through work capability assessments, Access to Work focuses on which supports or work environment enable the individual to work. Targeted support Support workers and communicators help people with intensive needs and a mental health support service assists people with psychosocial disabilities. Right to control Promisingly, the programme pilots an approach which gives people with disabilities control over the budgets allocated to them for a range of services, including Access to Work and health care services. Sustainable use of financial resources With a net return to the Treasury of £1.48 for every £1 spent on the programme, plus the social return on investment, Access to Work is highly cost-effective. KEY FEATURES: Access to Work assists persons who have a disability, or health condition as defined under the Equality Act 2010, which is affecting their ability to work. It provides practical advice and support to people with disabilities and their employers to help them to overcome work-related obstacles resulting from disability, matching employer’s obligations to reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010. Support can be requested by the person with disabilities and is delivered through Jobcentre Plus. Access to Work helps to pay for the equipment an individual needs at work, a support worker, an interpreter, a communicator at job interviews and towards the cost of travelling to and within work. The programme has recently been extended to young disabled people doing work experience and the government has accepted recommendations to promote and grow the scheme and offer better information on eligibility to disabled job seekers. There is a staggered approach to cost-sharing based on the time the individual has been employed, the supports required and the size of an employer’s workforce, and the precise level is agreed between the employer and the Access to Work advisor. During 2009-2010, Access to Work supported 37,300 persons with disabilities (16,400 were new customers) at a cost of £98 million (an average cost per person of around £2,600). 45% of customers would be out of work but for the support they receive through Access to Work. There is a net return to the Treasury of £1.48 for every £1 spent. Access to Work is a highly effective programme which is well supported by users, employers and DPOs. In March 2012, the British Government announced its intent to invest funds of £15 million, increasing the number of beneficiaries by a further 8,000 persons.

Funding, Outlook and Transferability

Access to Work is still not a statutory benefit. It is under-used by people working in small businesses and by those with psychosocial and learning disabilities. Review recommendations are currently being implemented.