Integrating disabled people into mainstream employment

1
Integrating disabled people into mainstream
employment
Nigel Hopkins
2
Putting ability first

• Remploy
• is a leading provider of specialist employment
  services for disabled people, people with a
  health condition, and those who face complex
  barriers to employment.
• supports employers to recruit and retain a
  diverse workforce, gain access to skilled, and
  put their corporate responsibility policies into
  practice.

3
Our Vision

• To enable thousands of disabled people, people
  with a health condition and those who face
  complex barriers to employment to gain
  sustainable and rewarding employment.
• Work is a key element of independent living and
  everyone has skills and abilities. Remploy work
  with people to help them to develop and make the
  most of those abilities.

4
Why Remploy?

• To significantly increase theopportunities
  available to disabledpeople to find sustainable
  employment Remployare opening a network of city
  centre branches.
• Remploy work with numerous partners at both a
  national and local level, including Jobcentre
  Plus, top UK employers, the Learning and Skills
  Council, disability charities and leading
  industry associations.
• Remploy have over 60 years experience of working
  with disabled people and we share this experience
  with employers, partners and stakeholders.

5
Our market

• UK Govt 80 has an overall employment rate target
• Ongoing welfare payments are not sustainable(25
  bn every year in Incapacity Benefit
  payments).The Government has announced plans to
  take 1m disabled people off Benefit
• The market for providers is also changing as it
  becomes a much more competitive environment
• There will be increased user choice
• Closer political consensus
• Relatively low unemployment levels in the UK with
  some areas and job sectors having negative
  unemployment

6
Barriers to employment key findings

• Disabled peoples barriers to employment
• Confidence is key
• Financial barriers - 600/week
• The individuals perception of their abilities
  and employers attitudes a significant barrier
• Employers and barriers to employing disabled
  people
• 61 or employers stated that nothing
  discouraged them from employing disabled people
• 25 cited the main barrier as a lack of disabled
  applicants
• Employers fear political correctness

7
Working with employers

• Remploy
• works in partnership with over 3,500 businesses,
  at a localand national level offering
  recruitment services andretention support
• can find skilled and dedicated people for every
  role inan organisation
• bring unique and practical expertise to every
  aspect of integrating disabled people into the
  workplace, coupled with a range of consultancy
  services to help develop and operate best
  practice
• have a network of experienced local staff, who
  offer continuing contact and support for
  employers and employees right through and
  subsequent to the recruitment process

8
Recruitment Partners

• Remploy works in partnership with over 3,500 of
  the UKs leading organisations across a huge
  range of sectors and sizes

9
Focus on - ASDA

• During the past two years Remploy hassupported
  over 270 people intoemployment with Asda in 70
  stores across the UK
• Remploy is a recruitment partner for Asdas new
  store openings. More than 45 people were
  recruited through Remploy for the opening of two
  flagship stores in Feltham and Hounslow
• Of more than 250 disabled people employed by
  Asda, just over 200 remain in employment. This
  equates to an attrition rate of 18.4,9 lower
  than Asdas average

10
Asda contd.

• A policy containing guidelines for working with
  Remploy is to be published in Asdas Personnel
  Policy and Procedures manual, The Big Book
• Employees recruited through Remploy work in a
  range of roles, from bakery assistants, drivers,
  greeters, photoshop assistants, CCTV operators,
  to stock replenishers and HR administrators
• Asdas experience of employing disabled people
  has had a positive effect on perceptions towards
  disability in the workplace

I think some peoples reservations have been
blown away by the Remploy candidates working here
Davide MinoniTeam leader at Asda Hounslow
11
Asda contd.

• Through a true partnership approach vocational
  development sessions have been developed which
  give candidates the confidence, customer service
  skills and Asda-specific knowledge they need to
  successfully apply for jobs
• Stuart Price, who oversees the Remploy
  partnership nationally, agrees that the
  relationship is an important part of the
  companys corporate social responsibility
  policies

The relationship between Asda and Remploy brings
real benefits to everyone and with the full
commitment of both businesses it will continue
breaking even more records as we go!
12
Focus on Pertemps in association with National
Grid

• In a relationship which is going from strength to
  strength Remploy has worked with National Grid,
  and its mainstream recruitment partner Pertemps,
  at the National Grid site in Gloucester since
  2006
• At the National Grid site in Gloucester, 14
  people with a broad range of disabilities have
  been recruited with the support of Remploy
• The relationship has also rolled out to sites in
  Birmingham, and the Hinckley site in the East
  Midlands

13
National Grid contd.

• National Grid operates a range of diversity
  intiatives including a network for disabled
  workers and a mentoring scheme for those with
  disabilities, health problems or who are carers.
  For managers, initiatives include a drama-based
  diversity training course
• Both Pertemps and National Grid work with Remploy
  to encourage diversity and recognise the business
  case for employingdisabled people

Diversity initiatives have opened peoples
eyes.They may not have worked with a disabled
person,but now they can see that anyone can work
here if they have the right skills, abilities and
training
Lee Howard, Inclusion and Diversity Manager
forNational Grid Metering
14
Focus on BT and Manpower

• Remploy has a national partnership agreement with
  BT, and its mainstream recruitment partner
  Manpower
• BT, Manpower and Remploy have worked side by side
  to review the existing recruitment processes and
  ensure accessibility for disabled people through
  all stages of the recruitment process
• Together a vocational development course was
  implemented to equip people for the selection
  process, to provide some experience of working
  within a customer service centre environment, to
  prepare candidates for the recruitment process

15
Working with candidates

• Remploy focus on ability and the individual needs
  of disabled jobseekers
• To prepare people for the move into employment
  Remploy offer a range of services to develop
  jobseekers' skills including
• Pre-employment training
• Vocational skills programmes
• In-work benefit calculations
• Interview techniques CV writing
• Confidential advice
• Structured personal development
• Confidence building techniques
• Access to latest vacancies

16
Candidate case study - HSBC
Mohammed is banking on a golden career after
Remploy helped him back to work following a year
out through illness.
Mohammad has started work as a customer services
advisor at HSBC (part of HFC) bank in the city,
but just 12 months ago he thought he might never
find work. Mohammed has arthritis in his back,
exacerbated by a car crash injury.Family
problems also led to a severe bout of
depression. "I was referred to Remploy by
Jobcentre Plus, where I was put on a 12-week
vocational training programme. Remploy helped me
put a new CV together, taught me interview
techniques and my employment advisor helped me a
lot, even finding me the vacancy at
HSBC. Mohammed had been in the job for three
months when he was judged to have done so well
that he won recognition in a company incentive
awards scheme.
17
Candidate case study - Tesco
Mark who has cerebral palsy had completed
numerous work placements with employers
throughout the North East, but was beginning to
despair of ever getting a permanent job.
Following a programme of development with
Remploy, Mark has just been appointed to work at
a prestigious new Tesco store. Remploy worked
with Mark to improve his confidence and key
skills, and then helped him identify the kind of
job that would best suit him. A national
partner-ship with Tesco means that the
superstore informs Remploy of its vacancieswhich
led to a role becoming available on Tesco's
visitors' desk.
"I was looking for someone who would be confident
when helping visitors and telephone callers, who
could undertake administration duties and manage
some of our security requirements, Mark fits the
bill - he's flexible, hard working and a real
team player."
"All I asked was to be treated like every-one
else, and that's exactly what I get here at Tesco"
Caroline Butcher, Tesco personnel manager
18
Summary

• Remploy has a proven model that shows it can
  succeed
• The UK Employment market and perceptions are
  positive influences
• UK Employers are generally supportive but could
  and need to do more
• The UK Government wants change to happen