Disability Resource Centre to promote inclusive employment with council

Leading West Midlands charity Disability Resource Centre (DRC) are partnering with Solihull Council to offer free support to Solihull businesses keen to embrace inclusion in the workplace and achieve Disability Confident status. 

Whilst many employers have Equality Diversity and Inclusion targets, they often overlook the disabled community as less than sixty percent of adults with a disability are employed. The project challenges perceptions surrounding disability in the workplace.

The Disability Confident Scheme is a national scheme to encourage employers to recruit, retain, and develop people with disabilities or long-term health conditions. This benefits businesses by improving access to jobs, staff retention and workforce development whilst enhancing the brand image of the business.  

There are three levels of the Disability Confident scheme; Committed, Employer and Leader. DRC are working with Solihull Council’s Employment & Skills team to support businesses to achieve the levels as part of this offer part-funded by UK Shared Prosperity Fund.  

Natalie Goulding, head of Employment and Skills at the Council, said: “We work closely with our partners, businesses and communities to improve our residents’ lives. We are confident that DRC team’s lived experience will bring invaluable insight to local employers. This will help them gain access to the untapped talent pool and reap the benefits of inclusive employment.”

Louise Mckiernan, CEO of DRC shared: “DRC is proud to be working alongside Solihull Council, offering specialist advice and support to local employers on inclusive employment practice. Our work will support local businesses to be better placed to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long-term health conditions and to help address this employability gap.”

Laura-May Jennings is the Employer Engagement Officer for the project, bringing her lived experience and passion as a disabled individual to it. To contact Laura-May and find out more, please email ljennings@disability.co.uk or call 07824 646832.

DRC offer support to businesses across the West Midlands, including disability equality training and recruitment support.

Pictured (L-R): Laura-May Jennings and Tracey Bennett