Disability Confident Scheme - What you need to know

Are you looking to become a more inclusive organisation? Or perhaps you already are, and are looking to showcase this? Why not consider joining the Disability Confident Scheme?

The Disability Confident scheme is a UK government initiative designed to encourage and support employers in recruiting and retaining people with disabilities and health conditions. Introduced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), this voluntary scheme offers guidance and recognition to organisations committed to inclusive employment practices. The scheme has three levels, Committed, Confident & Leader.

To become Disability Confident, level 1, Committed, you must commit to 5 commitments. See our top tips for each commitment, below;

1. Ensure Your Recruitment Process Is Inclusive and Accessible:

• Make your role requirements clear, specific and behaviour based. Rather than stating requirements as character traits, describe them as observable behaviours that can be demonstrated.

• Consider offering multiple ways to apply, such as in-person, online, or via phone.

• Make reasonable adjustments during interviews, like accessible interview rooms, or offering additional time if needed.

2. Communicate and Promote Vacancies:

• Make sure that job vacancies are advertised in a way that encourages people with disabilities to apply.

• Use job boards designed to focus on protected characteristics, such as disability. Evenbreak is designed specifically for disabled candidates.

• Include a statement in your job ads to indicate that your organisation welcomes applicants with disabilities.

3. Offer an Interview to People with Disabilities:

• Commit to interviewing candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum criteria for the job.

• This ensures that candidates are considered fairly and have a chance to demonstrate their abilities. Remember, look at the ability, not the disability.

4. Anticipate and Provide Reasonable Adjustments:

• Be proactive in offering reasonable adjustments for applicants and employees with disabilities.

• This may include ergonomic adjustments, assistive technology, flexible working hours, or modified job duties.

5. Support existing employees

• Consider your policies and procedures if an existing employee develops a disability or long-term health condition. Are you able to adjust their role, or can you offer them flexible working arrangements?

• Offer employees support through programmes such as Employee Assistance Programmes (EAPs), which can offer mental health support, counselling and confidential advice.

• Educate managers and colleagues on disability awareness and inclusive practices to foster an understanding and respectful workplace culture.

After committing to the 5 commitments, you must select 1 of 9 activities that you will complete within the next 12 months. The activities are:

1. Work experience

2. Work trials

3. Paid employment

4. Apprenticeships

5. Job shadowing

6. Traineeships

7. Internships

8. Student placements

9. Sector-based work academy placements

Your business may already be implementing these practices. If that’s the case, the scheme offers an excellent way to show your commitment to equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

Once agreeing to the commitments and activities, you can submit your application. Once approved, you will be able to display the Disability Confident Committed badge for 3 years. You can then choose to move up to level 2.

To progress to level 2, Disability Confident Employer, you must complete a self-assessment around the themes:

• Getting the right people for your business

• Keeping & developing your people

Once completed and submitted to the DWP, you will receive your Disability Confident Employer badge. At this stage, you can then move up to level 3 on the scheme.

Progressing to level 3, Disability Confident Leader, tells people you are going above and beyond to support disabled people in employment. To reach this level you’ll need to:

• Have your self-assessment validated by someone outside of your business (not including DWP employees in jobcentres)

• Provide a short narrative to show what you have done or will be doing to support your status as a Disability Confident Leader

• Confirm you are employing disabled people

• Report on disability, mental health and wellbeing, by referring to the Voluntary Reporting Framework

The Disability Resource Centre provides support to businesses to progress through all 3 levels. To find out more about our Bronze, Silver & Gold packages, please email ljennings@disability.co.uk

Established over 30 years ago, Birmingham Disability Resource Centre (DRC) is a registered charity (1034581) and leading Disabled People’s Organisation, run by disabled people, for disabled people, that supports over 4,500 disabled people each year to take control of their lives and achieve their full potential in mainstream society. We achieve this through the delivery of a number of services including employment and training, information advice and guidance, health and well-being activities, social activities, personal and skills development projects and community development activities in East Birmingham. Details of our projects and services can be found on the website.