Sick and disabled people will have more opportunities to move into work following the overhaul of a scheme that will boost living standards and workplace inclusion.
The Government’s Disability Confident scheme is being revised so sick and disabled people will have more opportunities to move into work, boosting living standards and workplace inclusion.
Unfortunately, the scheme - launched by the previous government in 2016 - has delivered huge variations of support across different UK regions, often overlooking specific local needs and priorities, the current Government said in a release today (15 January).
While around two thirds of employers agree that joining the scheme had a positive impact on their organisation, the landmark Keep Britain Working review by Sir Charlie Mayfield concluded that while it has many positive aspects, it “lacks teeth”.
In response, the Government is taking action to prevent ill-health, support people to stay in work, and help employers build “healthier, more resilient workplaces.”
The overhaul will involve trialling reforms through employers, alongside the work taking place in the Keep Britain Working Review Vanguards, such as reducing the time employers can remain at the entry level of the scheme from three years to two and removing the option for them to renew at this level to encourage employers to progress up the scheme.
It will also tailor support for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to their needs and capabilities, so that businesses of all sizes can benefit.
It also aims to connect employers so they can access peer-to-peer support and share good practice, with practical resources so that they can tap into the scheme’s full potential.
The reforms are aimed at making employers’ experience on the scheme more meaningful and impactful on their organisations, incentivising them to progress their Disability Confident status and make their workplaces inclusive of disabled talent.
This will improve the employment outcomes of disabled people across the country, boosting living standards and helping to get the more than 2.8m people signed off long-term sick in the UK into secure employment.
Around 19,000 employers are already signed up, benefitting an estimated 11m paid employees. By improving the offer, the reformed scheme has the potential to benefit even more employees, the Government said.
Minister for Social Security and Disability, Sir Stephen Timms (left), said: “Disability Confident has enormous potential. For too long, though, it hasn’t delivered enough support for disabled people, or for employers who want to recruit, retain and develop them.
“That’s why we’re improving the scheme, through robust reforms to ensure a better service for all, including through greater support for SMEs and improving access to resources for employers.
“This comes alongside our investment of £1bn a year in employment support by the end of the decade, and our Connect to Work programme which will help 300,000 sick or disabled people into work by the end of the parliament.
Tina McKenzie (right), policy chair at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), added: “Adding a small business-focused track to Disability Confident is a good move, delivering on something that FSB proposed in our 2022 Business Without Barriers report.
“Ensuring the great work done by countless small businesses to support disabled employees can be captured and recognised is an important step, and we look forward to seeing how Disability Confident can be shaped in other ways to make it as relevant and useful to small firms as possible.
The Government will be engaging closely with current scheme members, SMEs and larger businesses, as well as the recently announced Independent Disability Advisory Panel to ensure that reforms are both impactful and realistic.”
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