THE Government’s new Disability and Health Employment Strategy – which aims to get more disabled people into work – has been greeted with dismay and disbelief by national disability charity Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People.
The charity, which provides specialist employment training, says the report fails to address the needs of some of the most vulnerable people in society.
Published this week, the proposals in the strategy look at what can be done for both employers and individuals to enable more disabled people and those with health conditions to fulfil their aspirations of having a career.
Many disabled people and people with health conditions can and do work, and while the employment rates for disabled people have increased gradually over the years, they remain significantly lower than for non-disabled people.
Minister for Employment and Wirral West MP Esther McVey, pictured, said: “It is right that disabled people and people with health conditions have the opportunity to use their skills and talents to play a full role in society, and working is a key part of this.
“This strategy is a really important step in the discussion about what we need to do to ensure employers understand the benefits of hiring disabled people and people with health conditions, and that people get the right individualised support from the Government.”
Backing for the strategy has also come from Louise Hunt, Paralympian tennis player, Mike Cherry, National Policy Chairman, Federation of Small Businesses, and Caroline Waters, deputy chair of the Equality & Human Rights Commission.
But Jonathan Powell, chief executive of the QEF charity, claims the strategy paints a bleak picture for disabled people requiring specialist assistance to enter the workplace.
“There are a number of disturbing elements to the DHES,” he said. “While we know that tough economic times mean tough choices, the failure to commit to supporting those most vulnerable with complex needs is a terrible indictment on our society.
“While some people might only need a small amount of help to access work we cannot accept a society that neglects those for whom more intensive support is necessary.”
Mr Powell continued: “Despite widespread evidence of the personal and economic benefits achieved by intensive employability training, the Government seems to be turning its back on those with greatest need. We hoped that the DHES would give reassurance about the value of specialist vocational training but it doesn’t. The future now looks very uncertain.
“The DHES states that ‘resources for supporting disabled people into employment will be focused on disabled people themselves rather than institutions’. While the commitment to offering choices for disabled people is spot on, a failure to support infrastructure and providers will mean that these essential services will cease to exist. There will be nothing left to choose!”
The new strategy includes proposals about:
Supporting employers to recruit, retain and develop disabled people and those with health conditions, through a new offer including a ‘One Stop Shop’ and a revamped Disability Symbol;
Enabling more young disabled people and those with health conditions to make a successful transition from education to employment;
Developing a new Gateway to employment services to ensure that disabled people and people with health conditions get the right support at the right time to enable them to get into or get back into work;
Improving specialist employment support with a greater focus on supported employment;
Improving mainstream employment support and developing more effective approaches for supporting people with mental health problems to get into work.
There are 11.5 million working age people in Great Britain with a long-term health condition. More than half (6.5 million) are classified as disabled under the Equality Act.
The employment rate for working age people with a long-term health condition is 58%, compared with 77% for working-age people without a health condition.
For disabled people it is lower, at 45%, and for individuals with a mental health condition it is only 37%.
