Employment support should be available to all people with complex disabilities
Previous Sense research found that 82% of people with complex disabilities were unemployed in 2020-21.
People with complex disabilities face many barriers in the labour market, including a lack of support while looking for roles, inaccessible recruitment practices and unsympathetic employers.
This research, which we’ve summarised here, sets out some things the Government needs to do differently to successfully close the disability employment gap.
Read the full report here: Research on the employment support available to people with complex disabilities
“At the jobcentre, the person who supports you is nice, they do listen sometimes, but listening is different from acting. I was ill four months ago, I couldn’t go to the centre, and he said “No, you have to come into the Jobcentre.” I couldn’t walk properly…I had to go in, I had to physically go there.”
Disabled jobseeker who is supported by Sense.
The following statistics are the results of polling 1,005 people with complex disabilities on their experiences. We reached out to people who were both looking for work and currently in employment. Our fieldwork was undertaken between 25 – 31 January 2023.
Key findings
Support for jobseekers with complex disabilities
Everyone who wants to work should get the support they need to do so. Our research shows that many jobseekers with complex disabilities miss out on this support.
Half of jobseekers with complex disabilities (50%) didn’t feel that they had the support and equipment they needed to look for work. Only 46% said they felt supported by a Disability Employment Advisor.
The Department for Work and Pensions needs to make sure that everyone working at a jobcentre receives comprehensive disability equality training, covering complex disabilities. This training should be co-produced and delivered by disabled people.
“The last time I saw a Work Coach they were a disgrace to me because she didn’t listen to what I wanted and [told me] to go back in education, which I didn’t want to do.”
One jobseeker with complex disabilities told us.
Our research found that no computers in Jobcentres have specialist assistive tech. But almost a third (31%) of jobseekers with complex disabilities said that having assistive tech in their jobcentre would help them find work.
We’re calling for a Jobcentre Assistive Technology Fund provided by the Department for Work and Pensions. The Fund would cost £5 million and would supply every jobcentre with basic assistive technology to meet the needs of disabled people, including these items:
- Assistive software including: screen readers, specialist screen magnification software and speech-to-text software.
- Additional hardware including: refreshable braille display and headphones.
- A £1.1 million support fund for jobcentres to access any if they need additional pieces of assistive technology.
25% of people with complex disabilities would like opportunities to be mentored by disabled peers.
The Department for Work and Pensions pilot and fund a mentoring programme for disabled people looking for work.
Support for employees with complex disabilities
While employment isn’t right for everyone, some people with complex disabilities find that having a job enriches their life. Our research shows that employers are failing to provide proper engagement and support.
Over half (52%) of people with complex disabilities in work said they’d taken a less challenging role because of their needs as a disabled person not being met.
The Department for Work and Pensions should make the requirements for Disability Confident accreditation more rigorous. Disabled people should be given a role in holding Disability Confident employers to account.
Almost half (47%) of jobseekers with complex disabilities said that specialist employment services would better enable them to enter and stay in work.
The Department for Work and Pensions to fund more specialist employment programmes to work in partnership with Job Centre Plus. This funding must include provision of assistive equipment.
About this research
Read the full report here: Research on the employment support available to people with complex disabilities
People with complex disabilities are always at the heart of Sense’s policymaking. Before developing our proposals, we worked with our employment and buddying services to carry out interviews and focus groups. We spoke to people with complex disabilities who are either in employment now or actively looking to enter the workplace.
We also polled 1,005 people with complex disabilities in January 2023. They were asked about the support they received while at work or during their job search, as well as how this support could be expanded and improved.
To better understand what support the Department for Work and Pensions currently offers, we met with civil servants and worked with MPs to table written questions about the facilities available at jobcentres.
If you’d like more information, you can reach out to [email protected] or call us on 020 3833 0544.