Overview

It is estimated in the 2020/21 Family Resources Survey that around 1 in 5 working age adults in the UK are disabled. Despite this growing number, the disability employment gap remains high at almost 29% according to 2021 statistics from the Department for Work and Pensions. This raises the question: what can we do to improve accessibility and inclusivity in the workplace for disabled people? Recent policies and initiatives have worked to improve the number of disabled people in employment and the public sector is currently at the forefront of employing disabled people. Public sector professionals can build upon this ongoing positive work by sharing exemplary best practice and key insights into developing inclusive workplace cultures where disabled employees can achieve their full potential.

  • The employment rate of disabled people in 2021 was 53%, compared to 82% of non-disabled people, according to Scope
  • In the 2021 Disability Survey, only 48% of disabled respondents felt their employer was flexible and made sufficient reasonable adjustments
  • Disabled workers moved out of employment at nearly twice the rate of non-disabled workers in 2021, according to the Department for Work and Pensions
  • 56% of disabled people who were not employed agreed they would like more support in finding a job, according to the 2021 Disability Survey

Join us at The Supporting Disabled People in the Workplace Conference 2023 to hear experts from across the public sector discuss the latest policies and initiatives to improve your organisation’s quality of support for disabled employees. Engage with best practice case studies addressing key challenges such as building a disability-inclusive recruitment process, implementing disability-inclusive adjustments, and supporting neurodivergent members of staff. You will also have the opportunity to network with senior colleagues from across the public and voluntary sectors to share common challenges and discuss solutions to improve support for disabled people in the workplace.

Why Attend:

✔ High-level keynotes on the latest initiatives in supporting disabled people in the workplace from leading experts and policymakers
✔ Case studies showing best practice in developing strategies to improve inclusivity and accessibility in the workplace
✔ A wide range of topics including disability passport schemes, reasonable adjustments, flexible working, and educating managers
✔ Network with senior colleagues from across the public and voluntary sector
✔ CPD (gain 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota)

This is a live event taking place online:

 Access a full live event with 8 hours of CPD points from home
 Network and connect with colleagues in breakout networking sessions and the meeting hub
Interact with speakers through live Q&A and networking
 Review event materials and presentations post-event
 Receive additional resources to boost your learning and support you in your role

NEW AND EXCLUSIVE TO YOUR CONFERENCE PACKAGE – GE Insights:

This year’s conference package includes 12-months FREE access to GE Insights, our cross-sector learning resource of case study focused videos, articles, lived experiences and more (RRP £199). Gain unlimited access to our online platform when you purchase your conference ticket.

Key benefits include:

 100s of Exclusive Case Studies – fingertip access to videos and articles covering all key sectors including HR and Employment, and ALL CPD certified

 Key Sessions from All Our Conferences – gain valuable insights from our past, present, and future events (160+ pa)

 Articles and Interviews – learn from our network of expert speakers and contributors explore further the key discussions from the conferences

 Additional CPD Hours – automatically earn more for everything you watch, read, and hear

 Your Own CPD Dashboard – charts your progress, allows you to add notes, download your activities, and save/print an official CPD certificate

 Personalised Homepage – only see the relevant content you need to save time

 30+ New Uploads Each Month – we’re adding new content every week to ensure you stay engaged and informed all year round.

For more information or to make a booking please call 0330 058 4285

Agenda
  • Online Registration

  • Chair’s Opening Remarks

    Professor Kim Hoque, Professor of Human Resource Management, King’s Business School (CONFIRMED)

  • Keynote: Tackling the Disability Employment Gap

    • Addressing the disability employment gap and outlining reporting procedures to reduce inequalities
    • Sharing the latest policies, funding and initiatives to improve accessibility and inclusivity at work
    • Key insights from the Equality Act and Disability Discrimination Act: interventions to ensure a supportive workplace environment
    • Tips for employers on accessing funding to provide reasonable adjustments in the workplace
    • Employee Health and Disability Service: tools to empower and better support disabled employees at work

    Fazilet Hadi, Head of Policy, Disability UK (CONFIRMED)

  • Lived Experience: Giving a Voice to Disabled People at Work to Drive Improvements and Deliver Quality Support

    • Sharing experiences of having a disability in the workplace: what has been helpful and what has been challenging?
    • Reviewing workplace policies and gathering feedback from disabled staff to co-produce a wrap-around inclusivity strategy
    • Measuring and reporting disability employment data to fully understand the experiences of disabled employees
    • Creating pathways that facilitate two-way conversations to manage the mental wellbeing of disabled staff
    • Long-term strategies to improve staff retention and support career development for disabled employees

    Shani Dhanda, Ambassador, Scope, Disability Specialist & Accessibility Consultant (CONFIRMED)

  • Questions and Answers

  • Comfort Break

  • Case Study: Improving Access to Careers: Building a Disability-Inclusive Recruitment Process

    • Reviewing job adverts: advice on using the right language to attract disabled candidates
    • Providing flexibility and adjustments to ensure interview processes are accessible for all candidates
    • Equipping hiring managers with tools to recruit inclusively and improve onboarding arrangements
    • Practical advice for becoming a Disability Confident employer and implementing a guaranteed interview scheme
    • Gathering candidate feedback to identify and remove any potential barriers in recruitment practices

    Lillie Abbott, Senior Diversity and Inclusion Advisor, West Midlands Police, Chair, EnAble Disability and Carers Staff Association, and Vice President, The Disabled Police Association (CONFIRMED)

  • Keynote: Using Tech to Support a Diverse Workforce 

    • Outlining the benefits of diversity in the workplace
    • Understanding assistive technology: meeting the individual needs of staff
    • Permanent, temporary and situational impairments: using assistive technology to remove barriers
    • Live demonstrations of free in-built assistive technologies and free apps

    Elizabeth Green, Digital Inclusion Consultant, AbilityNet (CONFIRMED)

  • Case Study: Driving a Whole-Organisation Approach Towards Fostering a Disability-Inclusive Culture  

    • Insights into the NHS Workforce Disability Equality Standard
    • How Covid impacted Disabled NHS staff and what action was taken in response
    • Improving workplace culture through building engagement with Disabled staff
    • Practical advice for engaging Disabled staff in the development of equality, diversity, and inclusion strategies
    • Suggestions on how to build talent management pipelines for Disabled staff

    Stuart Moore, Senior Manager for the Workforce Disability Equality Standard, NHS England (CONFIRMED)

  • Questions and Answers

  • Lunch Break

  • Keynote: Upskilling Line Managers to Effectively Support Disabled Members of Staff

    • Tools to deliver specialist training to increase understanding and awareness of disabilities
    • Confidentiality and disclosure: ensuring managers respect employee privacy and offer advice about support options
    • Implementing routine check-ins to enable managers to confidently interact with and support disabled staff members
    • Practical advice for managers on decision-making surrounding reasonable adjustments
    • Managing long-term absences: tips on maintaining communication and support with disabled employees outside the workplace

    Angela Matthews, Head of Policy and Research, Business Disability Forum (CONFIRMED)

  • Supporting People With Learning Disabilities to Maintain Employment and Thrive in a Workplace Environment

    • Removing barriers to employability: creating inclusive recruitment processes that make people with learning disabilities more comfortable applying
    • Implementing adjustments to improve an employee’s work environment and assist them in their role
    • Delivering ongoing support mechanisms to ensure employees are settling into their job and completing tasks to a high standard
    • Developing communication strategies between employers and employees to improve understanding of new tasks, build pathways for feedback and raise confidence
    • Insights into the Project SEARCH programme: providing support to help people with learning disabilities find and maintain paid work

    Bryony Dolby, National Programme Coordinator and Erin O’Donnell, Supported Employment Advocate, Hft (CONFIRMED)

  • Questions and Answers

  • Breakout Networking: Developing a Disability-Friendly Culture to Offer Disabled Employees Opportunities to Succeed in their Careers

    This session will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the main challenges you face in building a respectful, open, and inclusive workplace culture. Discuss key strategies to improve support for disabled employees in developing their careers with peers from across a range of sectors.

  • Comfort Break 

  • (On-Demand) Case Study: Striving to Employ Neurodivergent People and Supporting Them to Reach Their Full Potential

    • Sharing the benefits of embracing and supporting neurodiversity to reach and attract staff from a wider talent pool
    • Tips on adjusting conventional interview methods to improve the recruitment process for neurodivergent candidates
    • Outlining examples of workplace adjustments that can improve productivity and enable neurodivergent staff to perform at their best
    • Practical advice for managers to take a proactive and individualised approach to support neurodiverse employees

    John Nelson, Chair, National Police Autism Association (CONFIRMED)

  • Case Study: Promoting Positive Mental Health in the Workplace: Creating a Supportive Environment

      • Introduction to the Access to Work Mental Health Support Service designed to offer non-clinical, work focused support to anyone struggling at work with their mental health or stress
      • Guidance on how to access the service and eligibility criteria
      • How we collaborating with employees with mental health difficulties to understand what adjustments they might need to work effectively
      • Advice on how to integrate this service into the wellbeing offering within your organisations

    Bethany Kimberley, National Partnerships Lead, Maximus (CONFIRMED)

  • Questions and Answers 

  • Chair’s Closing Remarks 

    *programme subject to change without notice

Who Should Attend

Who Should Attend?

Delegates who will have an interest in this event will be HR professionals and senior managers from across the private, public and voluntary sectors.

*This Conference is open to Public, Private and Third Sectors

For more information or to make a booking please call 0330 058 4285

Sponsorship

We are now taking bookings for our wide range of sponsorship and exhibition packages; we also offer bespoke packages tailored for your organisation.

Why Sponsor and Exhibit at this event:

✓ Network with key decision-makers
✓ Meet your target audience in the Sector
✓ Listen and Learn from leading experts across the Sector
✓ Opportunity to demonstrate your products or services
✓ Speak alongside leading experts
✓ Work with your dedicated account manager to generate the maximum amount of leads

Exhibition and Sponsorship Packages:


Strategic Headline Sponsor:

  • 20-minute speaking slot followed by Q&A
  • 3x2m Exhibition Space (In the Refreshments and Catering room)
  • Pre show marketing email to all registered delegates
  • Post show inclusion on presentation email
  • Branding on Website and Event Guide (Logo and 100 Word Profile)
  • A4 Insert or A4 Chair Drop
  • 5 Delegate Conference Passes
  • 1 Speaker Pass

Key Supporter Package:

  • 20-minute speaking slot followed by Q&A
  • Branding on Website and Event Guide (Logo and 100 Word Profile)
  • A4 Insert or Chair Drop
  • 1 Speaker Pass
  • 2 Delegate Conference Passes

Exhibition Stand:

  • 3x2m Exhibition Space (In the Refreshments and Catering room)
  • Power, Wifi, Table and 2 Chairs (If required)
  • Branding on Website and Event Guide (Logo and 100 Word Profile)
  • 2 Delegate Conference Passes
  • 1 Stand Manager Pass

Insert or Chair Drop:

  • 1 Delegate Conference Pass
  • A4 insert into delegate pack or A4 Chair Drop

For more information or to discuss the available option please call 0203 961 5002 or email Sponsorship@GovernmentEvents.co.uk 

Pricing
  • Public Sector Rate: : £499.00+VAT
  • Private Sector Rate:: £649.00+VAT
  • Voluntary Sector Rate: : £379.00+VAT

Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you access to all of the following including 12-months FREE access to GE Insights, our cross-sector learning resource, and the easiest way for you to prepare for the conference and then stay engaged all year with the ongoing discussions and best practice:

✓ High Level Keynotes

✓ Case Studies Showcasing Best Practice

✓ Panel Discussions

✓ Live Chat and Networking Opportunities

✓ Q&A

✓ 8 Hours of CPD

✓ Speaker Presentations and Videos OnDemand

✓ 12-Months FREE access to GE Insights (RRP £199)

 – 100s of exclusive case study focused videos and articles

 –  CPD Dashboard

 –  Personalised Homepage

 – 30+ new uploads each month