Overview

The Government’s recent Disability Action Plan highlighted that there are approximately 1.3 million more disabled people in employment today than in 2017. Despite this growing number, there still remains clear and significant gaps in educational level, pay, and prejudice against those with disabilities according research from Scope UK. In response, the Government have  published the Transforming Support: Health and Disability White Paper, outlining new policies, guidance, and grants to support employers. Through collaborative approaches with colleagues, and utilising modern technology and data, HR professionals can build upon existing good work by sharing exemplary best practice and key insights into developing an inclusive workplace culture which can enable disabled employees to achieve their full potential.

  • There remains a more than 25% gap between the employment rate of working age disabled people compared to non-disabled people, according to the Office of National Statistics (2022)
  • While 1 in 3 disabled people agree that there is significant disability prejudice in Britain today, only 1 in 5 non-disabled people agree, as shown by research from Scope UK (2022)
  • Analysis published by the TUC showcases that non-disabled workers earn on average 14.6% more than disabled workers (2023)
  • The number of disabled workers reporting a mental health condition has increased by 97% in the last decade, according to a 2023 report by the Department for Work and Pensions

Join us at The Supporting Disabled People in the Workplace Conference 2024 to hear experts discuss the latest initiatives and approaches to help your organisation manage and support disabled employees. Engage with best practice case studies addressing issues such as coproducing policies with disabled staff, adapting to the rise of hidden disabilities and implementing disability inclusive recruitment processes. You will also have the opportunity to network with other professionals from the public, private, and voluntary sectors to share common challenges and initiate support for disabled people in your workplace.

Why Attend:
✓  High-level keynotes on the latest initiatives on supporting disabled people in the workplace from policymakers and leading experts
✓  Case studies showing best practice in strategies that overcome stigma and create inclusive workplaces for disabled employees
✓  A wide range of topics including implementing reasonable adjustments, training management staff, flexible working and handling neurodivergent employees
✓  Network with senior colleagues from across the public, private and voluntary sectors
✓  Gain 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota

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 healthcare, 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

    Dr Maria Berghs, Associate Professor, De Montfort University (CONFIRMED)

  • Keynote: Becoming a Pro-Disability Employer: Updates from the Government

    • The Disability Action Plan: latest updates on government programmes and policies to support disabled employees
    • Using technology to adjust and tailor workplace environments to the needs of disabled employees
    • Adapting traditional work patterns to increase accessibility for disabled employees: key tips
    • Outlining support and guidance available for HR professionals and companies for supporting staff with disabilities

    Senior Representative, Department for Work and Pensions (invited)

  • Keynote: Taking Action to Tackle the Disability Employment Gap and Address Workplace Stigmas

    • Developing employee-centred workplace policies through increased engagement with disabled employees
    • Practical steps to support employers in diminishing the disability workforce pay gap and career stagnation
    • Strategies for combatting workplace discrimination through workforce monitoring of pay gaps and progression

    Faye Law, Senior Advisor, Acas (CONFIRMED)

  • Questions and Answers

  • Comfort Break

  • Case Study: Implementing a Whole Organisation Approach to Create a Disability-Inclusive Culture

    • Strategies for improving disability declaration rates to build a better picture of workforce needs
    • Tips on how to facilitate open communication with staff members to understand how best to allocate support funding
    • Raising the profile of EDI teams, highlighting them as points of contact and support for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent staff
    • Adapting messaging and communication around campaigns and initiatives to a maximise audience reach
    • Practical steps on gaining buy-in from senior leadership teams to produce effective disability-inclusive schemes

    Stuart Moore, Director, National Association of Disabled Staff Networks, EDI Lead, NHS England (CONFIRMED)

  • Case Study: Attracting Disabled Talent: Using Data to Create Inclusive Recruitment Processes

    • Tips for incorporating inclusive language into the job adverts to attract diverse candidates
    • Evaluating recruitment data to inform strategies and identify areas for improvement in attracting disabled talent
    • Addressing barriers to work to ensure smoother working experiences for disabled employees
    • Building awareness of wellbeing schemes for disabled staff as part of recruitment schemes to attract top talent

    Lynn Stubbs, Executive Director of People and Performance, Longhurst Group (invited)

  • Case Study: Tailoring Working Environments to Employee Needs Through Implementing Reasonable Adjustments

    Lizi Green, Digital Inclusion Consultant, AbilityNet (CONFIRMED)

  • Questions and Answers

  • Lunch Break

  • Keynote: Evidence-Based Approaches for Making Hybrid Working Disability Friendly

    • Working with line managers to ensure they can adapt job roles in accordance with flexible working requests
    • Introducing workplace adjustments for all staff to help destigmatise the adjustment request process
    • Exploring the full spectrum of flexible work including job-sharing, flexitime and compressed hours and the impact of there for disabled staff
    • Tips on the best forms of consultation with disabled employees to develop remote working policies in accordance with staff preferences

    Rebecca Florisson, Principal Analyst, Work Foundation (CONFIRMED)

  • Case Study: Adapting the Workplace to Improve the Experience of Neurodiverse Staff

    • Strategies for identifying and tackle barriers to performance faced by neurodiverse staff
    • Measures to support the wellbeing of neurodiverse staff and prevent work-related stress or
    • Providing additional coaching and training to help mitigate career development barriers for neurodiverse employees
    • Promoting neurodiverse champions to raise awareness of key challenges and provide a point of contact for staff

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

  • Questions and Answers

  • Breakout Networking: Building Towards a Disability-Friendly Workplace Culture

    This session will provide you with the opportunity to discuss the main challenges you face in building an inclusive workplace and overcoming barriers disabled employees face. Share your experiences and discuss key strategies with senior colleagues from a range of sectors to work towards improving support for disabled employees.

  • Comfort Break

  • Case Study: Co-Creating Workplace Policies with Staff and Implementing Employee Feedback

    • Elevating disables staff visibility: promoting employee networks to enhance awareness and recognition
    • Encouraging regular feedback from staff to ensure greater accountability of disability initiatives
    • Consulting with staff to effectively implement relevant feedback on disability policies
    • Utilising health passports to ensure a smooth and open dialogue between staff and line managers about needs and adjustments

    Marie-Anne Ferreira-Pursley, Co-Chair of Disability Staff Network, North East London NHS Foundation Trust (invited)

  • Case Study: A Spotlight on Intersectional Experiences: Supporting Disabled Employees from Minority Ethnic Backgrounds

    • Key insights into the unique challenges at the intersection of race and disability in the workplace
    • Tips for HR specialists to incorporate the reality of intersectional experiences into diversity and inclusion policies
    • Offering learning and development opportunities to enable for clear and attainable career progression paths
    • Creating open forums or discussion platforms to amplify the voices of disabled employees from minority ethnic backgrounds in the workplace

    Sami Dar, Co-Founder, 10,000 Able Interns (CONFIRMED)

  • Questions and Answers

  • Chair’s Closing Remarks

    *programme subject to change without notice

Who Should Attend

Who Should Attend?

This Conference is open to HR professionals in the Public, Private and Third Sectors

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

Sponsorship

Raise your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business

If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact Chris and Ali today at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here and we will contact you.

Benefits of partnering with us include:

  • Brand awareness: Be seen by a highly targeted and engaged audience before, during, and after the conference.
  • Lead generation: Meet the decision-makers and influencers responsible for making purchasing decisions on cyber security and data protection.
  • Thought leadership: Position your organisation and experts as thought leaders and the ‘go to’ experts.
  • Networking: Make valuable connections with potential new customers and partners across government and the wider public sector
  • Grow your business: Reach decision makers in a single event on just one day and in one location (with no travel/accommodation required), saving you time and money.
  • Gain valuable insights: Hear the latest from key stakeholders in government, and across the public and voluntary sectors.

IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.

All packages include:

  • Extensive branding – before, during, after the conference
  • 15-20 min morning speaking session with Q&A
  • Virtual stand to showcase your organisation, products, services, and solutions
  • Opportunities to network during the day
  • Half to full page ad in the E-Guide
  • Banner ad on the virtual events platform
  • Announcement post on LinkedIn
  • Announcement within delegate communication
  • 1-3 delegate places (worth upto £1,947)
  • Access to the delegate details after the event
  • Ongoing exposure through OnDemand (coming soon)

For more information and discuss your specific objectives, please contact Chris and Ali at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here

Virtual vs F2F

Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:

  • Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
  • Lower sponsorship package costs
  • No travel/accommodation
  • Less time out of the office
  • No stand materials required (lower costs)
  • 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
  • Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
  • Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
  • Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access (coming soon)

To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact Chris and Ali at sponsorship@governmentevents.co.uk or complete our enquiry form here

Pricing
  • Public Sector: £449.00 +VAT
  • Voluntary Sector: £379.00+VAT
  • Private Sector: £649.00+VAT