Work, Health and Disability Working in partnership with Cornwall

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1 Work and Health Unit Work, Health and Disability Working in partnership with Cornwall Angus Gray Work and Health Unit

2 The case for action 2

3 Building a shared vision 3

4 Areas of focus EMPLOYMENT SUPPORT WELFARE 1 million more disabled people in work over 10 years HEALTH EMPLOYERS 4

5 Work and Health Unit Strategy The Work and Health Unit is jointly sponsored by DWP and DH. It works to improve the health and employment outcomes for working age people who have, or may acquire, a disability or health condition. Our strategy is to: 1.Build a robust evidence base about how services should be delivered to transform the chances of employment for disabled people and to achieve the 1 million manifesto target. 2.Support people with disabilities and long term health conditions to: Enter work Remain in work Return to work by: delivering the health benefits that good work brings by delivering improvement in a joined up way across four systems: health, welfare, employment support and employers focussing on the key conditions which are most prevalent in creating health barriers to work namely mental health and musculoskeletal conditions change attitudes, hearts and minds by empowering health professionals with the tools and techniques to have meaningful conversations about work and health driving culture change across all four systems so that everyone can progress as far as their talents will take them 5

6 Role of employers 6 6

7 Working with employers, we are trying to address four key issues RECRUITMENT To get 1m more disabled people into work, we need employers to provide more job opportunities for disabled people, but they can lack confidence and knowledge and fear perceived complications. PREVENTION, HEALTH AND WELLBEING Evidence suggests that employers can derive benefits from establishing specific health interventions in the workplace, both for the business and with respect to their employees health. But employers can be unclear on the business case or unsure about what works, or where to start. The importance of healthy workplaces for primary prevention, i.e. intervention upstream, is widely acknowledged by health experts internationally (WHO 2010). RETENTION 150k disabled people fall out of work each quarter. Reducing flows out of work is key to increasing the number of disabled people in work and reducing demands on health and welfare systems. SMEs in particular lack in house support to deal with sickness absence. Sickness absence alone costs employers 9bn a year and an ageing population increases the need to act now. PROGRESSION We want disabled people and people with long-term health conditions to be able to reach their full potential and thrive in work, including reaching senior positions. However, at the moment fewer disabled people work as managers, directors and senior officials (8% versus 11%) and disabled people report barriers to progression. 7

8 We are developing solutions Giving employers the advice and support they need to hire and retain disabled people and people with health conditions: o o o o Improving information and guidance Best practice and business case Improving awareness of existing support Building a model of effective local networks between local partners and employers. Aim to demonstrate the business benefits of the agenda and provide support to employers, bringing together examples of best practice Role of the Civil Service and public sector as a leading employer Testing solutions to support SMEs manage sickness absence Exploring other areas And working closely with other areas of Government looking at similar business, growth and employer issues: The Stevenson-Farmer Review into workplace mental health support published today Matthew Taylor Review and BEIS Industrial Strategy 8

9 We face challenges to delivering our agenda and achieving change Complexity of employers landscape and how to engage SMEs, particularly those who don t belong to existing networks or organisations, or who aren t already committed to the agenda Employers key barriers to doing more: lack of confidence; lack of knowledge of disability and available support; and fear of doing the wrong thing For SMEs, lack of in house support that larger employers likely to have access to Making a clear business case that will resonate with diverse employers to encourage action Aligning employment, employers and health together in local areas to identify what works best in local communities Joining up Government agendas locally 9

10 Disability Confident 10 10

11 Disability Confident is about creating a movement for change - getting employers to think differently about disability and to take action to improve how they attract, recruit and retain disabled workers. It supports this Government s commitment to get 1 million more disabled people into work by focusing on the role of employers, who have a crucial role to play. The Disability Confident scheme has 3 levels that have been designed to support employers on their Disability Confident journey. So far, over 5,200 Businesses have signed up to the new Disability Confident scheme, with this number growing rapidly. By being Disability Confident, you ll also be seen as leading the way in your business sector and beyond, helping to positively change attitudes, behaviours and cultures. 11

12 Disability Confident - The case for action Economically the spending power of disabled people in the UK is 249bn. Many businesses are ignoring this market. Why? Disability Confident helps businesses: draw from the widest possible pool of talent secure and retain high quality staff who are skilled, loyal and hard working save time and money on the costs of recruitment and training by reducing staff turnover keep valuable skills and experience reduce the levels and costs of sickness absences Improve employee morale and commitment by demonstrating that they treat all employees fairly Sign-up to Disability Confident at 12

13 Fuller Working Lives 13 13

14 Fuller Working Lives: our objective To support individuals aged 50 years and over to remain in and return to the labour market and tackle the barriers to doing so Employers crucial to improving the 3Rs: Retain Retrain Recruit We cannot expect things to change if we don t engage with and drive action by employers 14

15 Fuller Working Lives: A Partnership Approach Ultimately, this is a business challenge and that is why this document is largely written by businesses, for businesses, Damian Hinds MP Published 2 nd February 2017 Has the ambition to increase the retention, retraining & recruitment of older workers by bringing about a change in perceptions & attitudes of employers A new approach led by employers Sets out why FWL is important for Employers Individuals Sets out action Government is taking to support older workers to remain in the labour market 15

16 Why Cornwall? 16 16

17 Building a model of effective local leadership and networks between local partners and employers Achieving real and lasting change will be challenging and Government cannot act alone Government wants to work with local partners to help us to create better employment outcomes for people with disabilities and long term conditions Building the confidence of employers to recruit, retain and progress all individuals is crucial to achieving our aim Why Cornwall? A proven track record of working collaboratively and a common boundary Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP and University of Exeter employers consultation report on the Green Paper Dec 2016 Cornwall has higher than the UK average of older workers and people out of work due to disability and long term conditions Cornwall has a high percentage of small and medium sized businesses CIOSLEP Strategic Economic Plan Inclusive Growth and older workers 17

18 What has happened so far: Cornwall and Isles of Scilly LEP have been asked to lead this work The Work and Health Unit will continue to work with CIOSLEP to support this work Disability and Inclusive Growth Champion appointed onto the Board of the CIOSLEP Lucy Edge A key stakeholder event on 28 th July 2017 with the Work and Health Unit, which included health and employment support agencies, and the business sector Local next steps: Map out the support available to employers to create a clear picture, and to identify any gaps Build the stakeholder group to reflect the wide support available and identify local solutions Communications strategy how to engage local employers and build their confidence and knowledge LEP Board updates on progress Potential skills training needs identified Build a network of disability employer ambassadors Create a framework for other LEPs to adopt based on CIOSLEP experience 18