28th March 2008
More needs to be done to help disabled people enter and remain in the world of work. This was the core message that was given to over 125 delegates at the 7th annual Spring Event of Beginnings, a coalition of key public, private and voluntary sector stakeholders dedicated to developing strategies to help the UK’s disabled people find work and remain in employment.
The speakers at the event, held on the 13th March 2008, sponsored by Unum and hosted by BT at the BT Centre in London, included keynote speaker Anne McGuire MP, Minister for Disabled People; Danny Alexander MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions; Mark Harper MP, Conservative Shadow Minister for Disabled People; Baroness Sally Greengross OBE, Commissioner at the Equalities and Human Rights Commission and Patron of Beginnings; and Lord Archie Kirkwood, former Chairman of the Work and Pensions Select Committee.
Anne McGuire noted the depth of talent amongst disabled workers, and how the Government was working to ensure this was better realised, to the benefit of both disabled people and employers.
Danny Alexander MP stated that while progress had been made, four out of five employers still do not know about the Government’s access to work programme and Mark Harper MP highlighted that, despite the common belief that UK disabled people are being increasingly catered for by employers, 50% of disabled people remain unemployed. He went on to urge that this astounding figure be addressed.
Another key theme of the event was flexibility, which was championed by both Bill Murphy, Managing Director at BT Business and Professor Graeme Leach, Chief Economist and Director of Policy at IOD. Graeme Leach trailed the results of research commissioned by Unum and IOD into this area, to be released later in the year. A key finding was that despite the large proportion of flexible working that is going on (73% of respondents), there is still much more to be done if everyone is to benefit from a work life balance that suits them best.
Another key message that emerged from the event was that employers are not as informed as they should be about the potential of disabled employees. Sayeed Kahn from the EEF (Manufacturers organisation), for example, argued that employers do not have enough information about disabled workers and that in his experience many employers do not appear to appreciate that people with disabilities can be a great asset to their company.
Beginnings partners, Paul Farmer, CEO at MIND, Liz Sayce, CEO at Radar, made further valuable contributions on important aspects of this debate and while it was acknowledged that the government is starting to respond - the recent budget report has called for the private and public sectors to concentrate more on enhancing the employment prospects of disabled people - much remained to be done.
Keith Faulkner CBE, Managing Director at Working Links, highlighted the fact that many people who should have an incapacity allowance are actually on job seekers allowance, as disability is not always recognised as a reason for unemployment. Commenting on this, Lord Kirkwood stated that "this is a politically salient issue of potency leading up to a future election.”
In debate both Speakers and Delegates agreed that as the composition of the workforce is changing, and so there is a need for a change in the working culture and behaviour. The UK has an ageing population, a rising problem with obesity, more parents working and more people acting as carers. Greater employment flexibility is therefore needed to accommodate disabled workers, and those who care for them, so that they are retained in the workplace and do not easily lose work attachment – which can be difficult to recover.
Peter Barnett, Head of External Affairs at Unum, the UK's leading disability insurer, which coordinates the annual event, noted:
Both speakers and attendees at the symposium agreed on one key issue: it is of great importance that the path is made easier for disabled people to both get into work and remain there.
Beginnings is working with Members of Parliament and other key decision makers to ensure that more will continue to be done to increase the sustained employment of disabled people. The aim of this is to make a measurable improvement to the lives of disabled people in the UK by helping to remove the barriers that prevent disabled people fulfilling their potential, and, should they be in a position to do so, taking a full and active part in the economic success of the country.
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