Unsympathetic employers, a lack of support while looking for roles and inaccessible recruitment practices are just some of the barriers people with complex disabilities face in the labour market. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This research sets out some things the Government needs to do differently to successfully close the disability employment gap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
On this page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- About this research<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- How Sense supports jobseekers with complex disabilities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Key findings<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- How the Department for Work and Pensions could better support people with complex disabilities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Conclusion<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n
“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\u2019t go to the centre, and he said \u201cNo, you have to come into the Jobcentre.\u201d I couldn\u2019t walk properly\u2026I had to go in, I had to physically go there.”<\/p>\nDisabled jobseeker who is supported by Sense. <\/strong> <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\n\nEveryone should be able to work if they want to. And while employment isn\u2019t right for everyone, some people with complex disabilities find that having a job enriches their life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our polling highlights the issues faced by jobseekers with complex disabilities. We found that: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Nearly 1 in 5 people<\/strong> with complex disabilities (17%) felt they didn\u2019t receive any support while looking for paid employment. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Half of jobseekers<\/strong> with complex disabilities (50%) didn\u2019t feel that they had the support and equipment they needed to look for work. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Only a quarter of people<\/strong> with complex disabilities (25%) had an opportunity to engage with work experience or voluntary work. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201cFrustration has been a key word in my vocabulary for a good few years.\u201d<\/p>\nDisabled jobseeker who is supported by Sense. <\/strong> <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nEven for those who do manage to secure paid work, there are barriers to them holding down the role. Our polling found that: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Almost 1 in 6 <\/strong>(15%) people with complex disabilities in work didn\u2019t feel their disability was well understood by their employer. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Over a third <\/strong>(44%) of people with complex disabilities in employment said that they\u2019d been harassed or bullied at work. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Over half <\/strong>(52%) of people with complex disabilities in work said they\u2019d taken a less challenging role because of their needs as a disabled person not being met. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Here at Sense, we are committed to tackling the barriers people with complex disabilities face across their lives, including barriers to looking for and holding down work. We do this through our specialist employment services<\/a> in Birmingham and Loughborough. It\u2019s an offering we\u2019re rolling out to more Sense Centres across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But we can\u2019t make the jobs market fairer for disabled people on our own. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the Spring Budget, the Government committed to tackling employment barriers faced by disabled people. Sense welcomes this ambition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This research sets out some of the things the Government needs to do differently if it wants to be successful in closing the disability employment gap. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\nAbout this research <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
People with complex disabilities are always at the heart of Sense\u2019s policymaking. Before developing our proposals, we worked with our employment and buddying ser<\/a>vices<\/a> 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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. <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\t
\t\t\n\nHow Sense supports jobseekers with complex disabilities <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
At our employment services in Birmingham<\/a> and Loughborough<\/a>, Sense offers tailored support, training and job coaching to people with complex disabilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our services are equipped with assistive technology<\/a>, enabling people who don\u2019t have such equipment at home to come in and look for work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our specialists also help jobseekers to fill in applications for benefits and to access support schemes such as Access to Work<\/a>, which funds assistive technology for disabled people in the workplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jobcentres often refer disabled jobseekers to our services; we hope that this positive relationship will continue as we open more employment services across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But even in areas where Sense provides specialist employment, jobcentres should still be meeting the needs of people with complex disabilities. Our research shows that this is not the case. <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\nSense is calling on the Government to:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Partner with disability charities,<\/strong> including organisations with specialist employment services to ensure people with complex disabilities receive appropriate support. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Explore options for further improving the provision of specialist employment support \u2013 including funding for assistive technology <\/strong>\u2013 with charities and other local organisations. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Fund more specialist employment programmes <\/strong>to work in partnership with Job Centre Plus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\t
\t\t\n\nKey findings <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Jobcentre staff don\u2019t always have the expertise and training to support disabled people <\/h3>\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
Jobcentres, which are run by the Department for Work and Pensions, help people to access unemployment benefits and look for work. Those who are required to look for work go to their local jobcentre for regular appointments with their Work Coach<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At jobcentres, disabled people can also access other kinds of support, such as employment and training opportunities, or meetings with specialists such as Disability Employment Advisors<\/a>. Jobseekers can also visit jobcentres to use the computers there to look and apply for work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\t
\t\t\n\nWork Coaches <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
A jobseeker\u2019s main contact at their jobcentre is their Work Coach. Work Coaches support people as they look for work, helping people to identify their skills and strengths, and supporting them during applications and while preparing for interviews. If a jobseeker is required to look for work by the Department for Work and Pensions, then the Work Coach will check that they\u2019re doing this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But disabled people often don\u2019t get the support they need from Work Coaches. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/employment-icons-Page-2-500x500.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n- \n
- Less than a quarter <\/strong>of jobseekers with complex disabilities (23%) who\u2019d visited a jobcentre said they had received 1 to 1 support from a Work Coach. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Over half of jobseekers <\/strong>with complex disabilities (54%) told us that they didn\u2019t feel supported by Work Coaches. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
In our interviews and focus groups, some disabled people told us their Work Coach was unsympathetic and didn\u2019t listen to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Others said that, though sympathetic and well-intentioned, their work coaches lacked the expertise to support them effectively:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n
\u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\nDisabled jobseeker who is supported by Sense. <\/strong> <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
\n
\u201c[They didn\u2019t support me] in the way that I feel I would need. They\u2019re supportive, they\u2019re not putting pressure on me to go and find jobs\u2026But they just told me that I could get help once I\u2019ve got the job, that was what everyone was saying. But I might not get the job if I don\u2019t get the information [about Access to Work and reasonable adjustments].\u201d<\/p>\nDisabled jobseeker who is supported by Sense. <\/strong> <\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n
Given that the initial training course for Work Coaches doesn\u2019t seem to include disability equality training focused on disabled people \u2013 let alone cover the barriers to employment faced by people with complex disabilities \u2013 these jobseeker responses are hardly surprising. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
People with complex disabilities have told us explicitly that jobcentre staff needed to be better trained. In our polling, over a third of jobseekers with complex disabilities (35%) said that they\u2019d be better supported in their employment search if jobcentre staff were more aware of the unique barriers they were facing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Disability Employment Advisors <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/employment-icons-Page-5-500x500.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWork Coaches can refer disabled jobseekers to Disability Employment Advisors, who should be able to offer more specialist support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While we\u2019ve heard some positive stories about Disability Employment Advisors, our polling found that 46% of jobseekers with complex disabilities don\u2019t feel supported by them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Disability Employment Advisors do receive training that covers disability employment, our research revealed clear gaps in what they\u2019re taught<\/a>. They don\u2019t, for example, receive any specific training on assistive technology. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Other issues we uncovered related to a lack of staff, or issues with Disability Employment Advisors simply being unhelpful. One deafblind jobseeker, for example, said that there was only one Disability Employment Advisor at her jobcentre, and that they were never there. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Even after meeting with the Disability Employment Advisor, she found that they didn\u2019t seem to have listened to her, recommending jobs that she wouldn\u2019t be able to do, such as hairdressing. She eventually disengaged completely from the jobcentre, deciding that \u201cNo one wants to listen to the fact I want a job; I\u2019d just have to accept that.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jobcentres do not offer specialist assistive technology <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Jobcentres should be places where disabled people can access everything they need to look for work. But according to our polling, half of jobseekers with complex disabilities (50%) said they didn\u2019t have the support and equipment they needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/online_training_2_Purple_RGB-500x500.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nSome disabled people rely on assistive technology<\/a> to use computers. This can take many forms, such as text to speech screen readers, dictation software and braille displays. But this technology can be expensive, with one popular screen reader costing \u00a3700. As a result, not everyone who needs assistive technology owns it personally. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While someone in employment can usually get this funded through Access to Work, those who are looking for work often can\u2019t afford to buy it for themselves. This means that they need support from external services to look and apply for work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- Over half of jobseekers <\/strong>with complex disabilities (54%) told us that they didn\u2019t feel supported by Work Coaches. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Explore options for further improving the provision of specialist employment support \u2013 including funding for assistive technology <\/strong>\u2013 with charities and other local organisations. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Over half <\/strong>(52%) of people with complex disabilities in work said they\u2019d taken a less challenging role because of their needs as a disabled person not being met. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Over a third <\/strong>(44%) of people with complex disabilities in employment said that they\u2019d been harassed or bullied at work. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Half of jobseekers<\/strong> with complex disabilities (50%) didn\u2019t feel that they had the support and equipment they needed to look for work. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Nearly 1 in 5 people<\/strong> with complex disabilities (17%) felt they didn\u2019t receive any support while looking for paid employment. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Conclusion<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- How the Department for Work and Pensions could better support people with complex disabilities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Key findings<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- How Sense supports jobseekers with complex disabilities<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
![\"paintbrush](\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/training_Orange_RGB-150x150.png\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/online_training_1_Orange_RGB-150x150.png\")
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.sense.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/online_training_2_Purple_RGB.png\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n