Hope Not Fear: The New Narrative For Inclusive Recruitment Across The UK

05/07/24

Today, we see a change in Government and BASE welcomes the opportunity that this brings to change the public narrative around the unemployed, disabled and disadvantaged.

BASE and its members believe if people receive the right support, find the right job and are motivated to work, that anyone can work and have a good career. 

We’d like 2024 to be the start of a new approach to commissioning employment support that shifts the focus to:

  • Providing access to good quality support for those jobseekers who need a local wrap around, high ambition programme.
  • Recognising that employers are equal partners in the drive to create good jobs and careers which benefit the business and the local economy, supporting them to move from disability confident to disability confident in action.
  • Focusing on what works in employment support as demonstrated by the evidence base and keeping true to the model that is based on high ambition and zero rejection.  

We know that the Supported Employment Model works for those individuals who face multiple barriers into work. It works because Supported Employment providers are embedded in their local community, they know the local people, they know the local employers and are invested in generating wider societal benefits for the whole community.

We are encouraged by the promises contained within The Labour Party manifesto particularly their commitment to championing the rights of disabled people as well as tackling the backlog of Access to Work claims and now is the time to promote the art of possible, to instil hope back into the disabled, neurodivergent, and disadvantaged communities that good careers can and should be available to them. 

 

BASE PRIORITIES FOR AN INCOMING GOVERNMENT ( April 2024) 

Create unified policies that enable everyone to work and have a career.

  • Continue the roll out of Universal Support, making sure it remains voluntary, utilises the supported employment model and focuses on both in and out of work support.
  • Utilise a place-based approach to fund specialised employment support so people work in jobs/careers that support good mental and physical health.
  • People with a learning disability and autism to have a statutory right to access to specialist support into employment.  

Break down the barriers that prevent inclusive recruitment becoming a positive choice.

  • Make Disability Confident mean something. Introduce mandatory reporting for employers and provide free to access, wrap around support for them to remove the fear around employing disabled and neurodivergent people. Use the Disability Employment charter as a benchmark of success.
  • Make getting into work from benefits and staying in work easier. Being better off in work should be the reality rather than simply rhetoric. Universal Credit does not adequately reflect costs and circumstances and the way the system is administered creates more hardship and poverty. The Access to Work scheme should support quality job coaching services, and implementation of the scheme rules should be transparent, fair and equitable.
  • Public Sector to lead by example. Every public sector to have a disability inclusion strategy, at the heart of their workforce planning and to build inclusive recruitment into ALL hiring.
  • Recognize the pivotal and professional role of the Job Coach in the employment support sector. This multi-faceted role is unique and is not comparable with lower paid support roles. The job coach role must be fully funded to fully realise the benefits of the Access To Work scheme and to support the culture change within the workplace. 

Foster the skills, experience and opportunities that are needed by our young people. 

  • Provide equity of opportunity for all young people post 16. Recent educational reforms have created a confusing landscape for young people into employment. The Young Person Entitlement developed by Youth Employment UK will provide a holistic education that includes both academic and technical training can help young people develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in the workforce. 
  • Remove the Maths and English requirements from all study and employment pathways unless mandatory for the job role. 
  • Continue to invest in Supported Internships and the support local areas need to improve the life chances of young disabled and neurodivergent people building on the amazing work of Internships Work.
  • Assistive Tech has been transformative for many disabled/neurodivergent young people. Introduce ATech Hubs as recommended by Policy connect and include Accessible Tech within the national curriculum PHSE lessons- preparing the next generation of inclusive leaders.