Access to Work
[ch 2: page 45]For disabled workers, the government’s Access to Work scheme provides funding for special equipment, extra travel costs, and support worker assistance (for example, communicator, advocate or sign language interpreter) or alterations to the workplace to make it more accessible. In 2016, Access to Work provision was approved for record numbers of people who reported their primary disabling conditions as mental health-related, up 37% from the previous year (DWP figures used in the Improving lives white paper).
Access to Work has been extended to cover a variety of opportunities that help disabled people to prepare for employment (for example, supported internships, traineeships and self-directed work experience) and it includes the Mental Health Support Service. It is promoted by the government as part of its disability and health employment strategy.
Enhancing Access to Work
In Improving lives, the future of work, health and disability, the government promised action to enhance the Access to Work scheme. Its ideas include a trial of managed personal budgets; that equipment will be portable and move with the individual when they change jobs; personalised services for those with the highest needs, such as some British Sign Language (BSL) users; improvement in the advice and choice offered to people about the support and tools on offer to enable them to work, in particular new assistive technology; reducing the bureaucratic burden; and working with disabled people, their families and relevant organisations (including Social Enterprise employers) to develop new targeted support.