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The potential advantages of establishing a new standalone Welsh employer scheme or a devolved element within a broader national scheme were discussed.

Participants who were employers suggested a forum of leaders could be set up in Wales. Any forum could potentially include DPO’s and trade unions to ensure collaborative working and stakeholder engagement.

It was acknowledged that more work needed to be done in Wales to get more employers to Level 3: Leader Status. Some participants reflected concern that so few employers have reached this level within the current scheme to date.

Unfortunately, at the moment there’s only just over 30 leaders in Wales. So you haven't got that many people that are at a level to step up. So, I think we need to do a lot of work with businesses public and private sector within Wales to get more people up to leader level. (Trade union group participant)

Some participants reflected potential challenges of a Wales only scheme if it were not part of a wider UK scheme (which will be discussed in the next chapter). However, participants saw valid reasons why a standalone scheme or a local dimension within a national scheme might be beneficial.

One of the advantages highlighted was the Welsh Language and ensuring this is treated with equal status. For those disabled people who identify as first language Welsh speaking, this would potentially remove an additional barrier.

And also, it's because we have our own language different to the UK Government. You know it's that side of things that have to be looked at for me. So that that doesn't become a barrier for a disabled person who lives in Northwest Wales. You know who's first language is Welsh and that's what they communicate through. We need to reach out to those people as well. (Trade union group participant)

It was reflected that regional patterns of employment and deprivation in Wales are distinctive from the rest of the UK and recognising these local differences was important.

It was also reflected by some participants that having a bespoke Welsh element offered a potential role for public procurement in Wales. For example, using public procurement as leverage to engage and encourage more employers to demonstrate good practice in supporting disabled people when bidding for public sector contracts.

Some disabled people and DPO’s felt that levels of trust with Welsh Government were higher than that with the UK Government. Some participants reflected they had less confidence in attitudes towards disabled people at a UK level and felt that the opportunity to ‘rebuild’ something specifically in Wales, may ensure more positive attitudes towards disabled people in the future. It was felt that a bespoke Welsh scheme may allow for wider engagement and co-production with disabled people and DPO’s.

As discussed in the above chapter, having a bespoke Welsh element would provide an opportunity for a cultural shift. Discussions around this shift focused on working collaboratively and taking a bottom-up approach with lived experience at its heart.

And on any future schemes, being Welsh specific, or looking at what's happening in the changes at Westminster. I think we still go towards creating something that's Welsh specific. So that, you know this is an opportunity really to reform something from the ground-up and co-productively work with disabled people, opposed to like changing a system which is quite big fundamentally. (DPO group participant)