Jane Hutt, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Trefnydd and Chief Whip
I am pleased to provide an update on the activities of the Welsh Government’s Disabled People’s Employment Champions and thank all five for their continued work on behalf of disabled people in Wales.
The five Disabled People’s Employment Champions each bring their own lived experience and expert knowledge to their work in promoting the recruitment, retention and progression of disabled workers across Wales.
Their programme of work is driven by our Programme for Government Commitment to use the new network of Disabled People’s Employment Champions to help close the gap between disabled people and the rest of the working population, and by the National Milestone for an elimination of the pay gap for gender, disability and ethnicity by 2050.
Their work also aligns with actions set out in the Disabled People’s Rights Plan and our Response to the recommendations made by the Senedd’s Equality and Social Justice Committee in its report ‘Anything’s Achievable with the Right Support. Tackling the Disability Employment Gap’.
There are many notable achievements.
The Champions have produced a suite of guidance to support employers in the employment of disabled people, including on making reasonable adjustments in the workplace, implementing inclusive recruitment and employment practices, and understanding the Social Model of Disability.
The Champions have engaged more than a thousand participants through webinars they have delivered on the ‘Social Model of Disability’ and ‘Workplace Adjustments for Neurodivergent Workers’. These have been hugely popular and to meet demand an on-going schedule of sessions is now in place.
In January, the Champions launched the Disability Confident Leaders Forum for Wales. This new initiative brings together employers who have achieved Disability Confident Leader status to share best practice and inspire others to join the scheme and progress to Leader status. The Champions also continue to provide one to one support to public sector and large employers to encourage them on their journey to becoming Disability Confident Leaders. For example, they worked alongside Aneurin Bevan University Health Board to progress the organisation to Leader status. This complements the work of the Business Wales Disabled People’s Employer Advisors in relation to SMEs.
The Champions have built strong partnerships with key organisations aimed at improving employment outcomes for disabled people in Wales. This collaborative approach is evidenced through the Disabled People’s Employment Working Group which is led by the Champions, and which helps foster engagement and dialogue between the Welsh Government, Disabled People’s Organisations, the DWP and other key partners.
The Champions have worked closely with the DWP to press for a more robust and effective Disability Confident scheme. In doing so they drew on their engagement with Welsh stakeholders and on the research report co-produced by members of the Disability Rights Taskforce and the Disability Disparity Evidence Unit, exploring potential improvements to the Disability Confident Employer Scheme in Wales. The DWP has since announced plans to reform the scheme in a move which I welcome.
Alongside their outward facing work, the Champions play an important role inside Welsh Government to influence wider policy which impacts on disabled people’s employment and help to make programmes and services more attuned to disabled people. For example, they are actively helping to shape our new Employability Skills Programme and the delivery of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer projects.
The Champions’ achievements to date reflect their expertise, dedication and strong partnership working. I am confident their continued contribution will help to improve employment outcomes for disabled people in Wales.