DWP & CIPD Disability Confident Managers Guide

DWP & CIPD Disability Confident Managers Guide

This month the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) have published a new resource to help managers better support employees with long term health conditions and disabilities called ‘Disability Confident and CIPD guide for managers.’[1] This comprehensive document has been created to equip managers with strategies to effectively recruit, retain, and empower employees with disabilities or long-term health conditions.

The report delves into several sections which we have summarised below using a short explanation of each one:

• Language and Behaviours – Learn best practices for talking about disability in the workplace, respecting individual preferences.
• Reasonable adjustments – Explore practical workplace modifications like Access To Work and flexible working options.
• Recruiting people – Discover “positive action” strategies to attract a wider range of talented candidates.
• Welcoming new starters – Ensure a smooth transition for new disabled employees.
• Disclosure and confidentiality – Understand employee choices regarding disability disclosure and the importance of maintaining information privacy.
• Career progression – Learn how to offer fair chances for advancement to all employees.
• Sickness absence – Discover effective strategies for handling employee absences, including those related to disabilities.
• Supporting specific disabilities and long-term health conditions in the workplace – Gain insights on common disabilities and their potential impact on employee responses.
• Retaining people – Develop a framework for keeping valuable disabled employees engaged.
• Leaving the business of organisation – Learn how to manage the transition when a disabled employee leaves the organisation.

iDiversity recognises potential in this being a very useful tool to aid managers in championing disability inclusion in the workplace, by offering clear steps and advice throughout an employee’s journey. It aims to help employers create a welcoming environment, fostering a sense of belonging and maximising potential. All of this can result in a more diverse, successful, and innovative workforce that benefits organisations of all sizes.

Access more information and download the full DWP Disability Confident and CIPD Managers guide on the gov.uk website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guide-published-to-help-businesses-boost-disabled-peoples-prospects-at-work

Other resources

https://www.cipd.org/en/

https://www.cipd.org/uk/about/news/dwp-cipd-disability-confident/

https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/

[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65e741d42f2b3b0ba97cd775/disability-confident-line-managers-guide.pdf