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NEWS | MANAGEMENT
Occupational health provision
for small employers could help
disabled people into work
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Small businesses can't always
(OH) provision needs to provide OH support
be made more accessible
to smaller organisations
to help increase the
employment rate among
those with disabilities,
delegates at a conference on
disability and health heard.
According to the Oce
for National Statistics
there are around 3.8
million people with a
disability in employment
– only 50.7 per cent of
the working-age disabled
population, compared with
80.1 per cent of the non-
disabled population.
While occupational health
professionals are best placed
to assist organisations in
providing the adjustments sta with disabilities, said perceived to be too risky,” The RCOT is undertaking
that workers with physical Sonali Parekh, Head of she said. a project with Public
and mental disabilities need, Policy at the Federation of “As a result, [where] a Health England that is
Personnel Today reports that Small Businesses. health condition might aiming to make it routine
smaller businesses oen do “It’s a lot easier for a aect someone’s job, for all clinicians to raise
not have the resources to small business to use their sometimes it comes to work issues with patients,
invest in OH provision. experience and judgments in light that it’s already had including barriers such as
Tabitha Jay, Director at taking somebody on because a negative impact [in a working hours or transport
the Joint Work and Health they can individualise previous role]. arrangements.
Unit at the Department of decisions,” she explained. “Employees can be wary The Health and Work
Health and Social Care and One way to improve about speaking openly about Champions project is seeing
the Department for Work access to OH for smaller their conditions through fear 55 ‘champions’ across
and Pensions, said the unit organisations could be if of being dismissed.” England deliver training
was trying to determine other businesses in their Parekh urged employers to colleagues and help
what were the key barriers supply chain were willing to think about oering improve their knowledge of
stopping employers to share their provision, temporary job placements the eect work can have on
accessing OH provision. she suggested. to disabled people to build health, and vice versa.
She told the Westminster Pre-employment health up their work experience. “The aim of the project is
Employment Forum questionnaires could also They could also move away to create culture change in
conference that half of the be overhauled to help from traditional interviews healthcare so it’s standard
UK workforce had no access those with disabilities into for those who might nd practice for all clinicians to
to OH provision in their work, argued Sam Murray- them dicult, such as be able to appropriately
workplace. The unit was Hinde, Partner at law rm people with autism. and sensitively ask work
“working with experts to Howard Kennedy. Better employment questions to the people
ensure that employers are “You can ask questions support for those with long- they work with,” said Smyth.
buying quality provision they designed to nd out whether term conditions should also “It’s another way of getting
can trust”, she told delegates. they can carry out intrinsic be ingrained in the healthcare GPs to the right level of
Smaller employers functions for the role, but system, suggested Genevieve expertise much earlier
were oen able to be there’s little guidance on Smyth, Professional Adviser [so they can oer earlier
more exible than larger what this means, so in at the Royal College of advice to] people when
organisations when it came practice employers don’t Occupational Therapists they’re struggling to get
to making adjustments for ask questions because it’s (RCOT). employment,” she added. ■
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News.indd 5 15/11/2018 14:22
