Community Services

Connect to Work employer information

Connect to Work is an opportunity for employers to start, or build upon, their disability and wider inclusion strategies through access to Supported Employment specialists who will guide you towards having a more accessible workplace by supporting disabled people, those with health conditions and those with complex barriers to employment.

 

What you will get as a Connect to Work employer

1. Wraparound support

   Individuals employed through Connect to Work will be supported by an Employment Specialist who will collaborate with the employer on induction, training, career planning and identifying reasonable adjustments.

2. Stronger links to support networks

   Employment Specialists can direct employers to useful services, whether you are new to this space or already a Disability Confident Employer.

3. Recruitment

   A Connect to Work Employment Specialist will work in partnership with employers to understand the needs of your business, to match the right person to a job that aligns with their skills and goals, saving time and recruitment costs.

4. Inclusive practices

   The Employment Specialist can support employers with practices like inclusive talent attraction, on-boarding processes and career building to facilitate the transition to a more inclusive workplace.

 

Benefits to you as the employer

1. Potential increased productivity

2. Increased customer diversity

3. Reduced staff turnover

4. Improved work environment

5. Reputational gains

 

Myth-busting

Lack of time

A key benefit of Connect to Work is the access to Employment Specialists who can work in partnership with you and the participant to understand your business requirements whilst working to build the confidence and capability of the wider workforce, removing the onus from the business.

Size of business

Employers of all sizes already use Supported Employment schemes; the Employment Specialist can identify your workplace's specific needs and accommodate.

Sick leave

Studies show there is little to no difference between the amount of sick leave taken by employees on supported employment programmes versus those who are not. Any concerns can be shared with the Employment Specialist 
and solutions formulated.

Reasonable adjustments

Reasonable adjustments are changes an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone's disability.

They are a legal requirement for all employers, often cost very little and can improve efficiency. For example, providing flexible working patterns may allow an individual to work the hours they are most productive. 

They:

• are specific to an individual person
• can be for any disability (physical or mental health) including long term health conditions
• can cover any area of work

What is reasonable depends on each situation. The Employment Specialist will help Employers and Employees to identify and implement any adjustments. These are often of no or low cost and can be simple to set-up.

Reasonable adjustments examples:

1. Providing equipment, services or support

   Providing additional or adapted equipment like a chair or offering 1-1 support to help manage workload.

2. Changing someone's working arrangements

   Allowing someone to work from home or to change their working pattern.

3. Finding a different way to do something

   Introduce different training methods for different ways of learning or distribute tasks differently within a team.

4. Making changes to the workplace

   Providing an accessible parking space or changing the layout of an office space.

Register your interest

When you have registered your interest with us, an Employment Specialist will complete a job analysis to understand the tasks and attributes associated with the role to match to the profile of a Connect to Work participant.

Our Employment Specialist can walk you through the recruitment process, support with adjustments and guide your recruiting managers.

The Employment Specialist will also provide individually tailored support for your employee, support workplace culture and empower team members to provide natural support.

Register your interest to become a Connect to Work employer (opens in a new tab)

Contact us for more information

If you want more information or help then please contact us:

01437 776609

connect2work@pembrokeshire.gov.uk