Inclusive Employers Week Scotland | 13 - 17 November 2023

The Disability Confident scheme helps us make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to the workplace and to put steps in place to better support our people by:

• Changing attitudes and increasing our understanding of disability.
• Drawing from the widest possible pool of talent.
• Securing and retaining high-quality employees who are skilled, loyal, and hard working.
• Improving employee morale and community engagement by demonstrating fair and equitable treatment to create an inclusive workplace.

We are committed to promoting inclusion of disabled people which is why we are inviting you to join the Scottish Union of Supported Employment (SUSE) to celebrate the very first Inclusive Employers Week Scotland.

From 13–17 November, SUSE are hosting a series of bitesize online Information Sessions and Training to help employers recruit and retain disabled talent.

Take a look below at some of the sessions on offer or select the link for the full list and to how to register: Find out more about the sessions on offer and register now. All sessions will be 1 hour and held online via Microsoft Teams.

Monday 13 November:

• Understanding Arthritis in Work – 11.30am
  Versus Arthritis will help you develop a comprehensive understanding of arthritis and musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions and their impact in the workplace. Learn effective management strategies to support employees and promote a healthy work environment.

Tuesday 14 November:

• An Introduction to Modern Apprenticeships for Employers – 10.00am
  Join Skills Development Scotland (SDS) in this session for employers on Scottish Apprenticeships. Find out about the training and in work support to ensure apprenticeships succeed. Information will focus on Foundation, Modern and Graduate Apprenticeships.
• Supported Employment and its Role in the Workplace - 11.30am
  The session will look at the business case for equality and diversity in the workplace. It will discuss how engaging with local employability networks can assist employers to access funding, adjusting your recruitment practice can draw and keep a pool of untapped talent, and how retention support and developing wellness plans can help your existing employees. You will also hear Supported Employment success stories.
• Leading By Example - 1.00pm
  At Values Into Action Scotland (VIAS), our mission is providing quality support and services to create a world that is inclusive for all. The best way to achieve this is to listen to people with lived experience. Our work is greatly enriched by having a diverse workforce whose experience we draw on when designing our services. Come along to this workshop to hear what we have learnt in our diversity journey so far.

Wednesday 15 November:

• Access to Work for Employers – 10.00am
  This awareness session will provide an in-depth overview of Access to Work. During the session we cover detail about what Access to Work is, what support it can provide to customers and the eligibility criteria. DWP will be joined by a colleague from the Mental Health Support Service, who will provide insight into that specific aspect of Access to Work support. The session also covers the Access to Work application process, reporting changes of circumstance and disputing an award decision. Within the session there are case studies of how Access to Work can support people to enable them to remain in or move closer to work, and there is the opportunity for Q&A at the end of the session.

Thursday 16 November:

• Person Centred Approach to Employment – 11.30am
  Work Connect supports people living with mental ill health, learning disabilities, autism and in recovery from addiction. Through a Person Centred Approach to Employment, Work Connect provides clients with employability support, peer support and mentorship including access to meaningful activity and sector specific training. Find out how these services can support recruitment for your business.
• Mental Health Stigma in the Workplace – 2.30pm
  To remove stigmatising cultures and prevent discriminatory behaviours, there are a number of things you need to have in place. These are all achievable, and many of them will already exist in your organisation. Through the work See Me undertake with employers, employees and people with experience of struggling with their mental health at work, they have come up with the three key elements to tackling stigma and discrimination at work. We will look at these during this session and show you how to reduce the stigma of mental health issues in your organisation.

Friday 17 November:

• Age Inclusion Awareness – 10.00am
  Develop your knowledge and understanding of ageism and how it can manifest in the workplace. Learn how to champion age at work and challenge ageism within your team at this session delivered by Age Scotland.

Find out more about the sessions on offer and register now.

We hope that you will join us in celebrating Inclusive Employers Week Scotland 2023.