What is Disability Confident?
Disability Confident Scheme is a government programme to encourage all employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with health conditions. It replaced the previous Two Ticks positive about Disabled People Scheme. Your company considers the widest possible pool of talent with unique skills that add value to your business.
What are the Different Levels of the Disability Confident Scheme?
Description & Examples of what each of the three levels includes
Level 1. Disability Confident Committed – must agree to the Disability Confident
Commitments and identify at least one action that you will carry out to make a difference for disabled people
The commitments are:
- Inclusive and accessible recruitment
- Communicating vacancies
- Offering an interview to disabled people
- Providing reasonable adjustments
- Supporting existing employees
The activities include (you must identify at least one):
- Work experience
- Work trials
- Paid employment
- Apprenticeships
- Job shadowing
- Traineeships
- Internships
- Student placements
- Sector-based work academy placements
Your businesses may be doing these things already. If so the scheme is a great way of letting everyone know that you’re serious about equal opportunities for disabled people.
For companies and businesses that sign up as Disability Confident Committed you will receive:
- Confirmation of your membership and a Disability Confident Certificate in recognition of your achievement
- A Disability Confident Committed (level1) badge that you can uses on your business stationery, social media and communication for 3 years
- Information to help you continue your journey to becoming a Disability Confident Employer
To sign up to become Disability Confident Committed – www.disabilityconfident.dwp.gov.uk
Level 2. Disability Confident Employer – once you have signed up for level 1 you can progress to level 2, a Disability Confident Employer, by self-assessing your organisation around 2 themes:
- Getting the right people for your business
- Keeping and developing your people
Disability Confident Employers are recognised as going the extra mile to make sure disabled people get a fair chance.
Having confirmed you have completed your online self-assessment, you’ll receive:
- Confirmation of the completion of your self-assessment to become a Disability Confident Employer
- A certificate in recognition of your achievement
- A Disability Confident Employer (level 2) badge that you can use on your business stationery, social media, and communications for 3 years
- Information on how to become a Disability Confident Leader
Confirm the completion of your self-assessment to become a Disability Confident Employer – www.disabilityconfident.dwp.gov.uk
Level 3. Disability Confident Leader – by becoming a Disability Confident Leader, you’ll be acting as a champion within your local and business communities.
To reach this level you will need to:
- Have your self-assessment validated by someone outside of your business (not including DWP employees in job centres
- Provide a short narrative to show what you have done or will be doing to support your status as a Disability Confident Leader
- Confirm you are employing disabled people
- Report on disability, mental health, and wellbeing, by referring to Voluntary Reporting Framework https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/voluntary-reporting-on-disability-mental-health-and-wellbeing/voluntary-reporting-on-disability-mental-health-and-wellbeing-a-framework-to-support-employers-to-voluntarily-report-on-disability-mental-health-an
Once you’re recognised as a Disability Confident Leader you’ll be sent:
- Confirmation of the completion and validation of your self-assessment to become a Disability Confident Leader
- A certificate in recognition of your achievement
- A Disability Confident Leader (level 3) badge that you can use on your business stationery, social media, and communications for 3 years
To confirm the completion and validation of your self-assessment to become a Disability Confident Leader – www.disabilityconfident.dwp.gov.uk
How Your Business Can Improve by Being Involved with Disability Confident
Draw from the widest possible pool of talent. Secure the highest quality staff skilled, loyal, and hardworking-improve employee morale and commitment by demonstrating that you treat all employees fairly.
Why is the Disability Confident Scheme Important for Employee’s?
It demonstrates a reasonable level of support/assistance and adjustment wherever necessary to help people get the most out of their time as an employee. It means that all strengths and abilities are considered for each position and role within the organisation, business or company with a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process in progressing to a more senior level and in support of a diverse and able workforce to deliver teams bringing potentially unique & exceptional results. The following website offers further support for employees https://www.gov.uk/recruitment-disabled-people
How Can Kaleidoscope Group & The Kaleidoscope Foundation assist with Disability Confident
At Kaleidoscope.Group We work with companies and businesses that are level 1, level 2 and level 3 through validation and endorsement of their certification and have a consistent embracing approach to disabled talent and ambition. Within Kaleidoscope Group we have different divisions that support Companies and disabled talent in recruitment, employment, advisory and mentoring of talent for the best opportunities to empower ambition that is most suitable and appropriate for the role.
How being Neurodiverse or suffering with Long Covid is embraced by Disability Confident
Helping companies recruit and retain disabled people, who have great talent. Neurodiversity, autism, ambition and talent: the idea behind Neurodiversity is that conditions such as autism should be seen not as disabilities, but as perfectly normal neurological differences between people. Neurodiverse conditions include ADHD, Autism, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia and Tourette’s syndrome. Life inside and outside the workplace is hugely diverse and we are all unique with our own experiences and contributions through our attributes and abilities, that shape how we work and get things done. Our differences are the reason great things happen in life and in the workplace. We should celebrate the strengths that diversity can bring, and the best teams should be proactive in support. Neurodiversity is only one form of diversity in the work place, and it make require extra support in the work place and at home.
At Kaleidoscope Group, we offer expert training, knowledge and guidance on all things disability. From Kaleidoscope Recruitment for employers and employees to Kaleidoscope Advisory for a company-wide review assessing policies, practices, recruitment and hiring processes, leadership, monitoring, engagement and physical / environmental accessibility. Along with Kaleidoscope Investments in which we help grow disabled entrepreneurs and businesses originating from a disabled person. Contact us today with any questions you have.