Advertising for disabled candidates

Plymouth Teaching Primary Care Trust (www.plymouthpct.nhs.uk) uses a range of outlets to advertise its vacancies, including the Routeways one-stop job shop for disabled people, Plymouth Disability Action Network and Sun International, a network for people with mental health issues. All the trust’s  advertisements include an equal opportunities statement and the ‘two ticks’ symbol.

Through encouraging disabled people to volunteer at a coffee shop at its local care centre, the trust is helping service users maximise their potential and the opportunities offer “a stepping stone into paid employment”. It was highly commended by south west based disability and employment specialist PLUSS in its Employer of the Year 2006 competition.
 
The impact has “built the confidence of disabled people, increased our recruitment for disabled people, and is helping us to become an employer of choice”.

Monitoring staff and disabilities

The PCT has introduced a new electronic staff record system.  Disability is recorded from the voluntary declaration staff provide when filling in their application form.
The purpose of this data collection is to monitor whether the PCT’s jobs and development opportunities are equally open to disabled people and that the PCT makes reasonable adjustments to facilitate employment for both new disabled employees and newly disabled existing employees.  Monitoring enables us to:

• identify any differences in training offered,
• ensure we do not discriminate whilst applying grievance disciplinary or poor performance procedures, and
• separate absence due to disability relating to long-term illness classed as disability from absence due to general sickness.

In terms of staff, we have to monitor applicants during recruitment and selection, and staff in the following areas: training, development, performance reviews, workplace benefits and facilities, harassment, discrimination, grievances, disciplinary action, redundancies, resignations, dismissals, and end of fixed term contracts. 

The data gathered from monitoring will be analysed, and any differentials in these areas between disabled and non-disabled staff; investigate the reasons for them; and take action to remedy them.  There are measures outlined in the DES action plan to improve monitoring.  

The Trust Board will have responsibility and ownership of the DES and action plan and have given a firm commitment to the promotion of disability equality and the removal of barriers that cause disability. The aim is to mainstream disability equality by building it into the way we work wherever relevant.