Reasonable Adjustments

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Reasonable Adjustments

Contents

Visual and mobility impairment
Hearing impairment
Dyslexia
Repetitive Strain Injury
Diabetes
Epilepsy
Back Pain
Learning Disability
Process

Visual Impairment

BT

Trevor Peart, a business and continuity manager in procurement, experienced a detached retina in February 2006, which led to his vision impairment. Since then his line managers, right up to vice president level, have been incredibly supportive.

“BT kept in touch while I was off, and arranged a gradual return to work plan for me to ease me back into work gently. The support I’ve had from BT has been second to none,” says Trevor, whose line manager also assisted him with a flexible working solution.
“I now work from home, which cuts down on unnecessary travel, and adjustments have been made which enabled me to remain in my role. I have a large monitor, a task lamp and I use Zoomtext magnification screen reading software”.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

On joining a new team within SOCA a number of adjustments were put in place for an officer who was registered blind.

This included the following software:

JAWS (in conjunction with speakers and headphones), and in conjunction with a Braille display).
Open Book (in conjunction with a document scanner), to enable the officer to convert printed material into electronic documents that can be read by JAWS in a word processor.
Software to magnify the text on the screen, to enable the officer to make use of their remaining residual vision.

The officer has also been provided with a full time PA. This PA is shared between the blind officer and one other member of the team, on the understanding that the officer's work takes priority in the event of a conflict. The PA also fills any down-time by acting as office manager and undertaking a range of administrative functions for the team as a whole.

As well as this the officer also has access to a designated outdoor area, which was free from pedestrian or vehicular traffic, was quiet and clean, for the officer's guide dog to relieve itself. The officer also has a separate office which is big enough to enable the guide dog to walk freely, rather than being confined in a single spot, and to provide room for it to lie down in a corner.

SOCA is flexible about hours of work to enable the officer to avoid the worst excesses of rush hour travel; paying for reasonable taxi use when travelling on official business or to/from work in exceptional circumstances e.g. where public transport is seriously disrupted.

As a result of the reasonable adjustments provided, the officer performs his role effectively as an equal member of his team.

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Visual and mobility impairment

BBC

Jane suffers from blurred vision, loss of vision in one eye, head shakiness, headaches, and sensitivity to light.

Jane increasingly had difficulties in viewing documents on screen, performing cut and paste tasks and typing for any period of time.

She was assessed by Capita HD direct who arranged for an assessment by a company called TintaVision. They identified that she needed her screen colour changing and setting up to display larger text. They also provided dark paper for the printer; these changes were completed within a few weeks and she has since had a further two assessments over two years.

When the situation deteriorated she was provided with screen reading software JAWS. Access to work provided Zoomtext and Dragon.

In addition Jane has problems with fine motor skills which have deteriorated and started affecting her ability to write and to grip objects. She could initially walk independently with a walking stick, however, soon afterwards was unable to put any weight on to her legs. As well as providing the software, Access to Work provided funds for a mobility scooter which enabled greater independence.

Jane says: “I can now perform all aspects of my job including training the BBC call centre staff in Belfast and Glasgow. I am also able to process data much faster by voice than I ever could by hand”.

“With the adjustments that have been put in place, there are no barriers to my performance and all the feedback I have received from my managers is very positive.”

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Hearing impairment

Luton and Dunstable NHS Foundation Trust

A new recruit applying for a clerical post, advised us of a hearing impairment requiring two hearing aids. Previous history determined that no further adjustments had been required at previous work places. However, once employment commenced the staff member began experiencing difficulties communicating with colleagues and teleconferencing during meetings.

Advice from Access to Work was sought, which provided a work-based assessment. The overarching issue appeared to be the acoustics of the building with intermittent noise distracting the hearing of the staff member – this was solved by repositioning the post holder’s desk to enable face to face communication. Teleconferencing was solved by the purchase of a digital phone with a coupler.

The member of staff is now successfully carrying out the duties of the post.

As a result of this we were able to demonstrate partnership working between departments and Access to Work, gaining much learning from the situation to be better informed for the future.

Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency

I have been in the Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) since 1975 and was a motorcyclist from 1978-2006. During my career I have attended regular 9mm pistol ranges and have worn motorcycle helmets, which were connected to the radio system. This I think contributed to my premature hearing loss, as it was only in recent years that more importance has been placed on hearing protection.

The police federation accepted my request for some form of help with my hearing loss and I was subsequently compensated by the MOD who accepted liability for the hearing impairment. I applied for digital hearing aids through the Access to Work scheme and was eventually supplied with them.

Although I am now a local intelligence officer and no longer a motorcyclist I have found the digital aids a significant benefit both at work and at home.

I shall always be grateful to the MOD for funding these aids which at the time were about £2,500 each, they have enabled me to carry on with my career and because of the advance in technology most people are not even aware I am wearing them. At least two other officers at my station have now been supplied with digital aids as a result of this scheme.

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Dyslexia

Cabinet office

An individual had worked in the department for a few years in various administrative jobs, but had always felt uncomfortable with written work. They themselves had wondered whether they might have dyslexia and their line manager encouraged them to seek further advice.

The individual approached HR and met with the Disabled Persons Officer (DPO) to discuss more about dyslexia. The individual used some recommended online dyslexia resources to find out more, and when the online tests confirmed that some of their experiences might indicate dyslexia, the individual and DPO agreed that a formal assessment by a trained psychologist would be the next step.

The report from this assessment recommended a number of adjustments. These included tuition by a specialist dyslexia tutor who would look at the job and strategies the employee could use, software (TextHelp, Mindmapping and a ruler software – and training with a specialist tutor to use effectively), and a briefing for team members to better understand dyslexia.

The individual began to benefit immensely from the tuition. They realised that it was not that they could not work effectively, but that they worked differently because of the dyslexia, and that they needed to receive information and work in a way that best suited them and their skills.

We checked with the tutors about the individual’s progress, and tuition ended after six months, by mutual agreement of the individual and the tutor.

The business benefited because we have a more confident and motivated member of staff who wants to learn and improve their skills at work. Their sickness absence reduced. The managers better understand dyslexia and will hopefully have the confidence and skills to help other members of staff if needed in the future. We also hold occasional general information sessions about dyslexia open to anyone in the department.

Derbyshire Constabulary

An individual within the constabulary was struggling with written work especially in terms of structure and writing thoughts clearly. Traits of dyslexia were identified and an assessment was undertaken.

As the employee was also studying, the assessment was paid for by her higher education student services. On receipt of the report, recommendations made were implemented in the workplace. These include looking into purchasing ‘mind map’ software and one to one lessons with Dyslexia Action, Derby, to help her structure and write up reports.

The impact of this was increased confidence of the employee, particularly knowing there was a reason behind the difficulties they were experiencing, confidence to fulfil the functions of their role more efficiently and increased productivity.

The individual says: “This has made a significant difference to my working environment. I feel far more comfortable in my role. Just knowing there was a reason for the barriers I was experiencing has helped enormously. The support from my line manager has also been great.”

The Victoria and Albert Museum

Employee B is a technician involved in the movement, display, installation and cleaning of fine art objects. His role also entails compiling written and technical information into method statements and reports using a PC and accessing/amending computerised records. Over a period of time it became apparent that Employee B was experiencing some difficulty in undertaking the administrative dimensions of his role, but it was only during a departmental restructure that he finally felt able to discuss his difficulties. The V&A was keen to assist him in every way we could as he had an enormous amount of experience and technical expertise that we did not want to lose.

A partnership approach was adopted involving Employee B, his line managers and HR. Firstly, he was referred for an educational consultation at a local dyslexia teaching centre. Tests and interviews established the areas affected by his dyslexia, following which we arranged for him to have special tuition at the centre to improve his writing skills. Although this tuition took place at weekends over a period of a year, we supported him with paid time off and funded the course until he had reached a point where he was able to manage his condition without the help of a tutor.

The disability employment adviser helped us to explore what other adjustments could be made to his role, including the provision of a support worker to provide assistance with administration for three hours per week while an assessment was undertaken by a specialist IT company. Speech recognition software was subsequently recommended and funded by Access to Work. Employee B was also able to use the V&A’s Welfare Advisory Service for personal support while the practical adjustments were organised.

The tuition means that day-to-day written work can be produced without using any additional assistance. When more formal documents are needed the speech recognition software allows Employee B to efficiently produce written work that is at least equal to his peers. The benefits felt by Employee B are a greater feeling of inclusion and of being a more highly valued member of the team.

As part of the performance management process the adjustments that have been implemented are reviewed to make sure that they are still appropriate and meeting the needs of Employee B. In addition the speech recognition software has been upgraded in line with the museum’s IT upgrades.

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Repetitive Strain Injury

PricewaterhouseCoopers

An employee had been suffering from repetitive strain injury of the wrist for a period of time which resulted in several significant absences from work. She was referred to occupational health and one of the recommendations was that voice recognition software, Dragon NaturallySpeaking, be supplied to her.

The request was immediately forwarded to our UK IT team and the software was ordered and installed on the individual’s PC within days. Two half day training sessions were provided by certified Dragon Trainers at the individual’s office location.

With the installation of this voice recognition system the individual was able to return to work full time and has been able to increase her productivity.

Department for Communities and Local Government

A policy adviser informed HR that they had been diagnosed by a medical assessor as having RSI. They had continuous pain in the wrists and upper limb when using keyboard. HR informed health and safety who sent an adviser to visit and assess the individual in their working environment.

HR also referred the individual to AbilityNet for a workplace assessment to determine appropriate reasonable adjustments. Within a week AbilityNet agreed a suitable date with the member of staff to carry out the assessment.

Following assessment by both the health and safety adviser and AbilityNet, a report making recommendations of reasonable adjustments was made and discussed with the individual.

The following items were then provided as reasonable adjustments; assistive technology software to facilitate speech to type, an ergonomic mouse and an ergonomic keyboard to mitigate any further discomfort.

The level of staff sickness absence reduced and the team was able to meet their target. Furthermore a review made after six months indicated that the individual is happy with the reasonable adjustments provided.

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Diabetes

Leicestershire Constabulary

A newly diagnosed insulin dependant diabetic police officer was referred to the Occupational Health Unit by their HR Officer. During the consultation all aspects of the condition that may have impacted on their police officer work was discussed. The discussion included practical considerations such as storage of their insulin at the correct temperature, while at work. As a result of the consultation a fridge was supplied by the force to enable the insulin to be stored appropriately.

Other reasonable adjustments were made to the role including an agreed reduction in working hours for a period of time until the officer’s insulin dosage had been adjusted appropriately to allow for a reduction in symptoms.

Consideration was given to ensure that the officer received support but was not treated differently where appropriate. An example of this was in relation to overtime. Once the officer was well enough to undertake full hours, a specific area of the risk assessment covered the issue of overtime. A control measure was that the officer could be offered unscheduled overtime, but there should be no expectation that this would be worked, i.e. they were to be given the same opportunities as their colleagues but it remained the officer’s choice whether to work the overtime, dependant on their health at the time of the request.

The officer was provided with specialist dietetic advice funded via the force, to enable them to understand the correlation between various food groups and blood sugar levels, thereby assisting their overall control. Finally they were given disability leave to attend two diabetic courses.

Julie Pitts Occupational Health Nurse manager: “It can be a very frightening situation for an officer when diagnosed with diabetes. They often have concerns regarding the potential impact on their career and can sometimes fear that they may be ill heath retired. Occupational Health Staff can do much to reassure the officer during this difficult time and support them to remain at work. It is important to focus on what the officer can do and to explain to both officer and their line manager regarding reasonable adjustments, many of which may be temporary, until the condition becomes stabilised.”

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Epilepsy

Derbyshire Constabulary

Lisa, who has epilepsy, was successfully recruited to the Criminal Justice Department. As well as epilepsy she had difficulty walking and severely restricted movement in one of her hands, the result of a stroke shortly after birth. It was clear that a number adjustments would be needed in order to assist Lisa in her role.

Due to the limited use of her hand and her restricted mobility, the filing of large files needed to be discounted from Lisa’s daily tasks. Lisa was encouraged to carry out some of the filing, but only of those files that she was comfortable with. The use of steps was not suitable and this ruled out any filing at the upper level. A ‘hands free’ answering kit was also obtained as telephony was an important aspect of her job.

In addition Lisa informed the department that a physiotherapist from the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary could visit the workplace and advise on any further adjustments. This was duly arranged and led to a higher wrist rest being obtained in order to avoid possible strain.

Staff were also instructed on what to do should an epileptic seizure occur while Lisa was at work. A person trained in first aid demonstrated the necessary action to be taken by all staff. Guidance was also provided by email and included in pamphlets which were given out to staff.

A flexi-time policy is operated within Derbyshire Constabulary covering the hours of 8am to 6pm. Although sometimes inconvenient, care was taken to ensure that Lisa did not work on her own.

Evacuation drills have also been taken into consideration. Staff were informed of the importance in ensuing Lisa was escorted down the stairs and safely out of the building. In these instances Lisa was accompanied by two members of staff in case of a seizure for someone to be able to stay with her while the other person went for assistance.

The adjustments that were made helped Lisa to be able to perform the majority of the duties within her role and they also helped demonstrate the importance and value of teamwork within the work environment.

Department for Communities and Local Government

A new Finance Officer was diagnosed with late onset epilepsy and was put on medication by her GP. The effects of the medication slightly affected her concentration and memory on a day to day basis. This has also led to a more serious effect especially when on training courses as she started to have severe panic attacks when in large class situations.

The individual contacted HR to ask if a one to one training session could be arranged with the trainer as she felt uncomfortable in a large class. HR arranged a meeting with staff that same day to discuss the issue and agreed to contact the trainer to request a one to one training session in a private room.

An anti-glare screen was provided to reduce the impact of the computer screen, which could trigger an attack. Regular breaks during the training were also agreed. Facilities were asked to ensure that the lighting in the room was suitable and a first-aider was also made aware of the situation in case of an attack.

Following the delivery of tailor-made training, HR also arranged for the individual to be provided with similar reasonable adjustments at the workstation which has helped reduce attacks. The individual has also voluntarily shared with their team the issue relating to the disability and this has helped them feel more relaxed about the effects of the condition. The disclosure has also helped the team to have a better understanding of the condition and team members have been more confident in their support.

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Back Pain

Canary Wharf Group plc

A member of our maintenance engineering staff was involved in a motor vehicle accident which resulted in him being off work for an extended period of time with a serious back injury. Upon his return to work a risk assessment was carried out and the following reasonable adjustments were made to facilitate his return to work:

Reduced working hours.
Frequent breaks away from the work environment.
Work station assessment carried out and special chair provided.
Special equipment provided to assist with manual handling tasks which
are limited to small objects only.
Special shoes with slip resistant soles provided.
Prohibited from doing any work at heights especially any work requiring
the use of ladders.
Fire marshals appointed to accompany him from building should an
evacuation occur.
Lone working prohibited.

The adjustments have had a morale boosting effect on this employee. They have enabled him to return to work, in a limited but productive role, making him feel useful again and improving his self esteem. His recovery from this injury is slow but his return to work has improved his outlook on life which is having a positive effect on his recovery.

Luton and Dunstable NHS Foundation Trust

A staff member employed within imaging was assessed as having pain in the upper back.

To support the staff member in carrying out imaging duties an ergonomic risk assessment was undertaken by Occupational Health to determine whether changes could be made to the environment. This was key, particularly as one of the treatment rooms was small in size and the amount of equipment in the area had increased over time.

The assessment identified various changes that could be made to equipment positions to reduce the twisting and ducking the individual (and team) would have to do. Cost was minimal and of benefit to all staff (eg: purchase of extension flex).

Lighter leaded aprons in two pieces were trialled and purchased. These allowed for easier movement and removed weight from the shoulders.

The staff member with back pain was able to continue working in the same position while all staff benefited from the movement of equipment within the imaging room.

All staff have benefited from lighter aprons, as they are easier to move in and can be worn for extended periods of time. Staff moral has also increased as they were involved in the process.

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Learning Disability

Intercontinental Hotels Group

William came to us through a disability recruitment open day which was held in the hotel. He was offered a place on a pre-employment course to help prepare him for employment, and this was continued with a six week work placement. William applied for the vacancy of linen porter and secured full time employment.

Throughout the induction and training process the team manager was aware of William’s learning disability and concentration difficulties. The manager delivered and co-ordinated his training in an appropriate time scale according to William’s needs and the needs of the business. During this initial period William did very well, in fact his enthusiasm and willingness to help his colleagues earned him department employee of the month during his induction period. However after about six months we started to identify some changes, both in William’s work performance and in the stock take results of the laundry.

On investigations and several job chats with William his manager realised he was having difficulties coping with things like stock sheets and was inconsistent in completion of daily procedures.

His manager firstly involved the HR officer who contacted Remploy for support and advice. Someone from Remploy came in and shadowed William and the other two linen porters for a couple of days and then gave recommendations.

These recommendations involved:

Developing new stock sheets in larger print and different shadings, also restructuring them in a more logical manner making them more user friendly for the porters to complete.
Implementing new procedure of counting and recording on receipt of delivery of clean linen.
Developing and implemented new forms for staff use for uniform cleaning.
Changing laundry department shift times, making the shift times staggered and each porter taking turns in doing the opening and closing procedures.

The impacts of these adjustments have led to the following results:

Better stock control, consistent good results.
More confident porters, taking ownership having been retrained in new procedures and understanding the benefits to them and to the business.
Tasks done in a timely basis, new shift pattern successful, less tiring, no one feeling under pressure.

Johann Stevenson, housekeeping manager, says it has made a significant difference to William; he has gained confidence in himself and feels more in control over his work. It has also benefited the department which is much more effective than it was before the changes were put in place.

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Process

Lloyds TSB

Making reasonable adjustments can be a complex process that involves several stakeholders. We wrote our seven step guide within our disability policy to provide greater clarity for line managers and staff on accountabilities and the order of events.

The following is a step-by-step guide to the reasonable adjustment process.

Step 1

Line manager contacts the HR Call Centre (HRCC) to start the process. The HRCC logs the call and ensures that all relevant internal procedures have been followed. If a referral is agreed the HRCC asks the line manager to complete an on-line referral form.

Step 2

The line manager completes the referral form which is designed to gather relevant information about the employee’s disability related employment issues. It is important that Health & Safety risk assessments are carried out, where appropriate, and that all sections of the form are completed. The line manager sends the form directly to Lloyds TSB’s employee health consultants.

Step 3

The consultancy will contact the line manager within 48 hours of receiving the referral to discuss the case and agree an action plan. The consultancy will work with all parties concerned until the issues are resolved and the case can be closed.

Step 4

The agreed action plan may suggest one or more of the following:

The consultancy will advise the line manager how to contact the local Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) to request support. The DEA works directly with the disabled client and it is therefore usual for them to liaise directly with that individual, rather than with line management or HR.
If necessary the consultancy, or the DEA, suggest that an Occupational Health Assessment is carried out. This type of assessment is carried out by an external specialist and therefore will only be progressed when authorisation and agreement to meet the costs has been given by the local cost centre.
The consultancy suggests and arranges alternative specialist involvement.

Note: The consultancy is there to help with the process but does not implement any recommendations, e.g. purchasing equipment, carrying out occupational health assessments. It is important that the line manager manages the individual’s needs and keeps the consultancy informed.

Step 5

The assessments are carried out and recommendations for action are given by the assessors. If no adjustments can be made or the individual is unable to continue in their role after all recommended reasonable adjustments have been implemented, the consultancy may recommend to line management, the HR Call Centre and the business HR representatives, that re-deployment is considered. See ‘Redeployment as a reasonable adjustment’.

If the individual is able to work, but prevented from doing so because the required adjustment is essential for them to undertake their role, then the consultancy may recommend a period of reasonable adjustment absence until the adjustment has been obtained. This would be on full pay. (People, Policies and Practice Section 1.28a and HR Operational Guidelines Section 1.10a Reasonable adjustment absence).

Step 6

The consultancy will keep in touch with the line manager until an outcome, satisfactory to all parties, has been reached. During this period, they will be available to provide advice and assistance to any of the parties involved.

Step 7

Because an individual’s condition/impairment may alter over time, the line manager must undertake a review of the individual work arrangements at regular, agreed intervals, not less than once a year. A review should also be undertaken if the role changes, or if the individual feels further adjustments may be needed. The line manager also needs to ensure that the equipment and/or adjustment is being regularly and properly used by the individual.

Disability Standard

Reasonable Adjustments