1. Our history and our future
Liz Sayce
Disabled People Leading Change

2. Disabled People Leading Change
Anniversaries
Disability Discrimination Act 2005
Disabled People Leading Change

3. Bringing equality into health sector
Dept. of Health 2002: Guidance on Employing People with Mental Health Problems. ‘The 2 year rule shall not be used’; treat workers with mental health problems with equality, respect Survey by DRC/DH found access and adjustments were viewed as physical. Prompted Guides (2004)
Disabled People Leading Change

4. Disabled People Leading Change
About DR UK
We are disabled people leading change
Working for equal participation for all
3 priorities:
Independent living – getting a life
Career opportunities – getting skills, education and work
Influencing public attitudes and behaviours
Disabled People Leading Change

5. In health & social support
These objectives come together:
Five Year Forward View: Long-term health conditions take up 70% of NHS budget - and many people want to be more informed and involved in their own care (so NHS is about principles of independent living)
And challenging traditional divide between ‘patients’ and professionals. What better way than having a staff reflective of the 70%? Lived experience of disability/health conditions is particular asset in NHS
More health professionals/staff with lived experience will change attitudes
Disabled People Leading Change

6. Disabled People Leading Change
Cultural shift
Atul Gawande, Being Mortal: change medicine from a focus on cure to supporting people who can’t be ‘cured’ to do what is most important to them
Time to Change evaluation shows discrimination in some life domains is declining – but from health services it persists. Now senior professionals with lived experience are speaking out
When staff with lived experience of health conditions/impairments can be open it improves service culture, productivity, well-being, economic participation – and turns services from (sometimes) sites of discrimination to champions of full participation
Disabled People Leading Change

7. Disabled People Leading Change
Opportunities
Mutual learning: how and why employing disabled people has worked well The need to retain – and an ageing workforce The need to recruit: eg 486,000 new apprenticeships expected in public sector by 2020, many in NHS: how many will be disabled people? New pledge to employ people with learning disabilities Government commitment to halve the disability employment gap. New Work and Health Unit. 25,000 more Access to Work users by 2020 Expected new Disability Equality Standard
Disabled People Leading Change

8. Disabled People Leading Change
Future policy context
House of Lords 2016 report on Equality Act and Disability recommends:
strengthening public sector equality duty. Currently a public authority can ‘make no progress’ towards aims of the general duty and still be compliant.
under specific duties, require listed organisations to develop and implement action plan, across all functions
strengthening enforcement: power of Tribunals to make wider recommendations; review fees for Tribunals
Disabled People Leading Change

9. Disabled People Leading Change
Challenges
DR UK survey >900 NHS staff found 53% disabled staff had good experiences: supportive managers, HR But 41% found career progression affected. [Generally disabled people in work earn on average 90p per hour less than non-disabled people (EHRC 2015); and are less likely to be in high or intermediary jobs - 48% surveyed by ONS 2015, compared to 60% non-disabled] 2.6% of NHS workforce states a disability; DR UK survey found 16% disabled staff not open, often out of fear Some reported refusal of workplace adjustments (sometime impacting on productivity); bullying (sometimes unresolved)
Disabled People Leading Change

10. Disabled People Leading Change
Where next?
Recruitment: work experience (beyond making tea); flexible apprenticeships and traineeships. Going into schools, influencing careers advisors to understand disabled people’s capabilities AND health careers of the future ….. Retention and progression. Smooth process for adjustments, passports. No ‘norms’ for seniority How will you help create a culture where lived experience is an asset, where people feel confident to be open? Where bullying and harassment are genuinely not accepted? Who are the leaders? Will you publish data transparently – and incentivise supply chains to adopt good practice?
Disabled People Leading Change

11. Disabled People Leading Change
How can DR UK help?
Disabled People Leading Change

12. Sharing stories and knowledge
Disabled People Leading Change

13. Good practice and advice
Research, training, advice: eg study on barriers to seniority for disabled civil servants – identifying talent pools, passporting adjustments DR UK planning Disability and Skills Unit to share good practice eg video examples from colleges, webinars, learning sets; and stimulate peer support amongst people with lived experience Strategic Partner to Dept of Health, NHS England, Public Health England Get back to where we do belong – new guide to skills to keep or get back to work
Disabled People Leading Change

14. Disabled People Leading Change
As more people with lived experience work at all levels in the NHS, so public and employee confidence builds – in both the service and the workplace. A virtuous circle
Disabled People Leading Change