Introduction
Access to Work recommendations provide tailored support for disabled employees or those with health conditions, helping them thrive in the workplace. You should act on the recommendations in the report to support and improve the wellbeing of your team member and to enable them to work more effectively and comfortably.
1: Review the form
You will receive a report with a summary of the outcome and recommendations from the Access to Work application. Take a look at this and familiarise yourself with the details before you meet your team member. The report will detail the level of funding awarded and any required contributions from your service area budget.
Your team member will receive the full report. You can ask them to share this with you but as it contains personal information, including medical information they don’t have to.
2: Discussion with team member
Book a discussion with your team member to:
- talk about their health concerns
- reassure them that you are there to support them
- agree a plan to put the Access to Work recommendations in place.
3: Action the recommendations
You are responsible for taking forward the recommendations outlined in the Access to Work report and helping to put the right support in place. The report will include details of when the funding will expire and how to claim back the funds for each recommendation.
However, there may be situations where not all recommendations can be implemented, for example, due to operational constraints or the nature of the role. If that’s the case, it’s important to discuss this with the employee and explore alternative solutions together and you will be expected to find a suitable alternative.
The guidance documents and points below will help you action the recommendations.
ASpecial aids and equipment
These can often be described as reasonable adjustments although some specific aids and equipment will be available through Access to Work funding. You should still apply for these via the:
- ICT customer portal
- through the Procure to Pay or Masterpiece system after browsing and finding any equipment on the Custom Business Equipment (CBE) website.
If you cannot find the required equipment on the Custom Business Equipment website, you can:
BTraining
Training can be a recommendation for your team member to support the implementation of new software or equipment that is rolled out across the council.
Your team member may be eligible for training for new equipment or software they are entitled to as part of Access to Work. For more information about training and to check what courses are available, you can:
CTravel to and from work
Funding could be provided for travel support to and from work or within work. Your team member is responsible for arranging their own travel with invoices raised to Access to Work to pay for a taxi directly, for example.
Travel within work may be partially covered by Access to Work but the council will be expected to cover a contribution. You’ll be asked to submit invoices to claim this.
DSupport worker or personal assistant
Support workers can be employed by your team member, the council or contracted via an agency. There may be safeguarding, employment and security issues to consider and therefore you should contact your HR business partner for advice on arranging this.
The Access to Work report will detail how much reimbursement is available.
EAdaptations to the premises
The recommendations may include adaptations to the premises or equipment such as:
- ramps for wheelchairs
- widening of doors
- disabled toilets
- computer upgrades.
To discuss these changes, you can:
FCommunication support at interview
If your team member has applied for the communication support part of Access to Work they maybe entitled to help with an upcoming job interview. You can then help your team member book the support, making sure you receive an invoice.
Payment can be claimed after the interview by post using the claim form provided, as long as the:
- invoice from the provider is submitted
- cost matches the cost you told Access to Work when you applied.
4: Consider other reasonable adjustments
Any reasonable adjustments will also be highlighted in the report you’ll receive but these won’t usually be covered by any grant allocated to an individual. You may have already implemented some of these changes prior to the Access to Work application.
5: Claim back Access to Work funds
The Access to Work funding will expire after a set period of time, which is detailed in the award and recommendation report. The council will initially need to pay for any items upfront and then you’ll need to claim back the funds from the grant awarded within the timeframe outlined.
The process for claiming back the funds depends on what has been awarded and will be detailed in the report provided. The report will also include any paper forms or links to electronic forms you need to complete to submit your claim. You should make sure any claim forms are completed in full to avoid any delays in reimbursement of the grant.
Staff member leaves
If your team member, who has received items through Access to Work, leaves the council, you should contact Access to Work initially for guidance.
The equipment purchased would be the property of the council. However if the full cost of the equipment has been covered by Access to Work, it may be appropriate to consider allowing the team member to keep the equipment to use in their new role.
If we shared the cost and part of the funding has been covered by the council, advice should be sought from the Access to Work case worker if the intention is to not allow your team member to keep the equipment.