Routes to Work – Pathways to Employment

Briefly describe the initiative/ project/service; please include your aims and objectives

Pathways to employment forum was created in June 2019 with the primary objective of ensuring more people with disabilities were employed by Tameside Hospital. Since its inception, the initiative has challenged traditional recruitment processes, developed and enhanced knowledge of employing people with disabilities, closed the disability employment gap that existed between people with disabilities applying for work with and being offered the position, there is now statistically no difference. Management have taken on board the advice and guidance we have given around enabling recruitment practices and adapted to suit the needs of the applicant making changes to the application process, such as creating videos regarding the regularly advertised roles, simplifying language and providing interview questions ahead of the interview, and submitting CVs instead of completing the lengthy online application. Additionally an entry level jobs bulletin is created on a weekly basis and shared with agencies who support disabled people

What are the key achievements?

Notably, it has supported 6 local residents to achieve paid employment with the hospital in the last calendar year, enabling the Hospital to be more reflective of the community it serves, and to become more disability confident.
These residents moving into paid employment have will likely have reduced the potential demand on services such as Adult Social Care and GP appointments as these people have reported a sense of purpose and belonging, preventing a further decline and improvement in wellbeing. These accomplishments underscore the initiative’s effectiveness in increasing the number of people, identifying as being disabled, in paid employment.
22 people have been supported into paid employment, 4 weeks later 81% of those remain in the same position. 

How Innovative is your initiative?

Routes to Work – Pathway to Employment, stands out for its innovative approach to working with a large organisation and changing the “way things are done”. The creative solutions implemented, such as alternative application methods, adjustments to interviews and plans to adapt the assessment methods, demonstrate a commitment to pushing boundaries and finding novel ways to address challenges such as recruitment and retention. 

What are the key learning points?

Key learning points are that changes do not happen overnight, it requires people who can authorise changes to be on board. Embracing this adaptability has seen the hospitals workforce enhance their knowledge around disability and neurodiversity, it has enabled them to embrace free support from the local authority and employ residents who want to work at the hospital who are loyal and hardworking..

Additional Comments

Comments from a hiring manager “Thank you for introducing resident, without which I would not have known of his situation. It has certainly changed my perception of how we recruit and hopefully we can work together again in giving people the chance’s that otherwise would not apply for employment. “