Inclusive employers
Employer information
ECL’s Inclusive Employment programme was launched in collaboration with Essex County Council in 2020 to support Essex-based adults with learning disabilities and/or autism, into paid employment.
What is Inclusive Employment?
Inclusive employment ensures that individuals can choose a job that suits them in a workplace where everyone belongs. It fosters environments where people with and without disabilities work together as equals, receive the necessary support to succeed, and are valued for their contributions. It also guarantees fair and equal pay for all employees, regardless of ability. When workplaces embrace inclusivity, everyone benefits.
According to the Office of National Statistics, 54.2% of disabled people were employed at the end of 2023, versus 82% of non-disabled people. The employment statistics worsen when the disability is related to severe/specific learning disabilities, autism, and epilepsy, with less than a third in employment.
ECL’s Inclusive Employment programme strives to increase the odds of successful employment outcomes by supporting both candidates and employers throughout the recruitment process and beyond.
Why is Inclusive Employment good for business?
Encouraging applications from disabled people can increase the number of high-quality applicants available, bring additional skills to the business, and create a workforce that reflects the diverse range of customers it serves and the community in which it is based, resulting in large savings or a competitive advantage.
Employing people with disabilities is often seen as a social cause—one best suited to organisations that are not-for-profit or in the public sector. However, The Harvard Business Review published a study in its July/August 2023 edition, which demonstrated that perception is a mistake—and more important, a missed opportunity. In many industries innovative companies are showing that the inclusion of people with disabilities can lead to real competitive advantage and long-term profitability.
How employing employees with disabilities builds competitive advantage: (source: Harvard Business Review, July/Aug 2023)
For instance, academics who study autism, notably Cambridge University’s Simon Baron-Cohen, have found strong links between autism and aptitude at tasks requiring attention to detail. Managers at the international IT consultancy Auticon, which offers quality assurance and testing, report that their autistic consultants are often especially adept at recognising patterns in large amounts of data. Moreover, they can often stay focused for unusually long periods of time, even when doing work that is routine and repetitive.
Working with disabled people fosters a more collaborative, rather than a competitive culture. For example, employees at the La Trappe brewery in the Netherlands, which hires people with disabilities for its production and hospitality teams, explained that having disabled colleagues made them realise the importance of helping one another out and being aware of one another’s needs and abilities. In addition, it let them see that it’s acceptable and even desirable to ask for help themselves. “It gives us something special in the workplace,” the former chief executive of the brewery, Thijs Thijssen, explained.
Customers are more likely to build longer term relationships with the company. The general attitude of the public toward a company becomes more positive and supportive if it employs people with disabilities, which down the line significantly enhances the inclination to purchase from it, become a long-term customer, and pay more for its offering.
It also makes a company more likely to be seen as an attractive employer for people without disabilities, so it makes good sense as a recruitment policy.
Perceived barriers often deter employers from hiring people with disabilities, but that means it’s easier for more-enlightened companies to snap up highly skilled people and the ECL Inclusive Employment team is here to support employers to overcome any barriers that exist.
How the Inclusive Employment team supports candidates to become great employees
The help of the Inclusive Employment team includes:
- CV writing, completing job applications, and interview preparation.
- Sourcing relevant training, volunteer, and work experience opportunities.
- Settling newly appointed employees into their roles; practising their journey to work, supporting with on-boarding paperwork, induction training.
- Providing on-the-job coaching and support to ensure the employee fully understands and is able to competently carry out their job.
- Providing a point of contact to both employers and employees to facilitate job sustainment and progression.
ECL has a dedicated Employer Engagement team who collaborate with Inclusive Employers across the Essex region.
The support they provide includes:
- Engaging potential employers to understand their recruitment needs and propose candidates who are a good job match.
- Providing guidance to employers on how to make reasonable adjustments and become disability confident. Advising on support available from government initiatives.
- Facilitating employer meetings and introductions for candidates.
- Hosting recruitment events and reverse job fayres whereby job seekers host the event and showcase their skills to potential employers.
- Raising awareness and sharing best practices amongst employers, local MPs, and external stakeholders.
The ECL Inclusive Employment team offer a skilled, experienced, and free resource to support your recruitment needs.
Our Inclusive Employers include:
Watch the story of the East of England Co-op
Inclusive Employment has really helped with our employee retention because we've got access to new people, with different capabilities, and diverse thinking. I think if you invest in people they pay you back in spades.
Watch the story of Hylands School
I think they have grown as a team with Maisie there. I don't think they have had to make many adjustments for her. They are the team that they've always been, but they’ve learned a lot about themselves by working with Maisie, who may need that little bit of extra support, a bit more structure, and strategies and tools to achieve things. They laugh, they joke, and Maisie just gets involved in the conversation. I think it's really done them good.
Watch the story of Perryfield Infant School
As a school committed to equality and by working in collaboration with ECL we have enabled Amy to gain employment, grow in confidence and self-belief. As a school, we are fully inclusive and by working together Amy has thrived in paid employment as part of our team. With ongoing high quality support Amy continues to succeed in her role and is hard working and enthusiastic.
Watch the story of a hiring manager at the East of England Co-op
You'll find that candidates from the ECL Inclusive Employment programme will be some of the best employees you've got.
Watch the story of The Lion Inn
Sarah is a great asset to our team. We have high standards at The Lion Inn, there is no variation in those standards for Sarah, and she doesn't disappoint! It helps to know that the ECL team is on hand if needed, they have been amazing.
Candidate information
Discover more about Inclusive Employment and how it can help you.
Candidate informationInclusive Employment
ECL's outstanding Inclusive Employment programme supports adults with learning disabilities and or Autism in Essex, to achieve their aspirations of paid employment.
Inclusive EmploymentEmployer FAQs
Frequently asked questions by prospective employers
Employer FAQs