Disability (including Learning Disability)
WUTH is committed to supporting staff and patients with a disability or long-term health condition and has signed up to the Government’s Disability Confident Scheme. Further details for the scheme can be found on the links provided.
WUTH is committed to ensuring staff with disabilities and long-term conditions thrive at work and have fair and equal treatment as a patient, service user and as a member of staff. WUTH seeks to ensure reasonable adjustments are in place where necessary and to understand actions needed to improve experiences and advance opportunities for all.
Support available - Internally
WUTH Sunflowers - Staff network
The Trust has a staff network group (WUTH Sunflowers) that meet on a regular basis to understand staff experiences and offer support and to share ideas for improvement. Feedback from network members continues to be invaluable in shaping development of Trust policies and processes.
The group would be delighted to welcome any new members and co-chairs can be contacted via wuth.sunflowers@nhs.net or via the Staff Networks link on the left-hand side of this page.
Additional Internal Support
In addition to the staff network, a table of support options is available in the documents section below.
A range of documents are also accessible in the documents section including:
- WUTH information leaflet
- Flowcharts to support understanding of key processes and information
- Reasonable adjustments planning form
- Personal Emergency Evacuation Planning form
These are also contained within the Trust’s disability policy by clicking here.
Staff can also have a disability / health passport, which would contain details of their long-term condition(s)/ disability and any reasonable adjustments or support needed. Once developed, this can be retained and updated throughout working life. More details can be found here, with guidance for managers contained within the documents below.
A monthly drop-in support session is available on the last Friday of every month via Microsoft Teams at 2.45pm. Click here to Join the meeting now or use Meeting ID: 322 824 209 917 7 and Passcode: KV7dL7bq
External Support
A range of support options are available within the local community and also from national organisations.
Wirral Infobank provides a catalogue of support options, depending on the disability or long-term condition or additional support needed.
Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support grant scheme that aims to support disabled people start or stay in work. It can provide practical and financial support for people who have a disability or long term physical or mental health condition. Support can be provided where someone needs support or adaptations beyond reasonable adjustments.
An Access to Work grant can pay for practical support to enable your employee to start or stay in work.
Access to work factsheet can be found here and a flowchart to highlight the steps involved and presentation with further information can be found in the documents below.
You will also find more guidance for employers on employing disabled people and people with health condition on GOV.UK:
Employing disabled people and people with health conditions - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Contacts
wuth.engagementandinclusion@nhs.net