Content from Social Enterprise East of England (SEEE)
Disability and learning skills specialist Realise Futures has launched a campaign aimed at boosting the number of people with disabilities into work in the East.
The Ipswich-based company has well-established expertise in helping employers in Suffolk and Essex recruit valued employees with disabilities and supporting individuals with disabilities into work. Employers include John Lewis, Tesco, Aldi, Sainsbury’s and Costa Coffee.
It also runs six commercial businesses itself in Suffolk, including cafes and plant centres and a wholefood shop providing real jobs for people with disabilities and/or disadvantages. More than 40 per cent of its workforce have disabilities.
The campaign is called #WhyNot – Why Not Employ Disabled People – and is calling for greater awareness of the real benefits of employing people with disabilities – including better staff retention, production and lower recruitment costs.
The unemployment rate for people with a disability was 7.3 per cent in April to June 2019, compared to an unemployment rate of 3.4 per cent for people without disabilities, according to government figures.*
A survey by the charity Leonard Cheshire** found a quarter of employers (24 per cent) said they would be less likely to employ someone with a disability, with 66 per cent citing the cost of workplace adjustments as a barrier.
But, Realise Futures says many employers do not realise they can access full funding to pay for adjustments required. There are many other benefits employers can gain and the company is keen for business owners to contact them to find out how they can boost productivity, cut costs and boost their reputation by employing disabled people.
“There is a lack of awareness of what’s involved in employing a person with a disability, such as autism or Asperger’s, but there’s plenty of evidence from employers we have supported who are delighted with their employees, and the great qualities they bring to their company.
“As a business, we have many years’ experience of matching disabled employees with jobs, either within our own social businesses or externally. What we are trying to do is to inform employers about the many benefits to be gained. For example, disabled people become your customers – the total spending power of families with at least one disabled person is estimated to be worth £249 billion*** a year.
“Our own experience shows that employees with a disability have less time off work, are dedicated and loyal. Employers we work with say their employees are hardworking and reliable.
“Employers looking to promote diversity in the workplace can also benefit and enhance their reputation with their commitment to equal opportunities.
“We can help employers right through the process and support them with any worries or issues they may have. They will see that the benefits far outweigh any perceived disadvantages. We welcome calls from employers considering employing someone with a disability.”
Sally Butcher, Managing Director, Realise Futures
Employers are encouraged to contact Realise Futures on 01473 242500 and one of Realise Futures Employment team will help them. Or email info@realisefutures.org
Monday 23rd September will see the launch of #UnitedInKind, which seeks to tackle social isolation and loneliness in Essex.
“Working together to make Essex the kindest county in England”
This social movement enables you to promote your events and activities by working together with others across the county. Through kindness, the aim is to develop personal connections within our communities, our families and our friendship groups. With this movement we hope to combat loneliness, connection by connection. You will continue to have complete ownership of everything you do for any United in Kind activity.
How we can make an impact together
We all know there is no quick and easy solution to tackling social isolation and loneliness. United in Kind believes that Essex communities have a crucial role to play in bringing people together and providing support to those in need. They want to connect with what the third sector is already doing and spark new ideas to create one United in Kind movement across Essex.
How you can be involved
There is already a wealth of activity and individuals tackling these issues within Essex. By using the United in Kind brand, together we can collaborate, amplify messages, share resources, encourage greater communication and reach more people across Essex communities.
How can I find out more?
Follow the conversation online using #UnitedInKind
The Equalities and Partnerships Team have been providing Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) training for partners throughout Essex looking to learn best practice approaches to considering the impact on protected groups within their organisation’s decision-making process.
Tailored training is available from Essex County Council to support teams to demystify the EqIA process, understand what is required by law, evaluate existing processes, ask questions and seek support to initiate new practice.
Training can be provided on:
Equality Act 2010
What is an EqIA
When to complete
How to complete
Supporting evidence.
To discuss your training requirement please contact the Equalities and Partnerships Team ECC.Equalities@essex.gov.uk
Essex Community Foundation have published a summary of their new five-year strategic plan.
The plan aims to help them to grow as an organisation and develop new programmes of work. It also hopes to enable them to further improve their understanding of the wide range of issues affecting local communities and the support needed by the voluntary sector to tackle those issues.
From spring 2020, organ donation in England will move to an ‘opt out’ system. You may also hear it referred to as ‘Max and Keira’s Law’.
This means that all adults in England will be considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the excluded groups.
You still have a choice if you want to be an organ donor or not when you die.
Why is the law changing?
The law is being changed to help save and improve more lives. Every day across the UK, someone dies waiting for a transplant.
What do I have to do?
We are asking everyone to:
Record your organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register
Tell your family and friends what you have decided
If you would like to speak to somebody about your choices, please call our dedicated line: 0300 303 2094
When is the law changing?
The opt out system in England will come into effect from spring 2020. The law around organ donation in England will remain ‘opt in’ until this time.
Who will the changes affect?
These changes will affect all adults in England unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the following excluded groups:
Those under the age of 18
People who lack the mental capacity to understand the new arrangements and take the necessary action
Visitors to England, and those not living here voluntarily
People who have lived in England for less than 12 months before their death
At the Essex Assembly you’ll learn more about the exciting opportunities on offer as part of Essex 2020.
A collaborative celebration, Essex 2020 will provide an opportunity for hundreds of individuals, organisations and businesses from across the county and beyond and we want you to be a part of it. The programme and its outcomes belong to everyone.
Anglia Ruskin University’s successful bid to host the British Science Festival in September 2020 was the catalyst for creating a year-long festival of STEAM-related activities in Essex – A Year of Science and Creativity by Essex Partners.
On Tuesday 17th September you’ll hear from Gavin Jones, Chief Executive Officer of Essex County Council, and Richard Freeman, Chief Executive Officer of always possible, about the opportunity to celebrate Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, and how your organisation can connect communities, and access resources to celebrate our history and create a new narrative for the county.
If you would like to book on to Essex Assembly and have not received an invite please contact Essex.Partners@essex.gov.uk
Essex Prevents, the homelessness workstream of the Essex Vision, would like to invite you to a presentation of their work prior to the Essex Assembly on 17th September.
Essex Prevents, led by Dawn French CEO Uttlesford District Council is a sector wide partnership made up of: District councils, ECC, Unitary councils, Voluntary sector, PFCC, Health, Voluntary sector, Jobcentre Plus, Essex University, night shelters, Housing providers and others.
Our work over the last year has been to look at interventions that would reduce the number of homeless households and rough sleepers and improve the life chances of those that find themselves in this damaging situation.
Our work has included:
Increasing affordable accommodation in Essex
Introducing an Essex hospital discharge protocol
Implementing an Essex prison release protocol
Understanding what services are needed in Essex to prevent rough sleeping
Using data analytics to gain insight into homelessness needs in Essex
Agreeing an MOU on how we work together as a sector and with customers.
We would really love to tell you about our work, and our plans for the future. We recognise that your time is precious so we have arranged this presentation to take place before the Essex Assembly on Tuesday 17th September at 10:30am, Chelmsford City Racecourse.
If you would like to book on to Essex Assembly and have not received an invite please contact Essex.Partners@essex.gov.uk
The Essex Local Delivery Pilot is part of a national pilot to create population level changes in physical activity. Over the past 30 years traditional approaches by lottery funders and sport and physical activity organisations has not shifted the stubborn levels of physical inactivity, hovering between 25% and 30% of all adults. As we all know, child obesity is also worsening across the country. A new approach is required.
The Essex LDP has decided to put system change at the heart of all its work and Asset Based Community Development is proving a valuable tool in the work. ABCD challenges the traditional deficit-based approach by demonstrating that local assets (people, physical assets etc.) and individual strengths are key to ensuring sustainable community development, and that people have a life of their own choosing.
So far, the impact has been significant. The work has been led by Chris Chinnock from Nurture Development, who has trained and mentored more than 300 people already involved with the LDP. Chris explains: “Too often, organisations assume they know what local communities need. They focus on what’s wrong, not what’s strong. Adopting an ABCD approach is uplifting for everyone. It focuses on the passions of local people and the power of social networks; where public sector organisations are equal partners in any new developments, not in control. In many cases the solutions are already present within communities, often hidden from organisations who have been too focussed on finding problems to fix, rather than working alongside communities already creating change for themselves”.
The LDP is now playing to the ABCD tune, seeking out ‘unusual suspects’, working hard at building relationships and trust, co-producing ideas and projects, and embracing innovation, risk and failure.
Chris and the LDP will be running a workshop at the Essex Assembly for those keen to learn more about ABCD. If you would like to book on to Essex Assembly and have not received an invite please contact Essex.Partners@essex.gov.uk
Instagram have announced the rollout of the Donate Sticker in the UK. Previously only available in the US, the sticker can be added to Instagram stories by anyone to allow donations to be fed directly into a campaign or organisation.
This toolkit will equip you with the next steps, best practice and a walk through guide to make the most of this exciting new feature.
Learn more with Media Trust’s next Digital Skills Training event with Google coming up in London on 10 October 2019
