Statement of Employment of Disabled People

We will:

• give full and fair consideration and ensure the equal treatment of disabled applicants for all types of vacancy where their disability is not an absolute occupational disqualification. Any disabled applicants meeting the essential criteria set out in the person profile for a job will be guaranteed an interview
• wherever possible, after any necessary rehabilitation training, retain or transfer to more suitable work, any otherwise capable employees who become disabled during their employment with us and do not wish to accept ill-health retirement benefits

We accept that disabled employees should have equal opportunities with other employees for training, promotion and career development in order to use our capabilities to the full; and wherever possible, we will pay particular attention to job design and restructuring in order to make easier the opportunities for the career advancement of our disabled employees.

We will take into account, as far as reasonably practicable, the needs of disabled people when designing new premises and will be prepared to make adaptations to existing equipment where this is essential for the employment of a newly-appointed or an existing person with disabilities.

We will try to ensure that people with disabilities in our employment are, when necessary, offered specialist knowledge and advice to assist them in their working lives. We expects our employees to co-operate in enabling a disabled person to settle into employment and the general working environment and will consult the appropriate employee representatives on these matters where necessary.

We will pay particular attention to the safety of our disabled employees. We expect staff at all levels upon whom safety responsibilities have been placed, to pay particular attention to the safety of the various workplaces under their care and the means of escape in case of fire in relation to the needs of people with disabilities.

Why we ask questions about disabilities

We do this for the following reasons:

• to monitor our effectiveness as an employer of people with disabilities
• to determine whether any help can be offered at interview or when employment is taken up
• to keep our records in order to comply with legal requirements