Overview
People want more person-centred, flexible, and supportive pathways into work. Suggestions include empathy and understanding from management, accessible training, and tailored support for people with health challenges and/or disabilities. A more holistic, person-centred approach is needed. One that builds on personal strengths and addresses individual barriers, rather than offering one-size-fits-all solutions.
The lived experiences of participants facing health- and/or disability-related economic inactivity highlight a range of ideas with important implications for employers, training providers, support organisations, and the wider system. These insights can help to shape a more inclusive employment culture across Somerset through co-creation and collaboration for change.
I think it would be good for fellow employees and employers to have training on people’s health conditions and disabilities so that they know how to support everyone best. And I think it will be good for people to be given a chance and not just written off immediately because they’ve got a disability. I think things like one-to-one training sessions and added support and reasonable adjustments are a good, a good step forward because I know that they help majority of people.
