TO BE PUBLISHED May 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for supporting people with disabilities in the workplace. Areas for discussion include employer responsibilities, workplace participation, service integration, and local delivery.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to consider the likely impact of reform brought forward through the Employment Rights Act 2025, the Draft Equality (Race and Disability) Bill, and the Get Britain Working White Paper - including proposals on pay gap reporting, flexible working, and employment support, as well as new funding for the Connect to Work programme. Delegates will discuss what these developments might mean for recruitment and retention, access to financial support, and distribution of responsibilities between national and local systems. The Right to Try Guarantee and the Work and Pensions Committee’s Inquiry into Employment Support for Disabled People will be examined, in the context of future priorities and potential service changes.
Employer responsibilities
Employer duties and organisational issues will be examined, looking at implications for both large and small employers in varying workplace settings, including how evolving legal obligations, expectations around workplace adjustments, and engagement with employment services could affect day-to-day operations and workforce planning. Discussion will also examine what guidance, funding and structural support may be needed as new requirements come into effect, particularly where capacity is constrained.
Resource capacity & workplace adjustments
Delegates will assess potential impacts of changes to Access to Work, options for addressing resource constraints facing smaller employers, and the capacity of national and local programmes to meet varied employment needs. Recruitment practices, retention strategies, and workplace adjustments will also be examined, with a focus on practical considerations for their role in increasing longer-term participation in work. Those attending will also consider strategies for employment centres, combined authorities, and service providers in supporting employer engagement and coordination, and effective practice for improving impact on access, continuity, and outcomes.
Design & delivery of support programmes
Looking at support programmes and delivery models, areas for discussion include the way forward for greater integration between employment and health services, and the role of initiatives such as Connect to Work. The agenda will also examine the design and delivery of employment and benefit services to maximise individuals’ willingness to engage with support, particularly where needs are complex or change over time. What will be needed from reform to improve access to work for people with disabilities, and further changes that may be needed to address persistent inequalities, will similarly be a focus.
Overview of areas for discussion
- legislative proposals: priorities in current government reforms on employment and disability - implications for employers, jobseekers, and local delivery - overlapping duties and expectations
- employer responsibilities:
- evolving legal obligations, expectations around workplace adjustments, and engagement with employment services
- impact of new requirements for workplace adjustments, flexible working, and data reporting
- pressures on staffing, planning, compliance, and day-to-day operations - what support may be needed in different settings
- access to support: likely impact of changes to Access to Work - capacity of national and local schemes to meet varied employment needs - potential effects on continuity and take-up
- recruitment and retention:
- approaches that encourage fair access to jobs - sustainable participation in work - strategies for workplace adjustments - options for sharing effective practices across sectors
- local employment services: contribution of employment centres, combined authorities, and service providers in coordinating with employers to improve access, consistency, and outcomes
- health and work integration:
- what greater integration between employment and health services may mean for local delivery - review of Connect to Work model - practical issues in delivery and uptake
- benefit reform and trust:
- implications of changes to PIP and the Work Capability Assessment - influences on willingness to engage - relationship between financial security and employment pathways
- national and local responsibilities: oversight, funding, and delivery functions - implications for both large and small employers, particularly in resource-limited settings
