Building Our Futures
The Building our Futures (BOF) action research project is a project developed by a group of London Deaf and disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) in recognition of the need to gather evidence and identify solutions to the specific HR, employment and management support needs both DPOs and disabled employees have.
Latest News:
The first phase of the project, carrying out a needs analysis with a range of DPOs across London, has been completed. It has raised some specific themes around working within a DPO that are important - such as the relatively large number of part time workers employed within DPOs, the length of time needed to recruit and induct new workers, different experiences of 'reasonable adjustment' by employing organisations and workers, the effects of sickness absence within DPOs and a number of other issues.
A number of policy issues have repetitively cropped up, specifically in relation to the Access to Work scheme and the Compact (for information on Access to Work go to http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/Employmentsupport/ WorkSchemesAndProgrammes/DG_4000347or see the RNIB website: http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_atws.hcsp).
In the case of the Compact, because of current timescales we decided to make a submission to the Compact Commission, who have been undertaking a consultation exercise. You can download a copy of our submission by clicking this link The Compact and Deaf & Disabled People’s Organisations .
In the case of Access to Work, we are following issues up with appropriate civil servants, and hope to be able to report back on these issues positively.
What you can do:
We would be interested in hearing from you now if you have experiences of the following issues:
- Expert disabled staff working for more than one organisation
- Recruitment and skills shortages
- Hidden access costs (eg upgrades to communications systems so equipment supplied through Access to Work is compatable)
- Using 'flexitime' policies to cover short term sickness problems
- 'Zero hour' contracts
Email us at bof@toosh.co.uk about any of this, or anything else regarding your experiences of working within a DPO.
Sample policies and procedures
If you have got a copy of a policy or procedure that your organisations that you think is particularly good please also send to us. And finally, a reminder to those groups who promised to send us sample polcies. Please send them to bof@toosh.co.uk as soon as you can.
Many thanks to all of you, especially the groups who have taken part so far.
If you want to contact us about anything relevant to the project, whether as an organisation or as an individual worker, feel free to email us at bof@toosh.co.uk.
Keep an eye on this website for more up-to-date information on the project.