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Developing your disability confidence:why it’s important for your organisationSince it began in 2009, CIHPAfD has developed a wealthof expertise, knowledge andexperience on employingdisabled people and makingworkplaces more inclusive.Only 50% of disabled adults are inemployment, compared to 79% of nondisabledadults. And when it comes to moresenior posts, this disability employment gapwidens to a chasm.In addition, disabled people are overrepresentedin social housing as aproportion of the population and underrepresentedas the employees of housingorganisations.Some of the existing myths about managingdisability in the workplace can stereotypedisabled people as problematic, expensiveto employ and not very productive. In fact,the reverse is very often true. Disabledpeople can bring qualities like resilience,determination, empathy, staying powerand creative problem-solving to theworkplace - because of their uniqueexperience of disability.In short, organisations benefit from theparticular expertise and perspective adisabled employee can bring into anorganisation. But we recognise thatdeveloping disability confidence can bea challenge.We want to help you make yourorganisation more inclusive, more diverseand most importantly tap into the hiddentalents that your organisation needs.Here’s how we can help you...How we can help you raise yourdisability confidence through...Professional traineeships for disabled peopleDisabled people are massively under-represented as professionals in the housing sector.Giving an opportunity for disabled people to experience professional grade roles makesperfect sense if you want your organisation to be truly diverse.• Two year professional traineeships: giving disabled people (chiefly graduates) a uniqueopportunity to gain the experience and qualifications that are essential to kick-start atrailblazing career in housing• Tailored to suit your organisational needs: PAfD is a flexible service, committed toworking with you to maximise opportunities for disabled people• Expert support for trainees and staff: we provide mentoring; disability equality adviceand information; and disability action training for your staff and traineesWhat our clients say:“The PAfD trainee scheme wasvery successful. We were supportedat every step of the way from theinitial recruitment stage to adviceabout professional qualifications aswell as an excellent mentoringscheme. The real measure of successis that both our trainees weresuccessful in finding jobs with us bythe end of the scheme.“Dorrie ShererHead of Resourcing and DevelopmentAffinity Sutton

In-house mentoring schemesMentoring disabled staff can really help them to nurture untapped talent. We can help youto set up an in-house mentoring programme and manage it for you. Non-disabled mentorscan learn about the barriers disabled face,developing and embedding disability confidencewithin your organisation.• Help you to recruit up to 8 pairs of mentors and mentees from within the organisation.• Offer disability equality action training to all mentors• Make recommendations for any necessary reasonable adjustments for mentees• Convene and facilitate three events per programme cycle to ensure the programme iseffective and to promote mutual learning• Offer a specialist advisor with expertise in disability equality issues to mentorsTailored coaching for disabled staffDisabled people are seriously under-represented at the managerial level in manyorganisations, but often have the skills and experience that your organisation needs.We can help your disabled employees to develop their potential and think about theirfuture career path in a positive way.• One to one expert coaching input for disabled staff• Identify blocks to personal development and offer solutions• Maximise career potentialImproving your services for disabled peopleWe can help you to ensure that your services are inclusive and accessible for all your customers.• Policy and procedures healthcheck to meet obligations to disabled people under theEquality Act 2010• Disability access surveys: to make sure your buildings and customer facing services areas inclusive as possible, with pointers for improvements• Disability equality action training for staff and tenants• Practical advice on engaging disabled tenants and residentsFor more information aboutour services, please contact:Graham FindlayPositive Action forDisability ManagerChartered Institute ofHousing, Octavia House,Westwood Way, Coventry,CV4 8JPT. 07508 042112E. graham.findlay@cih.orgWhat our clients say:“I would definitely recommend thePAfD scheme to other disabled people.Doing this scheme has given me theopportunity to work full time for anethical organisation doing stimulatingand rewarding work and earning agood wage. I’ve also gained a postgraduate qualification. Before I startedthis traineeship I didn’t think I wouldever have a ‘proper’ job.“Eileen Barronformer PAfD trainee, now workingfor Aster Group“The access survey carried out byCIH …was very useful indeed. Not onlydid it highlight some of the physicalbarriers we had to overcome withinthe buildings themselves, but it wasalso an introduction to a whole newway of thinking about disability.Thought-provoking, sound advice froma critical friend!“Stephen CookChief Executive, Valleys to Coast Housing“The training and guidance providedby PAfD have been invaluable.For me, the important first step wasrecognising that we all havepreconceptions around disability thatmust be challenged. Graham providesthis in a supportive and perceptiveway, inspiring further thinking aboutthe way we deliver services andsupport our staff.“Mark HarrisonDiversity Strategy Manager, MetropolitanPAfD offers a range of services that start at £500 for our disability improvement services.Please contact us to find out how we can tailor a package of services to suit your budget.Learn with us. Improve with us. Influence with us. | www.cih.org | 024 7685 1700