Conference Workshops

The disability employment gap is closing unevenly across different types of disability: Scotland’s best data suggests that just 4-8% of people with learning disabilities are in paid employment. In this workshop, the Fraser of Allander Institute would like to hear about your experiences related to employment and learning disabilities. We will be discussing the following questions:

• What barriers have you seen related to employers hiring people with learning disabilities, whether real or perceived?
• What positive examples have you seen when it comes to people with learning disabilities becoming and being employed?
• What have you seen that has helped people with learning disabilities achieve paid employment?

After workshop attendees have had the chance to share their knowledge and experience, we will share our findings from speaking to seven employers with experience hiring people with learning disabilities, including good practice and some key challenges which continue to impact opportunities for people with learning disabilities.

Facilitated by:

Chirsty McFadyen, Associate Economist at the Fraser of Allander Institute

Emma Congreve, Deputy Director of the Fraser of Allander Institute

The world of work is constantly evolving, and it is more important than ever to ensure we are upskilling ourselves to keep up with the pace of change. Learning and upskilling can help you to feel more confident in your current role, progress in your career or help others to do so. In this workshop, we will introduce you to all of the different ways that the Open University in Scotland can support you to develop your skills and grow in your career.

From free short courses to Microcredentials to our full degree programmes, we have something for everyone, no matter where you are in your career or learning journey. In the workshop we will talk you through the benefits of continuous learning and help you to think about some of the subject areas that could be of most benefit to you. We hope you will come away feeling excited about your learning journey with some great ideas about you can upskill for the future.

Delivered by:

David Allen, Senior Partnerships Manager at the Open University in Scotland

Page Munro, Partnerships Manager at the Open University in Scotland

One fifth of the population live with a disability. Providing accessible products and services offers new opportunities, and can contribute to business growth and an improved quality of service for everyone. This workshop provides participants with practical advice to give them confidence in meeting the needs of all their customers.

Delivered by:

Catherine Bowie, Director of CBTS Ltd and trainer for Visit Scotland’s Welcome to Excellence programme.

A discussion with a panel of employers who are passionate about their vision of creating truly diverse and disability inclusive workplaces.

During this session, the panel will discuss:

• Rethinking Recruitment (alternative recruitment methods to reach a more diverse pool of candidates),
• Building a Disability Inclusive Workplace (the small changes employers can make to foster a more supportive environment for all employees),
• Successful Job Carving (providing training to managers and colleagues to ensure initiatives succeed), and
• Supported Employment in Practice (employers experience of working with Supported Employment providers and success stories).

Joining the panel are:

• Grant Thoms – Panel Host, Lecturer at the University of Stirling
• Allan MacKillop – DEI Manager and Disability Lead at the BT Group
• Gerry McKeown – Development and Enterprise Manager at Camphill Blair Drummond
• Steven Coutts – CEO of Cope Ltd.
• Lisa Cathro – Zest, St Andrews.

The Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work (CMHW) is a multidisciplinary, cross-institutional research collaboration which seeks to inform policy and practice to minimise the adverse impacts of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions for the benefit of workers, employers and society at large. The CMHW: Research-to-impact (REACT) project is currently investigating key Centre research studies which we have identified as having the best promise to impact outcomes in the short-to-medium term. We need the support of employers and other key stakeholders to help answer, from the perspective of those who employ people with musculoskeletal conditions, key questions which will help shape the best route to impact for these projects.

In this session we will review each of the constituent REACT projects, and investigate how the information and interventions from these studies might be brought together in a digital support platform for people working with musculoskeletal conditions. In particular, we will consider how such a platform might best facilitate employers’ ability to support their workforce with the challenges faced while working with a musculoskeletal condition.

Facilitated by:

• Dr Elaine Wainwright, Impact Coordinator, Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work
• Stuart Anderson, Centre Manager, Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work

An interactive exploration of what connects us, our love of stories, the stories that move us, the stories we tell ourselves and some reflections, suggestions and practices that help us create agency in our narrative and assist us to build stepping stones, paths,  bridges and partnerships in an ofttimes individualist, divided even polarised society.

The Centre for Autism Research and Education @ Strathclyde  (CARES) will share how they are starting to build the Centre’s Operating Systems and what they have done so far. There will be an opportunity to contribute ideas and provide input.

Facilitated by:

Declan Hogan, Executive Director, CARES (Centre for Autism Research and Education @Strathclyde) ‘Working towards Neuro-Inclusion Flourishing’

Unconscious Bias can negatively affect the day-to-day experience of your colleagues, reduce productivity and affect recruitment and retention.

Our Immersive Unconscious Bias workshop covers all protected characteristics in an intersectional way that highlights the individuality that we all bring to work.

Using a series of digital assets, we immerse participants in workplace scenarios where they may experience a reaction due to unconscious bias, giving them a safe environment to recognise and begin to challenge their own unconscious biases. We also immerse participants in experiencing the impact that others’ biases can have on us.

Facilitated by: Age Scotland

Does Employability attract people from all backgrounds to work in our sector? If not, what can we do about it?

Within the sector we are rightly proud that we have a diverse workforce and there is representation from many groups – but can that be said when it comes to racial and ethnic diversity in our sector?

This workshop discusses the feedback and topics raised by SUSE Members and what positive steps we can collectively take to make our sector even more diverse.

Facilitated by:

Tony McCaffery, Founder, Diversity Scotland

Economic inactivity continues to be one of the most pressing policy challenges for public sector commissioners and local service providers.

Rising levels of Universal Credit claimants are being found not fit for work and not required to undertake any work-related activities through Jobcentre Plus. This is creating wider pressures on local economies experiencing labour market shortages.

With a general election looming, economic inactivity and in particular the dramatic post Covid rise in mental health as a reason for not working will be a high policy priority for any future Government.

This workshop is designed to review levels of economic inactivity in Scotland and explore the policy levers that are open to devolved, national and local Government to address economic inactivity. This will also include what the potential policy landscape will look like under a new UK Government.

Facilitated by:

David MacDougall, Managing Consultant, 50 Degrees