Review update – 11 January 2011

The first part of the review is focussed on involvement consultation and evidence-gathering. We have already received a wide range of views and evidence and, throughout January and February, Liz Sayce will visit Remploy employment services, factories and residential training colleges. Liz will also talk to customers who have used the Access to Work programme.

Liz and DWP will also host a range of events to gather views from various individuals and organisations. Invitees will include:

• disabled people's organisations
• charities
• trade unions
• employers
• providers
• other government departments

As we are working to very tight timescales, we cannot visit all the places we would like or meet with all interested parties. In view of this, we urge individuals and organisations to submit evidence to the review team by emailing us at employmentsupport.review@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Please send your evidence to us by 28 February 2011. If you require more time to prepare your evidence, please get in touch as soon as possible.

Emerging themes and questions

While the review is still in its very early stages, there are some emerging areas and questions which we would particularly welcome views on:

• Is the employment rate for disabled people the best measure of success? Are there any other measures you think are important?
• How can we raise aspirations, and increase opportunities for career development and progression?
• What can employers do to enable more disabled people to get, and keep, employment? And what support do employers need?
• What would make the set of Government programmes (from the general Work Programme to more specialist programmes) as effective as possible? In particular, do you have ideas to enable the programmes to:
  • be highly personalised?
  • work well for people with all types of disability/health conditions?
  • work well with and for employers?
• How do you view the role of sheltered employment and specific workplaces, and specific training provision, for disabled people now and in the future?

If you have views on any of these questions, or on the wider review, please email us at employmentsupport.review@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

Please let us have your views by 28 February 2011. If you require more time to prepare any evidence, please get in touch as soon as possible.

Frequently asked questions

In the evidence submitted so far there are some common questions that we have provided answers to.

• Frequently asked questions (38KB)