Accessibility and Neurodiversity
Disability Inclusion
Creating an environment where staff thrive is front and centre of our strategic plan. There continues to be significant work undertaken in this area to support staff to both share their sensitive data and to be assured that they will be assisted with support and reasonable adjustments. Â We want to create and sustain a culture where our employees with disabilities feel that they are being truly supported and feel that they can thrive.
Reasonable Adjustments
We are passionate about ensuring that staff have everything they need to be all that they can be in the workplace. As such, we are willing to implement reasonable adjustments at all stages of the employee life cycle. For example:
- Reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, including but not limited to: guaranteed interview scheme, on-site accessibility guidance, conducting online interviews, providing questions to neurodiverse candidates prior to interview if required, and job coaches to attend with candidates.
- Employee Assistance Programme to support with a range of topics
- Referrals to community support organisations
- Occupational Health Referrals
Disability Pay Gap
We are actively focusing on closing the disability pay gap. More information is available in Bridgend Collegeâs Pay Gap report.
Wellbeing at Work Passport
We developed a Wellbeing at Work Passport to help support new and existing staff with their disability and/or health condition, identify reasonable adjustments and support with general well-being. The passport helps to ensure there is a clear record and can enable us to provide appropriate workplace adjustments and tailored support, and remove any obstacles as far as reasonably possible.
Mental Health First Aid
We have two UCU Cymru Union Wellbeing Reps who have completed Mental Health First Aid training to support our staff to spot the symptoms of mental health issues, offer initial help and guide people towards support. In addition, we have over sixty members of staff who have completed Mental Health First Aid training, and four members of staff are Mental Health First Aid Instructors.Â
DSE Assessments
Our Health & Safety team are able to undertake Display Screen Equipment (DSE) assessments for staff, to review workstations to ensure they are safe and comfortable.
Risk Assessments
We are also able to arrange risk assessments to evaluate the accessibility of an employees workspace to help identify and remove barriers to ensure equal access.
Access to Work
Access to Work is a publicly funded employment support programme that aims to help more disabled people start or stay in work. We support employees to invite Access to Work in to assess them at work, and we then tailor equipment and support services in line with Access to Work grants to ensure reasonable adjustments are implemented and effective.
Quiet Rooms
We have various quiet rooms across Bridgend and Pencoed campuses that staff can access. The opportunity for space, quiet, retreat and refuge may help many in managing life, health, wellbeing and studies during the working day, and can be a useful place of calm reflection.
