Access to Work can help you get or stay in work if you have a physical or mental health condition or disability.
The support you get will depend on your needs. Through Access to Work, you can apply for:
- a grant to help pay for practical support with your work
- support with managing your mental health at work
- a grant to pay for communication support at job interviews
Everyone needs support in one way or another and I am grateful to have found the in-work support I needed with Access to Work.
Practical support with
Your work
Access to Work could give you a grant to help pay for things like:
- BSL interpreters, lip speakers or note takers
- adaptations to your vehicle so you can get to work
- taxi fares to work or a support worker if you cannot use public transport
- a support worker, job coach, or job aide to help you in your workplace
- Your workplace can include your home if you work from there some or all of the time.
It does not matter how much you earn. If you get an Access to Work grant, it will not affect any other benefits you get and you will not have to pay it back.
You or your employer may need to pay some costs up front and claim them back later.
The role of
Attend
Attend provides practical support to people with a mental health condition or disability.
We offer the support of a Job Coach and a Job Aide.
The Job Coach will work with the individual receiving support and their employer. They will create a plan of support that addresses strategies to overcome potential barriers in the workplace, which can include:
- Organisational skills
- Memory/ concentration
- Decision making
- Assertiveness
- Communication skills
- Teamworking
The Job Coach can typically carry out 6 x 4 hour support sessions and costs £1800. The Job Coach can also work with the employer to adjust these hours, for example, by providing 12 x 2 hour support sessions.
The Job Aide provides technical support for the individual, such as note taking, computer programme support, and data entry. The Job aide can provide a limited number of hours support each week, however, this support can last until retirement. The cost of a Job Aide is £22 per hour.
We also offer Disability Awareness training for employers, to learn how to best support disabled individuals in the workplace. This is an interactive training which is entirely tailored to the organisation. The cost of delivery is £560.
How to apply
You can check the government website to see if you’re eligible and then apply for an Access to Work grant.
If you have questions, or are interested in learning more about any of the above, please contact the ABI Navigator at:
Email: abinavigator@attend.org.uk
Telephone:
0207 307 2570
