How do we support your
ability to work
Author: Sharon Brown, Ops Manager
Date: July 2019
Review Date: July 2021
OHLF15.01
Occupational health professionals within the Employee Wellbeing Team are
experienced in the physical and mental wellbeing of employees in the
workplace. They can advise you how to carry out workplace adaptations
(reasonable adjustments) to support your employees’ return to work. Access
to Work help contribute towards the cost of reasonable adjustments in the
workplace, and more information on reasonable adjustments for disabled
workers can be found on GOV.UK. Whether you have a pre-existing
condition or things change during your employee life cycle your Employee
Wellbeing service are here to support you.
All new starters are required to complete a pre placement form, this is to
confirm the clearance level each person requires. There is also a specific
question that asks if you have a pre-existing medical condition and if this may
affect or impact on your work.
If this section has been ticked and a health condition stated, we will make
contact with you, generally via an appointment or telephone call. This is to
understand what the affect maybe and what reasonable adjustments are
required to support you in your new role.
What are reasonable adjustments?
Reasonable adjustments can include:
Making changes to the recruitment process so a candidate can be
considered for a job.
Doing things another way, such as allowing someone with social
anxiety disorder to have their own desk instead of hot-desking.
Making physical changes to the workplace, like installing a ramp for
a wheelchair user or an audio-visual fire alarm for a deaf person.
Letting a disabled person work somewhere else, such as on the
ground floor for a wheelchair user
Changing their equipment, for instance providing a special
keyboard if they have arthritis.
Allowing employees who become disabled to make a phased return
to work, including flexible hours or part-time working offering
employees training opportunities, recreation and refreshment
facilities.
How else can we support someone, especially if moving within the Trust
(department to department), through ill health or a change to their health:
Barts ability passport: This is a document that states any adjustments an
individual needs to assist with their health condition and to save having to
repeat everything each time they move.
DSE risk assessment: Completed by line manager
Work station assessment: Employee Wellbeing Service will provide
training to managers to provide them with the tools to do a basic WSA (Work
Station Assessment). If there is a more complex health condition either the
Employee Wellbeing Service or Manual Handling will complete.
There are various groups, champions or adjustments that a manager has
access to in relation to information or support these include areas such as:
Dyslexia
MSk
Phased return
Adjustment to hours
Review period
MHFA
Dyslexia Champions
Barts Ability Womens network
Carers network
Why do we make workplace adjustments?
Research has shown that being out of work is bad for your health, and the
longer someone is absent, the harder it can be for them to return.
The sooner your employee returns to work after illness or injury, the more
beneficial it will be for them, both mentally and physically.
Workplace adjustments can help your employee:
return to work early
get to grips with practical tasks
return to their normal skills and capabilities
improve their confidence.
Can you get help to make workplace adjustments?
If you need advice or assistance when making workplace adjustments, you
can seek specialist occupational health support from your Employee
Wellbeing Team, who can give you advice on:
modifying work patterns and working hours — such as working
from home, flexi-time or part-time work;
making adjustments to workplace premises.
allowing an employee to be absent from work for treatment or
rehabilitation
allowing a phased return to work;
changes to work equipment and furniture
This is to ensure that they are not placed at a disadvantage compared to
non-disabled people, and that they have equal opportunities to stay in work.
Contact Us
Employee Wellbeing Services
Health & Wellness Centre
31-43 Ashfield Street
Royal London Hospital
London, E1 2AH
Tel: 020 3594 6609
Fax: 020 7377 7621
www.bartshealth.nhs.uk