18 & 19 April

The Cincinnati Children's Hospital proves disabled people's work potential at London two day conference

We have been given permission by the Cincinnati Children's hospital to make their presentations available. Use the links below to access them.

Erin Riehle presented the Cincinnati Children's Hospitals business model for employing significant numbers of people with learning disabilities. Her presentation stressed the benefits they can add to any business. Speaking at the Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD) and Remploy conference on international innovations in employing people with learning disabilities on 18-19 April, the Hospital proposed a challenge to both the employers and employment service providers in the audience.

The challenge, an initiative known as 'Project Search' originates in Ohio in America. The Cincinnati Children's Hospital has worked with agencies that help disabled people into work to streamline the supply chain which delivers disabled candidates with good employment potential to the employer. Quite simply, employers are supplied with motivated and able staff; with expert services that support both employer and individual to make any reasonable adjustments needed to enable the person to work, all coordinated through a single body. This model has proven to be so successful in the United States that conference delegates would like to see a similar system here in the United Kingdom.

Erin Riehle, Director of the Division of Disability Services at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, said: “I found the Employers' Forum and Remploy events in London to be excellent and very engaging. I believe this business model, which focuses on the needs of the business, can work as well in Britain as in the USA.”

“We go to businesses and ask them what jobs are available and we look for candidates that are interested in the job and who can do the job. At this time I have 58 people with significant learning disabilities working and undertaking important jobs at the Children's Hospital Medical Center.”

Attending the event, Jeremy Hunt MP, Shadow Minister for Disabled People, said: “Erin Riehle's talk was fascinating and I think everyone learnt a huge amount. I was particularly pleased to see NHS representatives there, as the most effective form of persuasion for employers is undoubtedly to listen to other employers!”

Roy Easthope, Head of Corporate Accounts for Remploy, said: “This is a real opportunity for everyone to challenge the norm, to work together and to improve the employment of people with disabilities.”

Susan Scott-Parker, Chief Executive of the Employers' Forum on Disability, said: “Cincinnati Children's Hospital as an employer has changed the way it works with the organisations that help disabled people into work. They have streamlined the entire process in a way which works for both the employer and the individual employee. They understand that: Better services for employers equals better services for disabled people. We are determined to learn from their success.”

Ends

Notes to Editors

For further information on the Employers' Forum on Disability contact the Forum press office

Michael Denham
Employers' Forum on Disability press office
Telephone: 020 7403 3020
Email: michael.denham@employers-forum.co.uk
Web: www.employers-forum.co.uk

The Employers' Forum on Disability

Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD) is the employers' organisation focused on the issue of disability in the workplace. With over 400 members, EFD represents organisations that employ circa 25 per cent of the UK workforce.

EFD is recognised as the authoritative voice on disability as it affects employers and service providers.

Since its establishment in 1986 EFD has worked closely with government and other stakeholders, sharing best practice to make it easier to employ disabled people and serve disabled customers.

Remploy

Remploy is the UK's leading provider of employment services for disabled people. Last year it supported in work or into work over 10,000 people with a range of physical, sensory and mental disabilities.

The company partners with some of the country's biggest companies to find jobs for disabled people, including BT, Asda, Christian Salvesen, Tesco and B&Q.

The company employs over 5,000 disabled people in its own manufacturing and services businesses and last year its employment services division found 5,200 jobs for disabled people in mainstream employment.

Remploy is a non-departmental public body and last year received a government grant of £119m.