Leading Hampshire-based disability charity Enham Trust held its first Disability Confident event on the 23rd March, with exclusive guests Sarah Newton, Minister of State for Disabled People, Work and Health and Kit Malthouse MP, Minister for Family Support, Housing and Child Maintenance in attendance.

The Trust gained Disability Confident Leader status under the DWP Disability Confident scheme last year, and hosted over 50 local employers and businesses in the Hampshire area to celebrate the achievement and to challenge attitudes towards disability in the workplace.

Disability Confident is a scheme that is designed to help organisations recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions for their skills and talent. It aims to challenge negative attitudes towards employing disabled people, promote equal employment opportunities and change attitudes for the better.

Employers in attendance heard a key note speech from Sarah Newton, received an information session about the Disability Confident Scheme from the Department for Work and Pensions, and heard case study examples from Enham Trust demonstrating the positive impact employment has had on its disabled employees.

Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work, Sarah Newton said;

“Enham Trust does great work in supporting disabled people into employment, and it was fantastic to see first-hand how they are bringing together local employers to learn from each other’s experiences and change attitudes towards disability employment.

Signing up to the Disability Confident scheme sends a powerful message to potential employees that they will get the support they need to thrive in the workplace. I would encourage all employers to ensure they’re not missing out on this huge pool of talent.”

Heath Gunn, CEO of Enham Trust, commented;

“I would like to thank Sarah Newton and Kit Malthouse for their support at our event. It was fantastic to see so many local organisations come together to find out more about the scheme and how Enham Trust can support them on their Disability Confident journey. We hope this event will be a step change within our local community and we will see real progression locally in the support provided by local employers for disabled people.”

Kit Malthouse MP and Minister for Family Support, Housing and Maintenance commented;

"Getting more disabled people into jobs lets them bring their talents into the workplace, but also gives employers access to the new ideas, new thinking and new skills they offer. It is a win-win for everyone and I am very pleased that so many businesses agreed on Friday and signed up.”

If you are interested in the scheme, would like to find out more, or start your Disability Confident journey, please enquire now.

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