Blog: Fedcap Scotland Engaging Employers

Why did you get involved with Apt and the Public Social Partnership (PSP)?

We believe that everyone should have the same opportunity to access a job that is right for them no matter what their circumstances. Fedcap’s goal is to work with local people to support individuals back to work, or even into work for the first time. One of the ways we can achieve this is by working with employers through an empathetic, understanding, non-judgemental and supportive approach to the recruitment and retention of disabled employees.

Which PSP projects are you involved in? 

Fedcap Scotland’s participation began as a Partner by attending workstreams, contributing towards the design of projects, promoting and delivering outcomes for campaigns, such as DuoDay etc. We then engaged as an employer, giving us first hand experience of the services and support employers receive through Apt. We participated in 3 PSP projects in order to enhance our current provision in attracting, recruiting and retaining disabled employees, and evaluating our online recruitment platform through the Digital Recruitment Review. We are now a Delivery Partner and have identified and secured employers to receive free PSP training before supporting a selection of them to achieve Disability Confident accreditation, all as part of the PSP Employer Engagement Strategy.

How has your participation developed?

We have representation on the PSP Steering Group through Margaret Barton (Lead Partnership Manager) and in the Sustainability Group through David Stewart (Regional Partnership and Development Manager).

We have also sponsored key PSP events such as the PSP All-Partner Event in 2021 and the SUSE/PSP Annual Conference in 2022, where we co-delivered a workshop on the future of the PSP Project and the creation of a Centre of Excellence for Scotland.

What can employers expect when working with Fedcap through Apt? 

While working with Apt, Fedcap Scotland can offer a wide range of fully-funded, high quality and evidence-based provision to employers from across Scotland which include the following –

• Confidence and capacity to improve their internal recruitment and onboarding processes to access a wider talent pool and to create a more diverse workforce
• Enhanced understanding of the difference between equality and equity and how a more diverse workforce can provide improved results re: inclusion, problem solving, considering different perspectives, how to challenge assumptions, customer service and productivity
• How to have positive and inclusive workplace conversations
• Address the myths associated with employing disabled people
• Increased ability to reflect and engage with the diverse range of customers they serve
• Expert advice on how to identify, recruit and retain disabled people or those with long-term health conditions
• How to make products, services and workplaces more accessible to all
• Awareness of reasonable adjustments and how to implement them
• Knowledge of available funding including Access to Work
• In-work support to ensure employees get the support they need and employers can develop their knowledge in order to sustain the appointments
• Support to achieve Disability Confident accreditation
• Expert and wide-ranging health interventions for everyone within their workforce delivered through Occupational Health/Employee Assistance Programmes that cover Mental Health, Anxiety, Depression, Stress, Pain Management, Sleep Deprivation, Integrated Healthy Lifestyle Services, Counselling, Weight Management, and many others.
• Access to over 5,000 online training resources that develop staff through the Fedcap Hub.

Fedcap Scotland are just one of our Delivery Partners. Click here to find out more about all our Partners. If you are interested in your organisation receiving fully-funded, tailored support, advice and training through Apt, take the first step and contact us.