FABIAN POLICY REPORT AN INCLUSIVE FUTURE Ensuring disabled people play a key role in the changing world of work. Edited by Cameron Tait, with essays by Yvette Cooper MP, Neil Coyle MP, Seema Malhotra MP, Stephen Timms MP and many more “When I was finally offered a job it felt amazing – Everything I’ve done with Scope has definitely helped, and now I’ve hopefully got a job for life.” Harrison Scope exists to make this country a place where disabled people have the same opportunities as everyone else. Until then, we’ll be here. We provide support and information to a quarter of a million disabled people and their families every year. We raise awareness of the issues that matter. Many disabled adults still face huge barriers to employment and less than half are in work. Scope believes that all disabled people should have the support they need to find, stay and progress in work. Visit our website for further information scope.org.uk 11849 Scope is registered charity, number 208231. Copyright Scope August 2016. 11849 Fabian review ad_200x245_v1.indd 1 09/09/2016 11:16 ABOUT CONTENTS Foreword 3 Yvette Cooper MP 1 Barriers to work 4 Mark Atkinson 2 The party of all workers 6 The Changing Work Centre was established by the Fabian Neil Coyle MP Society and the trade union Community in February 2016 3 My early experiences of employment 8 to explore progressive ideas for the modern world of work. Felix Labwo Through in-house and commissioned research and events, 4 The inclusive growth we need 10 the centre is looking at the changing world of work, attitudes Seema Malhotra MP towards it and how the left should respond. The centre is chaired by Yvette Cooper MP and supported by an advisory 5 Local approaches to inclusivity 13 panel of experts and politicians. Judith Blake 6 Breaking down the barriers 16 Beverley Bambrough 7 Diversity and creativity in innovative organisations 18 Toby Mildon 8 Moving into work 20 Lauren Pitt 9 Boosting disability employment 22 Scope exists to make this country a place where disabled people Stephen Timms MP have the same opportunities as everyone else. Until then, we’ll be here. We provide support, information and advice to more than a quarter of a million disabled people and their families every year. We raise awareness of the issues that matter. We have a long standing interest in understanding and breaking down the barriers disabled people face in finding and staying in work. We are politically neutral and work with members of all political FABIAN SOCIETY General Secretary, parties to achieve change. 61 Petty France Andrew Harrop London SW1H 9EU Head of Editorial, 020 7227 4900 (main) Kate Murray 020 7976 7153 (fax) Report Editor, Cameron Tait [email protected] Design, soapbox.co.uk www.fabians.org.uk Cover photo, istockphoto Like all publications of the Fabian Society, this report represents not the collective views of the Society, nor those of Scope, but only the views of the individual writers. The responsibility of the Society is limited to approving its publications as worthy of consideration within the labour movement. First published in September 2016 1 / An inclusive future © iStockPhoto 2 / An inclusive future Foreword Yvette Cooper is Labour MP for Pontefract and Castleford and chair of the Changing Work Centre. HEN SIR LUDWIG Guttmann found- earlier this year, we set out our aim to put that the jobs of the future will require a Wed the Paralympic Games, he said forward new progressive ideas on what the creative workforce too. And as Toby Mildon he wanted us all to stop focusing on what future of work means for workers and the sets out in his essay, in order to boost our people couldn’t do, and focus on what they labour movement. creativity, we need more diversity. How can could. As we celebrate the phenomenal These essays focus on how we make sure we come up with the new ideas we need athleticism of our Paralympic athletes this that future is fair and inclusive for all. when everybody coming up with them has month, it’s clear that the world has come The stories in this collection look particu- the same background, gender, race, abil- a long way since those first games. But we larly at disability in the workplace - both at ity or life experiences? In order to compete also know that from sport to employment, the continued injustice many disabled peo- with the growing skills bases of China, India having a disability is still seen as a limita- ple in Britain face in getting a job, and also and other developing countries, our future tion rather than an opportunity. at the practical examples of truly inclusive workforce must be more diverse than it is Labour has always believed in the dig- workplaces that make the most of every- today. nity of work; the pay cheque that keeps one’s skills and talent. To build the creativity and diverse kids out of poverty; the promotion that Essays in this collection outline how economy we will need, we must use all the helps people get on; the sense of purpose; areas of the economy that have tradition- talents our country has to offer. Achieving the defeat of idleness, the lifeblood of com- ally performed well at removing barriers for full employment will mean building the munities where everyone knows they have disabled people to participate in work, such routes into work for those who’ve tradi- responsibilities and a part to play. as manufacturing, the public sector and a tionally been shut out, it will require us Our trade union history and our values variety of middle-tier jobs, are in decline. to close the disability employment gap, as mean we have always fought against dis- Other essays from Seema Malhotra and well as increasing the employment rate of crimination and injustice in the workplace Stephen Timms set a challenge to govern- women, of single parents, older people and and led the way in championing inclusion, ment and businesses to ensure that the new ethnic minority communities. It will mean equality and opportunities for all. jobs of the future are not only just as inclu- employers actively seeking out diversity In government, we changed laws, tar- sive as yesterday’s jobs, but even more so. and a government that creates the ladders geted investment and worked with employ- New technology has the potential to up, as well as maximising the opportunities ers and unions to change workplaces. The make it easier than ever for people to con- available. number of Black, Asian and minority ethnic nect and work flexibly, and for employers The essays in this collection offer us people in employment doubled. We left to remove barriers preventing people from hope for a more inclusive, more creative office with more women in work than ever accessing work. But big changes have the and diverse economy in future. At a time before. We boosted the employment rate potential to create greater inequality and when inequality is rising and the Con- for disabled people, and legislated to make insecurity too. servative government shows no sign of workplaces, buildings and public transport Just as we have done before, it is Labour’s being able to meet the new challenges of more accessible. job now to respond to these changes - to technological and demographic change, it But we know that discrimination, preju- ensure new jobs and opportunities are ac- has never been so important for Labour dice and injustice persist - and too much cessible to all and to fight against new inse- and the Fabians to come together again talent is still wasted as a result. curities, exploitation and inequality. to provide the progressive ideas, and for a When we launched the Changing Work As technology and the labour market Labour government which can put them Centre with the Fabians and Community change, there is a developing consensus into practice. F 3 / An inclusive future to ensuring the future world of work is as just don’t deliver. Requiring people to take inclusive as it can be. part in a programme or risk losing their out The Conservative government has made of work benefits has led to poor results for a welcome commitment to halve the dis- disabled people, with the programme see- ability employment gap by 2020, but the ing a success rate of 7 per cent. success of this hinges on cross-party col- By contrast, the specialist Work Choice Barriers to work laboration. scheme has had a much higher success rate, Many disabled people face barriers It is essential that the Labour Party takes with 59 per cent of disabled people who getting in to, progressing in on a dual role in ensuring this objective is started the programme in 2014/15 in work reached. On the one hand, Labour should by June 2016. There are two key reasons for and staying in work. Removing support the initiative, adopting it as a this - participation in Work Choice is volun- these barriers requires a cross- shared goal, while on the other, it must tary, not mandated, and the programme is government approach, writes hold the government to account, making designed to offer specialist support disabled Mark Atkinson. sure measures introduced over the coming people might need to find and stay in work. years will be sufficient to deliver the change Disabled people should be able to get disabled people want to see. advice and support around employment OR MANY DISABLED people, working is Beyond this, as Labour starts to explore the both in and out of work.