RADAR says Remploy reforms could result in more disabled people being in employment

Responding to the Remploy statement today by Peter Hain, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Liz Sayce, Chief Executive of RADAR said ìWe believe that these proposals show the right direction of travel for Remploy. Our support is conditional on current Remploy workers, in those factories affected, receiving substantial support to get work elsewhere. As long as that happens, the changes should enable many more disabled people to get and keep jobs, in all kinds of sectors (not factories alone), with far more opportunities to gain skills and achieve careers than is possible with the current Remploy model. It is right that more disabled people have greater opportunities to access, and succeed and progress in mainstream employment ñ and these reforms are a step in the right direction. What's more, evidence shows that this can work highly effectively, with individualised supportî.

RADAR support is contingent on there being no compulsory redundancies of factory staff and on them being supported to secure other opportunities, either in open or sheltered work, on exactly the same terms and conditions as in Remploy.

RADAR understands that some people still think disabled people can only work in factories staffed predominantly by other disabled people. However, we believe that, while these factories have been of real benefit in the past, disabled people are far more likely to have fulfilling lives, and to reach our potential, by working in an inclusive environment. If flexible support for open employment was more widespread, low expectations would be swept away and aspirations would rise. That requires substantially increased support and a concerted attack on discrimination.

The resource made available to Remploy (111 million per year) needs to be spent in the most effective way for disabled people. For the 20,000 it takes to subsidise one person in a factory, Remploy could support four disabled people to get and keep mainstream jobs. RADAR represents the interests of all disabled people across the UK ñ including all those additional people who could benefit from Remploy resources if they spent them supporting more opportunities in open employment.