Our services aren't the same so neither are our people! We want to employ a workforce that reflects the diverse community of Kent and have set a strategic target to increase the number of disabled people we employ by 50% over the four-year period to 2006.

One example of what we have done is to produce practical guidance for managers who are recruiting. This contains realistic examples of good practice and useful background information to help them reduce barriers for disabled people. Over the last two years we have implemented a wide range of complementary actions, including:

• A Workforce Survey on disability (in the European Year of Disabled People 2003) - the results of the survey provided a robust baseline to develop future action and communicated to every member of staff KCC's commitment to the employment of disabled people.
• The Kent Workstep Partnership - we are actively working in partnership with six organisations to promote the use of the Workstep programme.
• Support to disabled staff - we established this site on our intranet system, dedicated to giving examples of best practice in the recruitment and retention of disabled people.
• KCC valuing diversity, meeting the needs of disabled people - we produced this leaflet to assist all staff to understand and meet the needs of disabled people.
• Disability champions - we have identified champions across the county, including a county officer, a lead from each directorate and a representative from the corporate diversity team, to actively promote the employment of disabled people.
• Disabled Staff Group - the Disabled Staff Group is an independent group of disabled staff, formally recognised and supported by KCC. We produced a leaflet to promote the group and its work, and this is used at external recruitment fairs to raise awareness among prospective disabled applicants.

Plus, of course, continuing to work on our 'Two Ticks' commitments - we have been accredited for the second time to use the 'Two Ticks' - Positive About Disabled People symbol, and use this as a foundation stone for all of our work on disability. [i]

Kent County Council

Sources

1. [i] Disability Standard case study 2005