The NHS Learning Disability Employment Programme

• How to recruit and Support Disabled Staff – a resource to help NHS organisations encourage and support disabled applicants to apply for roles in the NHS and retain them.
• Supporting disabled staff in the workplace - find out about the different types of disability and what the NHS is doing to support its disabled workforce.
• Understanding disability - access our infographic to understand what a disability is and learn how organisations and managers can support disability in the workplace.
• Making reasonable adjustments - employers have a legal responsibility to make workplace adjustments for disabled staff or those with long-term health conditions. Read this guidance to learn more.
• Inclusive recruitment in apprenticeships - access our report about what organisations are doing to be more inclusive in apprenticeship recruitment and retention.
• Supporting learning difficulties and disabilities apprenticeships - read this case study to find out how Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust is supporting apprenticeships for those with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD).
• Support for people with a learning disability - a research briefing published by the House of Commons Library.  

The Disability Confident scheme supports employers to make the most of the talents disabled people can bring to your workplace. Disability Confident organisations play a leading role in changing attitudes for the better. The scheme helps employers recruit and retain great people, and:

• draw from the widest possible pool of talent
• secure high quality staff who are skilled, loyal and hard working
• improve employee morale and commitment by demonstrating that you treat all employees fairly.

It also helps individuals and businesses identify those employers who are committed to equality in the workplace.

The scheme has three levels designed to support employers on their Disability Confident journey. Visit Disability Confident to learn more about the initiative.

An increasing number of NHS organisations are taking the Learning Disability Employment Programme (LDEP) Pledge, which sees them commit to taking action to help people into lasting employment. Supported internships are one of the ways that this action is delivered.

The LDEP Pledge brings together a new national network providing advice, ideas and impetus to all NHS organisations – from local hospital trusts to national bodies, to remove barriers and to accelerate employment of people with learning disabilities in the NHS. For further information please email the national LDEP team.

For reference, we will use the phrase ‘autistic people and people with a learning disability’ as this is the language requested by our lived experience advisors. However, it is important to ask what language individuals prefer.

Autism is a life-long neuro-developmental condition that affects how people interact and communicate with others.  For more information around autism please see the National Autistic Society (NAS), where there is helpful guidance on how to talk and write about autism using accurate and sensitive language. 

Learning Disability is a life-long developmental condition that affects how people understand and learn new things. For more information around learning disabilities, please see the guidance from Mencap.

Having a learning disability is not the same as being autistic although some autistic people will also have a learning disability.  And it is important to note that no two autistic people or two people with a learning disability are the same. Therefore, an individual approach is required.

Many autistic people and people with a learning disability see being autistic or having a learning disability as a fundamental part of who they are, so it’s important to use positive language. If you are referring to a particular person or group, ask people how they would prefer to be described. This preference should take precedence over the recommendations outlined above, as it is always best practice to ask a person directly what language they prefer to use.

Autistic people and people with a learning disability’s access to employment is likely to be further impacted by other factors such as their ethnicity, other disabilities and gender. According to BASE, employment rates for people with disabilities in 2020-21 has fallen to 5.1%. They also found that a lower percentage of women with a learning disability are employed than men and that there are also significant regional divides in employment rates. The diagnosis rate for autism is also higher for men than women internationally and within the UK, and a report by NAS addresses the link between autism and gender dysphoria. 

Autistic people and people with learning disabilities can have a variety of skills and thrive in a range of different roles but can be at a disadvantage when it comes to attaining and retaining a job. This is often because of a lack of understanding and support from their organisation and colleagues.

By gaining an understanding of autism and learning disability, you can open up new possibilities for your organisation and new potential employees.

There are many reported benefits of employing autistic people and people with a learning disability, such as: creating a wider, more diverse recruitment pool; reduced staff turnover; higher staff morale; increased productivity; and encouraging more creative and flexible ways of thinking and problem-solving. Further supporting data can be found in the Mencap Good for Business report.