Reasonable adjustments process

If you have a disability and we might need to make reasonable

adjustments, here are the steps that we’ll follow.
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Initial conversation
As soon as we think you might need an adjustment, we’ll talk to you to find out what you
need. This might be in a Return to Work meeting, an Absence Review meeting or, if
you’re still at work, during a regular 121, a Performance Review meeting or a meeting
just to talk about this. We’ll always take a positive approach towards providing support.
We’ll listen carefully to you and won’t make assumptions about your condition, any
problems you’re having at work or what you’d find helpful.

You can be accompanied to any meeting to talk about reasonable adjustments by

another colleague or a trade union rep if you like. You can also bring a professional
support worker, such as a sign language interpreter, or a friend or family member come
along if it’s appropriate.

Your manager will make notes of what you discuss and agree. We’ll make sure the notes
are stored in a secure place and kept updated as things progress.

Contact the People Team

Managers should contact the People Team for advice about making reasonable
adjustments and keep in regular contact with them throughout the process.

Identify suitable adjustments

The type of adjustments you need will depend on your condition and the job you do.
You can suggest possible adjustments that you think might help and your manager will
consider these. But don’t worry, we don’t expect you to know all of the possible
adjustments that can be made. Your manager may need to get advice from experts,
such as our Occupational Health provider, your GP, or Access to Work - see below for
details.

Occupational Health

An Occupational Health assessment can give us more information about your condition
and how it affects you at work. It can also suggest changes to your job or working
environment, either on a short or long-term basis, which may help.
We may refer you to Occupational Health if you’re off sick or if you’re still in work. Don’t
worry, we’ll always ask for your agreement to having an occupational health assessment
and we’ll talk to you about the report.

We’ll consider any adjustments suggested in the Occupational Health report, but
sometimes we might not be able to implement all of them. We’ll talk to you about the
suggestions and what we can and can’t put in place and why.

Access to work
Access to Work is a government scheme which can give advice on reasonable
adjustments and sometimes provide funding towards them. You need to contact Access
to Work yourself, we can’t do this for you. But if your manager thinks they may be able to
help, they will talk to you about Access to Work and suggest you get in touch with them.
Other sources of advice

There are also lots of charities who can provide expert advice and information about
particular disabilities and adjustments.

Make and confirm the decision

Your manager will look into all possible adjustments, and decide if any are reasonable to
make. They’ll then let you know.

When deciding, we’ll make sure we weigh up the impact on the team, the business and
our customers, and the cost against the benefits. The Guide to Reasonable Adjustments
contains a full list of things that we’ll think about when deciding whether an adjustment
is “reasonable”.

We’ll update you in writing of any reasonable adjustments we’ve agreed with you – and
we’ll give you a copy so you’re clear about what’s going to happen and when.

Make adjustments
Your manager is responsible for making sure that the adjustments are implemented.
Once things have been agreed, they’ll quickly start to make arrangements. Just so you’re
aware, sometimes it can take a while for changes to be made to premises or for
specialist equipment to be supplied.

Sometimes we may need to agree a short-term adjustment, such as a temporary change

in hours or duties, until the specialist equipment arrives or the workplace changes can
be made. We’ll make sure we keep you updated if there’s any delay in making the
adjustments.

Access to work
If the adjustments agreed involve a cost, your manager may encourage you to apply for
funding from Access to Work. To qualify for a grant, you need to have a disability or
health condition which affects your ability to do your job. The scheme applies in England,
Scotland and Wales – there’s a separate Access to Work Scheme in Northern Ireland.
For more information about applying for funding see www.gov.uk/access-to-work/how-
 to-claim.

Review adjustments
Your manager will review the adjustments regularly to make sure that things are working
and you’re getting the support you need. It’s a good idea to review adjustments every
few weeks at first, and then at least twice a year at performance reviews or whenever
there’s a change to your circumstances or condition. Your manager will keep notes of
what is agreed and will share them with the People Team.

If adjustments aren’t working, then we’ll need to look at alternative options. Further
advice is available from the People Team and Occupational Health.

Sometimes adjustments are only needed temporarily. So if you think the adjustments
are no longer needed, let your manager know and they’ll talk to you about removing
them. If it’s clear at the start that you’ll only need the adjustments for a certain period,
we’ll agree the length of time with you and review things at the end.

Redeployment
If after all possible reasonable adjustments have been made and you can’t carry on in
your current role, we will think about redeployment into another role.

If you need further support

You may need additional support, so remember we have an Employee Assistance
Programme (EAP) who can help. You can contact the EAP in confidence on 0800 030
5182

Change History

Version no. Date Changes made by Brief details of change

Policy Sign off

Name Role Signed Date

Appendix 1 - Examples of reasonable adjustments
Here are some examples of reasonable adjustments we could make;

Changing working arrangements

● Changing work patterns and hours - for example, starting later or having a flexible
start time, or reducing hours of work
● Allowing more frequent rest breaks if, for example, a colleague gets tired more
easily or needs to go the toilet more frequently
● Enabling working from home, or transferring to a location closer to home or
which can better accommodate other adjustments
● Giving time off work to attend appointments for medical treatment, including
physiotherapy, counselling or rehabilitation
● Making adjustments to the duties of the job - for example, removing manual
handling or giving more time to carry out tasks
● Agreeing a revised absence trigger for absences relating to a disability
● Agreeing a phased return to work after a period of sickness absence
● Agreeing for a support worker, friend or family member to attend an Absence
Review/Performance Review/Disciplinary/Grievance Meeting with a colleague,
where their condition means they need extra support
● Agreeing for someone to use taxis for business travel if their condition means
they can’t drive
● Providing a car parking space close to the workplace for someone with mobility
issues

Changing the physical features of a building

● Widening a doorway or installing a ramp to make room for a wheelchair
● Moving things like door handles if they are difficult to reach
● Making changes to the till area, for example making space for a stool
● Having new toilet facilities installed to improve accessibility

Providing extra equipment, technology or services

● Providing a specialist chair, back support or a footstool
● Providing additional training, coaching or mentoring
● Having documents produced in Braille
● Providing assistive technology, such as voice-activated software or ‘mind
mapping’ software
● Providing a sign language interpreter for someone who has a hearing impairment
● Providing help with transport to and from work