Research

Disability Rights UK has published a summary of the Closing the Skills Gap reports. The report highlights their findings on the skills young disabled people need to get into employment; and on skills for people who acquire impairments or conditions during working life. Their findings, based on the two reports, stress: * the importance of peer to peer support * a need for disabled people to be able to exercise choice and control There are critical success factors from the 2 reports:

This NDTi report looks at the effectiveness of commissioning of supported employment services. It finds significant variability in the cost of employment support services and costs per job outcome achieved that cannot be explained by factors such as complexity of people’s disability or size of service. The study therefore concludes that variable cost and outcomes is primarily explained by one or both of the service model being used and the strategic organisational actions taken.

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has published an occasional paper on the business case for equality and diversity. The report considers the evidence for the business case for equality and diversity in private sector organisations. The aim is not to make the business case, but to assess the current evidence from academic journals and some key practitioner sources. Key Findings: * Studies appear to have found evidence that firms have reaped business benefits from equality & diversity, but not all firms in all contexts at all times.

Mental health is key to everyone’s well-being. It affects our relationships, our work and our overall happiness. But at any one time, one in six people are suffering from mental health problems. This costs society £67bn every year—as much as the government has recently spent bailing out UK banks.