As a business, you may have employees who work alongside a medical condition.
It’s crucial that they’re offered health and disability assessment services. These services will help ensure they’re working in the safest conditions possible.
As an employer, you have a legal and moral duty to protect your staff’s health and wellbeing.
If you neglect their needs, you could indirectly worsen their condition–resulting in discrimination claims, compensation fees, and business damages.
Let’s look at what health and disability assessments services are, what they include, and how to support employees with disabling conditions.
What are health and disability assessment services?
Health and disability assessment services are entitlements provided to employees with medical conditions.
The UK government provided this framework so disabled employees are supported further during their careers. Services include social security benefits, medical tests, workplace adjustments rights, and many more.
The services show employers the full capacity of their legal and moral duty of care.
Why were health and disability assessment services offered?
Disabilities can affect all aspects of an individual’s life–personally and professionally.
As an employer, you can use these services to help specific needs. Disability workplace assessments include things like, offering financial aid, changing job speculations, and providing medical support.
For example, if an employee has a disability-physical or mental-you must create reasonable adjustments. Changing their job conditions allows them to work efficiently and keep up with their peers.
Laws on health and disability assessments services
Disability workplace assessments and services aren’t specially outlined in UK law. However, there are legal regulations which revolve around supporting employees with health conditions.
This is outlined under the Equality Act (2010). After conducting assessments for disability needs, you are legally required to implement reasonable adjustments.
By removing barriers and changing practices, you’ll allow employees to perform at their best, access equal opportunities, and keep up with their peers.
What health and disability assessment services are offered?
There are many different types of assessment services you can provide to employees with health conditions. You can either provide all of them or choose them based on individual situations.
It’s worth noting that whilst medical professionals may pass these examinations, only the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) can decide whether to hand out payments and benefits.
Here are some health and disability assessment services which are offered:
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Assessment
PIP assessments are financial benefits which support the living standards of people with disabilities or long-term illnesses.
The DWP passed these as a reformed version of the Disability Living Allowance (DLA). The newer version better reflects today’s understanding of what it’s like working with disabilities.
The assessments are conducted by medical professionals, like doctors, physiotherapists, and psychiatrists. The main aim of the tests is to establish accurate and objective conclusions–avoiding any self-diagnoses from the employees themselves.
Medical Service Agreement (MSA)
MSA provides information which aids the DWP on deciding which financial entitlements to provide–and how much. Some examples of entitlements include:
- Incapacity Benefit (Reassessment).
- Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).
- Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
- Attendance Allowance.
- Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
- Veteran Agency War Pension Claim.
The main aim of the agreement involves delivering Work Capability Assessments (WCA) for Incapacity Benefits and ESAs.
Qualifying for them is based on the employee’ ability to function, rather than the disability itself. Anyone who wants to claim these benefits must go through a WCA.
Work Capability Assessment (WCA)
WCA are reviews which determines an individual’s ability to do their job. These tests are commonly used when applying for Universal Credit.
WCA determines three outcomes for disabled employees:
- Fit for work: Meaning they should seek work that’s suitable with their condition.
- Have limited capability for work: Meaning they cannot work now but can prepare for it.
- Have limited capability for work and work-related activity: Meaning they cannot work and aren’t expected to in the near future.
The amount of Universal Credit varies depending on the test results. And in some cases, people gain housing and childcare benefits alongside.
Contract for the Provision of Eye Care Professional Reports
These reports involve providing services for one’s eye health and wellbeing.
People with learning disabilities are more likely to suffer from serious eye-sight issues. That’s why it’s so important to ensure employees have access to good eye care support.
To help disabled employees with sight problems, you can offer eye care facilities, spare glasses at work, and offer eye-test appointments.
How to provide health and disability assessment services in the workplace
Now that we’ve established the services, let’s look at providing health and disability assessments to employees:
- Talk about conditions: Have a conversation and see how conditions may affect activities, moods, and emotions.
- Conduct assessment: Medical professionals carry out assessments which will be sent to the DWP. They will relay diagnoses and may provide information on reasonable adjustments and risk assessments for disabled workers.
- Complete forms: When applying for ESAs, complete a capability for work questionnaire (ESA50) form.
- Wait for results: After sending all health and disability assessments, the DWP will decide whether to provide benefits or not.
In some cases, further tests are needed to fully determine an employee’s health condition. Here, they may be asked to attend a centre for health and disability assessments.
To support them during this time, offer things like paying for expenses or requesting home visits on their behalf.
Read our article: Celebrating Disability History Month
Get expert guidance on Health and Disability Assessment Services with HA | Wisdom Wellbeing
It’s so important to help all employees suffering because of their disability conditions. As an employer, you must do everything you reasonably can to support them during work.
By focusing on this legal duty of care, you can protect your staff’s health and welfare–as well as your business’s.
HA | Wisdom Wellbeing offer expert guidance on health and disability assessment services. Our teams can help you safeguard employee wellbeing whilst simultaneously meeting your company’s needs.
We also provide a 24/7 helpline, that’s open 365 days a year–helping you care for your staff all year round. Arrange a call back from an expert today on 0800 206 2532.
