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<p>Community Partners and Disability Employment Advisors have been recruited to achieve
the ambition set out in the Department’s paper, Improving Lives: The Future of Work,
Health and Disability.</p><p>The Department is committed to recruiting around 200
Community Partners and is actively doing so. There are Community Partners in place
in every Jobcentre Plus District. 116 Community Partners are currently in post and
38 others have accepted offers of employment. For all remaining posts recruitment
is ongoing.</p><p> </p><p>The role of the Community Partner is to support work coaches
with their experience and expertise in a full range of disabilities and health issues,
including musculoskeletal conditions. Given that Districts are recruiting Community
Partners with musculoskeletal expertise where they require it, the Department has
no proposals to offer training to Community Partners on that subject.</p><p> </p><p>Each
Jobcentre District has been asked to identify the most appropriate mix of Community
Partner roles to address local circumstances. In around 10 Districts this has included
musculoskeletal-specific Community Partners.</p><p> </p><p>Disability Employment Advisors
(DEAs) have been recruited in every country and region of Great Britain. As at February
2018, there are 470 full time equivalent DEAs with an actual headcount above 500 when
taking account of part time and dual role workers.</p><p> </p><p>The DEA role has
also changed and in partnership with Community Partners and Work Psychologists they
are working to improve the capability of all Work Coaches to better support claimants,
including those with disabilities.</p><p> </p><p>Disability Employment Advisers have
a tailored learning journey that equips them with the skills and knowledge to support
work coaches and other DWP staff when they are working with customers with a wide
range of health conditions. This includes researching local healthcare and disabled
services organisations and identifying sources of support for claimants with physical
health conditions.</p><p> </p>
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