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<p>Last year, the Access to Work Hidden Impairment Specialist team helped 2,150 people,
which includes people with Autism. This number has been continually increasing since
the team was introduced in 2014/2015, when 1,160 people were helped.</p><p> </p><p>People
with hidden impairments are offered an Access to Work holistic workplace assessment
to identify the type of help they require in the workplace. Following this assessment,
the Access to Work adviser will work with both the employer and customer to develop
support plans where appropriate</p><p> </p><p>In November, we published Access to
Work: Qualitative research with applicants, employers and delivery staff, which found
that workplace assessment experiences tended to be very positive. Although we don’t
have separate findings for autistic people, employers and applicants felt that assessments
were comprehensive and appropriate, and conducted sensitively. Many applicants talked
about how the recommendations and advice given during the assessment alone had enlightened
them about the support available for their condition and small changes they could
make in the workplace which went a long way in improving their workplace experience.
Applicants that were previously too nervous to ask their employer for (even ‘light
touch’) adjustments felt the expert ‘stamp of approval’ via the assessment helped
them to approach their employer and empowered them to ask for changes.</p><p> </p>
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