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<p>The Department delivers regular communications about Access to Work support using
a variety of high reach channels including social media, proactive press releases
explaining the support available and how to apply via Gov.uk. Activity also includes
working with a variety of organisations to increase awareness of Access to Work support
among disabled employees, including the Disability Confident network of more than
19.000 employers, and regular stakeholder communications to encourage them to promote
Access to Work to their clients. Remploy and Ingeus deliver Access to Work Mental
Health Support Service (MHSS) on the Department’s behalf. The Department works with
those providers to support activity to promote their Access to Work Mental Health
Support Services externally using their communications channels to reach customers
experiencing mental health issues or conditions within the workplace. All promotional
activity delivered by Access to Work MHSS providers has to be approved by the Department.</p><p>
</p><p>The Department also targets information about Access to Work at the point of
need where it can have maximum impact, for example when someone is offered a job,
or develops a health condition that impacts their work. This means using key touch
points with disabled people, including employers, Jobcentre work coaches, Disability
Employment Advisers and partners who engage directly with disabled people.</p><p>
</p><p>This approach has been highly effective as Access to Work is supporting thousands
more people with disabilities and health conditions than ever before. In the most
recent official statistics published in September 2020, Access to Work funded tailored
and flexible support for 43,000 people in 2019/20, a 20% increase on the previous
year, demonstrating the Department’s approach to promoting Access to Work continues
to be highly effective. Access to Work support has also led to increased take up among
underrepresented groups including those with Mental Health conditions, with <strong>8,710
</strong>successful applications in 2019/20, almost double the number compared to
the previous year and the highest ever.</p><p> </p><p>The increased consumption and
reach of digital channels, in particular social media, and the Department’s extensive
reach with employers and stakeholder organisations means that key audiences can be
reached in a much more cost-effective way than previously. However, to ensure that
Access to Work information reaches as many people as possible, the Department is planning
to supplement this already extensive promotion with paid advertising from January
2021. Final proposals are currently being worked on for the paid advertising campaign
and detailed media planning will determine final spend, therefore at this stage we
are unable to confirm the final spend estimate.</p><p> </p>
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