Reasonable adjustments process

If you’ve got a disability and we might need to make reasonable adjustments, here are the steps that we’ll follow.

1) Initial conversation

As soon as we think you might need an adjustment, we’ll talk to you to find out what you need. This might be in a Return to Work meeting, an Absence Review meeting or, if you’re still in work, during a regular 1-2-1, a Performance Review meeting or a meeting just to talk about this. We’ll always take a positive approach towards providing support. We’ll listen carefully to you and won’t make assumptions about your condition, any problems you’re having at work or what you’d find helpful.

You can be accompanied to any meeting to talk about reasonable adjustments by another colleague or a trade union rep if you like. You can also bring a professional support worker, such as a sign language interpreter, or a friend or family member come along if it’s appropriate.

2) Work Adjustments Form

Your manager will make notes of what you discuss and agree in a Work Adjustments Form (below). We’ll make sure the form is stored in a secure place and kept updated as things progress.

3) Contact ER Services

Managers should contact ER Services for advice about making reasonable adjustments and keep in regular contact with them throughout the process.

4) Identify suitable adjustments

The type of adjustments you need will depend on your condition and the job you do.

You can suggest possible adjustments that you think might help and your manager will consider these. But don’t worry, we don’t expect you to know all of the possible adjustments that can be made. Your manager may need to get advice from experts, such as our Occupational Health provider, your GP, or Access to Work - see below for details.

Occupational Health

An Occupational Health assessment can give us more information about your condition and how it affects you at work. It can also suggest changes to your job or working environment, either on a short or long-term basis, which may help.

We may refer you to Occupational Health if you’re off sick or if you’re still in work. Don’t worry, we’ll always ask for your agreement to having an occupational health assessment and we’ll talk to you about the report.

Read the Occupational Health Guide for more information.

We’ll consider any adjustments suggested in the Occupational Health report, but sometimes we might not be able to implement all of them. We’ll talk to you about the suggestions and what we can and can’t put in place and why.

Access to Work

Access to Work is a government scheme which can give advice on reasonable adjustments and sometimes provide funding towards them. You need to contact Access to Work yourself, we can’t do this for you. But if your manager thinks they may be able to help, they will talk to you about Access to Work and suggest you get in touch with them.

Other sources of advice

If you work at a desk for some or all of your day, a Workstation User Assessment can help to identify suitable reasonable adjustments. Contact Group Risk on 0843 751 2846 for information about the assessment. If a more detailed workstation assessment is required, your manager can make a referral to Occupational Health to arrange this.

The Co-op is a member of the Business Disability Forum and we can access a range of tools and guidance on disability on their website www.businessdisabilityforum.org.uk. Specialist advisors are also available to answer managers queries – either on 020 7403 3020 or advice@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk.

5) Make and confirm the decision

Your manager will look into all possible adjustments, and decide if any are reasonable to make. They’ll then let you know.

When deciding, we’ll make sure we weigh up the impact on the team, the business and our customers, and the cost against the benefits. The Co-op Guide to Reasonable Adjustments contains a full list of things that we’ll think about when deciding whether an adjustment is “reasonable”.

We’ll update the Work Adjustments Form (see section 2) with any reasonable adjustments we’ve agreed with you – and we’ll give you a copy so you’re clear about what’s going to happen and when.

6) Make adjustments

Your manager is responsible for making sure that the adjustments are implemented. Once things have been agreed, they’ll quickly start to make arrangements. Just so you’re aware, sometimes it can take a while for changes to be made to premises or for specialist equipment to be supplied.

Sometimes we may need to agree a short-term adjustment, such as a temporary change in hours or duties, until the specialist equipment arrives or the workplace changes can be made. We’ll make sure we keep you updated if there’s any delay in making the adjustments.

Appendix 1 contains a list of useful contacts to help make reasonable adjustments.

If the adjustments agreed involve a cost, your manager may encourage you to apply for funding from Access to Work. To qualify for a grant, you need to have a disability or health condition which affects your ability to do your job. The scheme applies in England, Scotland and Wales – there’s a separate Access to Work Scheme in Northern Ireland. For more information about applying for funding see www.gov.uk/access-to-work/how-to-claim.

7) Review adjustments

Your manager will review the adjustments regularly to make sure that things are working and you’re getting the support you need. It’s a good idea to review adjustments every few weeks at first, and then at least twice a year at performance reviews or whenever there’s a change to your circumstances or condition. Your manager will use the Work Adjustments Review Form (below) to keep notes of what’s agreed.

If adjustments aren’t working, then we’ll need to look at alternative options. Further advice is available from ER Services and Occupational Health.

Sometimes adjustments are only needed temporarily. So if you think the adjustments are no longer needed, let your manager know and they’ll talk to you about removing them. If it’s clear at the start that you’ll only need the adjustments for a certain period, we’ll agree the length of time with you and review things at the end.

8) Redeployment

If after all possible reasonable adjustments have been made, you can’t carry on in your current role, then we’ll think about redeployment into another role. See the Disability Redeployment Policy for more information.

Appendix 1 – Useful Contacts

IT Equipment

IT equipment, such as a large monitor, anti-glare screen, or specialist software/hardware (as recommended by Occupational Health) can be ordered through the IT online ordering system.

For more specialist equipment or assistive technology, Access to Work will make recommendations and provide a list of suppliers once they have carried out an assessment. Managers should then send details of the recommended equipment or technology and suppliers to IT, who will order it for them – this can be done by raising a Wellbeing Request in the IT online ordering system (simply search for Wellbeing under all categories)

If you have any queries for IT relating to Accessibility please reach out to us via the Represent Yammer Page or visit the Colleague Technology Accessibility site.

Specialist Equipment/Training/Coaching

Basic items e.g. foot rest, basic rising desk, can be ordered via Coupa directly.

For anything more specialist, contact Operational Procurement (Coupabuyersupport@coop.co.uk) detailing what is required, along with your cost centre and division, and they will go out to our supplier base for quotes. If you have an OH report, or any other medical report detailing what is required, then please provide the recommendations from the OH/Medical report, e.g. Neurodiversity Disability Awareness Training; ReMarkable 2 Pad and Digital Pen; Electric Height Adjustable Desk (1200mmx800mm); Anti-Fatigue Mat.

Operational Procurement will confirm the equipment spec with you before placing the order.

Quotes will then be sent to you to raise a PO for the equipment. This will be charged to your cost centre.

The item will then be delivered by the chosen supplier.

Where there is an Access to Work Grant available to support the Colleague

If you have an Access to Work report and confirmation of grant, then you must send the confirmation of grant which details the adjustment requirements and funding available for said requirement to Operational Procurement (Coupabuyersupport@coop.co.uk).

Detail what is agreed with the colleague as being required along with your cost centre and division.

Operational Procurement will then go out to our supplier base for quotes.

Operational Procurement will confirm the equipment spec with you before placing the order.

Quotes will then be sent to you to raise a PO for the equipment. This will be charged to your cost centre.

The item will then be delivered by the chosen supplier.

You must confirm to Operational Procurement the receipt of said item and the PO must be receipted to Coupa to allow payment to be made to our supplier for goods/services.

Operational Procurement will then send the colleague who is in receipt of the Access to Work Grant copies of the paid invoices, along with guidance, so that they may claim the grant monies to be paid to the business.

Once the grant monies are received, then these will be reimbursed to your cost centre.

Furniture and buildings

To order specialist furniture or to have adjustments made to Co-op premises, such as adjusting the height of tills or widening a doorway to allow for wheelchair access, managers should log a request on the online Facilities Helpdesk

Parking

Car parking spaces are available in Angel Square where a requirement is identified as part of a review of adjustments due to a disability or short term or long term medical condition. Managers should contact ER Services to discuss the need for adjustments and the process to follow to request a car parking space.

Braille

If you need documents produced in Braille, contact our Customer Relations Team on 0800 0686 727.