The role of disability employment advisers in the jobcentre

Following our last stakeholder meeting, the DWP has sent us details of the roles of DEAs in jobcentres -

DEAs remain an integral part of our service and support work coaches and Jobcentre colleagues, in situations where claimants present with complex employment circumstances involving health and disability issues to enable individuals to move towards or into sustainable employment or remain in work.

Activities the DEA may undertake but are not exclusive include:

• facilitating regular group case conferences with work coaches
• individual peer-to-peer colleague coaching
• where required by the work coach to help progress an individual case, supporting them in three-way conversations with the claimant and in group sessions
• proactively sharing knowledge and information about health and disability national programmes, local provision, services, training and employment opportunities
• supporting work coaches’ job-broking skills by raising their awareness of the Disability Confident scheme and Access to Work programme
• up-skilling work coaches to support improved work search, build claimant confidence and self-efficacy

We currently have 800 Disability Employment Advisers and Disability Employment Adviser Leaders throughout England, Scotland and Wales and we aim to increase the number of Disability Employment Advisers during the 21/22 financial year. We are currently working through the planning process and will make an announcement once this has been completed.