I have been offered a job at the University of Wolverhampton and I am due to start in the next couple of months.

What information will I be sent relating to support for my disability?

You will be asked to complete a Personal Health and Capability Declaration form when you receive your terms and conditions of employment.   Following the review of the form by our Occupational Health Service, you may be asked to attend a meeting, where your personal requirements will be discussed and any recommendations will be sent confidentially to your line manager. 

As a new member of staff, during your probationary period you will take part in regular one to one meetings with your line manager. This two-way review of progress is a good time to discuss any reasonable adjustments such as how work is undertaken on a day-to-day basis; and/or the physical features of your office/ premises to ensure accessibility etc.

You will have access to the University’s Disabled Staff Network and you can speak in confidence to a member of the Human Resources directorate.

What IT equipment will I have access to and how do I get any specialist hardware and software installed?

You will be provided with the hardware and software required to carry out your role. For a comprehensive A-Z listing of all available University software, please visit the University’s software catalogue

We also have a list of University assistive software and how to access it: https://wolvs.service-now.com/kb_view.do?sysparm_article=KB0010297   This includes Inspiration, via AppsAnywhere for any device.

In addition, Microsoft 365 have a range of accessibility tools for a University MS 365 account - they can be accessed here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/office-accessibility-center-resources-for-people-with-disabilities-ecab0fcf-d143-4fe8-a2ff-6cd596bddc6d?wt.mc_id=otc_home 

Should there be any specific equipment required, for example, Dragon speech recognition software for dyslexia, then this can be requested through your line manager.  They will need to process the request with the IT Service Desk, which will be assigned to the software manager, who will then liaise with you about your requirements, when and how to set it up. 

Where will I be working? Has any specialist equipment been ordered e.g. desk or chairs or lighting?

Your work location will be usually be discussed at the interview stage and confirmed in your offer letter and terms and conditions of employment.  If you have a requirement for any specialist equipment, if you could let your line manager know before you join to enable the University to source the necessary equipment and ensure it is in place before your start date.

If it is likely that any specialist equipment will cost more than £1,000, it might be that an application to Access to Work is appropriate.

You should contact Access to Work as soon as you accept the job offer to ensure that any support is in place before you start, or at least within your first 6 weeks of employment with the University, as AtW will be able to pay up to 100% of any approved costs in this timeframe.

Where will my working space be? Can I attend the university before I start working to orientate myself?

If you contact your line manager, they may be able to agree a time to visit and view your working space.  Please be advised however that with current measures around the pandemic and in line with the current national lockdown restrictions, the University is not able to allow staff on campus unless they are critical workers, therefore any visits will have to wait until it is safe to do so.  Up to date Information relating to our safety measures can be found in our Road to Reopening pages and our staff FAQs.

Who do I contact to discuss my needs?

If you think you may need specialist equipment or any specific training, it is recommended that you contact Access to Work to make an application for support.  

Within the University, your Line Manager, HR Business Partner or HR Advisor will be able to assist you.  To find your HR Business Partner and HR Advisor’s contact details, please visit: https://www.wlv.ac.uk/staff/services/humanresources/about-us/.

Additional support with completing any Access to Work application can be provided by the University’s Talent Attraction Manager, Arun Bhatia.