Able – The Home Office Disability Network

ABLE are a staff network who support people with disabilities within the Home Office.

The ISU wholeheartedly support the valuable work ABLE to do in raising awareness of disability issues – particularly for those struggling with invisible disabilities. They are a powerful voice promoting tolerance, understanding, and inclusion for people who all too often feel marginalised at work simply because of a health condition they have.

Many ISU members have benefitted directly and indirectly from the fine work ABLE do. We join with their ongoing campaign to ensure that people who have disabilities are not defined by them and instead receive the dignity and support at work we all deserve.

Promoting equality & inclusion for disabled staff in the Home Office

ABLE offers a wide range of services across the Home Office to people with disabilities, and to teams and units. Our network Committee and Regional Representatives are able to deliver presentations, facilitate discussions and provide a range of support as below: 

ABLE members have courage, resilience, are problem solvers and people who carry on in the face of adversity. We will celebrate these attributes and use them for the benefit of our Department and for the public. Able is a voice for all staff in the Home Office with a disability or are affected by a person with a disability. Buddy groups will shortly be re-launched; they will be able to feed in issues to ABLE and provide staff with specific disabilities a forum for exchange of ideas and information. We are part of the wider Civil Service Disability Network.

See below for more detail on ABLE’s current business plan

Provide a unified voice for employees with disabilities to express the types of workplace adjustments that the Home office needs to make to ensure employees are able to operate on a “level playing field”
  • Raise awareness of the importance of obtaining timely workplace adjustments
  •  Support employees feeling bullied, harassed or discriminated against
  •  Organise and promote buddy networks
  •  Provide news and updates on notable disability related stories and awareness days
  •  Support provision of well being rooms (non financial)
Support employees with disabilities across the Home Office
  •  Provide a safe environment to discuss problems
  •  Signpost employees to internal and external sources of support where needed e.g. EAP
Engage with the Home Office to improve the levels of representation attainment and working conditions for employees with disabilities
  •  Provide learning and development opportunities
  •  Provide information on positive action related learning and development opportunities
  • Provide disability related support and advise to employees and managers (casework)
  • Encourage staff to identify the need for support and understanding the impact of disabilities on welfare needs and attendance management
Promote a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion
  •  Attend meetings, away days and diversity days where necessary to promote disability awareness
  • Run workshops, seminars, road shows and deliver bespoke presentations on disability related issues i.e. mental health, workplace adjustments, neurodisabilities etc
  • Review policies and guidance to ensure they don’t adversely impact on staff with disabilities.
  • Help in developing disability inclusive policy
  • Provide advice on Policy Equality Statements

Contact ABLE

If you wish to speak to someone at ABLE in confidence, you can contact them at [email protected]