A common reasonable adjustment is to provide a support worker during the recruitment stage. This can be a relatively low-cost solution to ensure that the candidate is given the best opportunity to demonstrate their suitability to the employer.

Some candidates may already have a support worker in place who is able to attend interviews with them and to provide appropriate support.

If the candidate doesn’t have a support worker or hasn’t requested anyone in particular to assist them then you can provide a support worker through an agency.  If the reason for the support falls into the category of communication support you may well be able to get funding for this via the government’s Access to Work scheme.

Support workers can provide assistance in a range of areas including reading, note taking, carrying out administrative tasks and accompanying whilst travelling to work or to an interview, or British Sign Language interpreters.

When providing a support worker be sure to source them from a recognised agency that carries out the appropriate checks and training.  Imagine being dependent on someone else at an important event such as an interview and not being able to understand or trust that person – a potentially huge barrier.