Disabled people and those with long term health issues are being supported in finding work by a Cumbrian training specialist.

PHX Training which has offices in Carlisle, Workington, Cleator Moor and Barrow, has been accepted onto the national Disability Confident scheme to change attitudes, behaviours and standards when hiring those with health-related issues.

Briony Fawcett, operations director at PHX Training, said: “Being a Disability Confident Employer supports our priority to proactively offer employment opportunities to disabled people and those suffering with long term health conditions.

“This platform also enables us to gain government support to make reasonable adjustments as required for current employees to enable them to stay in work which is so important.”

The scheme has three levels that assist employers at each stage – Disability Confident Committed, Disability Confident Employer and Disability Confident Leader.

Each has different requirements which employers must meet over a number of years to qualify.

A recent government report found that in the UK an 75 per cent of individuals without disabilities were currently in employment compared to around only half of disabled people.

The Disability Confident scheme has been running since November 2016 and has helped more than 5,000 companies in the UK.