University of Sussex has achieved Disability Confident Leader status, recognising our ongoing work towards disability equality and inclusion. Achieving this highest level of the Disability Confident scheme by 2025 is a measure of success in the Inclusive Sussex Strategy.   

Being a Disability Confident Leader means we are committed to best practice procedures and experiences in the recruitment and retention of disabled staff, reporting on disability, mental health and wellbeing, and building a culture of disability equality and inclusion.

We are committed to disabled staff and students being involved in key decision-making processes, driving continuous improvements in service delivery and staff experience across the institution through the Disability Equality and Inclusion Steering Group. This includes key stakeholders in Human Resources, the Staff Disability Network and teams across the University which have worked together to implement changes and improvements, and to gather existing evidence to prepare for the University Disability Confident Leader submission.

We are also committed to providing a supportive workplace for disabled staff and developing a culture of disability equality and inclusion and our ongoing action plan will help us to build on this achievement.

David Ruebain, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Culture, Equality and Inclusion says, “I am delighted that the University has now attained Disability Confident Leader status, the highest of the three tiers of the scheme, in progressively improving our approach to representation of and development for disabled staff.  This external validation is an important milestone in our disability equality and inclusion work, which we committed to achieve through the Inclusive Sussex strategy. The work of the steering group will continue to build on this achievement and to drive forward improvement.” 

What is Disability Confident? 

Disability Confident is a voluntary Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) scheme, seeking to encourage best practice procedures and experiences in the recruitment and retention of disabled staff.

There are three levels to the scheme. The University joined at Level 1 ‘Committed’ in 2019, became Level 2 ‘Employer’ through self-assessment in 2021, and achieved Level 3 ‘Leader’ in October 2024 through external validation.  

Leaders must provide evidence for the assessment and in relation to employing disabled people, leadership activities and reporting on disability, mental health and wellbeing. This must be submitted for external validation, and they must agree that we are delivering against all the core actions of the scheme.  

What does the scheme involve?

The submission includes a focus on our approach to recruitment and reasonable adjustments in the workplace. This includes our approach to the recruitment process, the opt-in interview scheme, offering and implementing reasonable adjustments, and flexibility in assessment. This also includes our approach to disability equality awareness training, and in procurement of services. 

There are also requirements relating to our wider approach to developing a culture of disability equality and inclusion. This includes support we offer to employees (e.g. staff networks, wellbeing and Employee Assistance Programmes), our approach to development and progression, and how we value and listen to feedback from disabled staff. 

What happens next?

Achieving Disability Confident Leader is part of an ongoing commitment to progress disability equality and inclusion work. We continue working towards building an Inclusive Sussex, where all members of our community have equal access to opportunities, are enabled to fully meet their potential, and are supported to contribute.

The Disability Equality and Inclusion Steering Group will continue work to deliver the associated action plan, driving and monitoring Disability Confident Leader activities.

We will continue to provide updates on this workstream throughout the academic year, following the recent disability equality and inclusion update.

Resources and further support

• All staff are encouraged to complete the Disability Essentials elearning on LearnUpon. 

• Effective workplace adjustments remove barriers and enable staff to fulfil their potential, and the University’s updated Workplace Adjustment Toolkit provides guidance on workplace adjustments (or reasonable adjustments) for staff and managers.   

• Through our membership to the Business Disability Forum, all staff have access to their Knowledge Hub by registering with their Sussex email address. Managers and HR can contact BDF confidential Advice Service. 

• The Staff Disability Network hosts termly drop-ins for a chance to share confidential feedback, offers email support and a Teams channel for peer-to-peer connection. The network seeks to raise awareness across campus with events and advocacy within decision-making and policy change. If you would like to join the network, please email staffdisabilitynetwork@sussex.ac.uk. 

• There are a range of wellbeing resources and support available on the Staff Wellbeing Hub, including the Employee Assistance Programme and Guidance for Managers.