Council policies and practices on disability equality (as defined by the Equality Act 2010)
Case reference FOI2025/02423
Received 10 December 2025
Published 18 December 2025
Request
I am writing to make a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000. Please can you provide the following information regarding your council's policies and practices on disability equality (as defined by the Equality Act 2010):
1. Disability employment schemes provide essential support for disabled people to find and maintain employment. Is your council signed up to one or more disability employment schemes, such as Disability Confident?
a. Yes - Please provide details about each scheme that you are signed up to.
b. No
2. Please provide a copy of your policy and procedures in place that outline the council’s approach to the identification and implementation of reasonable adjustments for disabled employees in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
3. Does your council provide training or education for managers and employees relating to disability awareness and about the process for the implementation of reasonable adjustments for the councils’ disabled employees in accordance with the Equality Act 2010?
a. Yes - Please provide details or any documents that you provide to managers and employees.
b. No
4. Do your procurement policies require private contracts to demonstrate a commitment to promote disability equality and provide regular reports on how they are achieving this? If yes – do you also ask which disability employment schemes they have signed up to?
Response
I am writing to make a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please can you provide the following information regarding your council's policies and practices on disability equality (as defined by the Equality Act 2010):
1. Disability employment schemes provide essential support for disabled people to find and maintain employment. Is your council signed up to one or more disability employment schemes, such as Disability Confident?
a. Yes - Please provide details about each scheme that you are signed up to.
Answer: Yes. The Service Area have advised Herefordshire Council is a Disability Confident Level 2 Employer.
b. No
Answer: N/A
2. Please provide a copy of your policy and procedures in place that outline the council’s approach to the identification and implementation of reasonable adjustments for disabled employees in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
Answer: Please see the attached Reasonable Adjustments Booklet guidance for managers and employees, and the attached Recruitment and Selection Policy that provides information on assisting candidates that indicate they have a disability as part of a recruitment process.
3. Does your council provide training or education for managers and employees relating to disability awareness and about the process for the implementation of reasonable adjustments for the councils’ disabled employees in accordance with the Equality Act 2010?
a. Yes - Please provide details or any documents that you provide to managers and employees.
Answer: Yes. The Service Area have advised disability awareness is included in mandatory learning modules, covering and highlighting reasonable adjustments. The HR team provide tailored advice and guidance to managers and employees to implement reasonable adjustments.
b. No
Answer: N/A
4. Do your procurement policies require private contracts to demonstrate a commitment to promote disability equality and provide regular reports on how they are achieving this? If yes – do you also ask which disability employment schemes they have signed up to?
Answer: The Service Area have advised yes, the requirement for bidders to comply with the Equality Act 2010 and confirm they have policies in place is set out in the Council’s Contract Procedure rules and it forms part of the assessment of suitability criteria in council tenders. Whether contracted suppliers then provide regular reports on how they are achieving this will very much depend on the nature of the contract.
Documents
This is Herefordshire Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.
You can browse our other responses or make a new FOI request.