Interview adjustments and Access to Work

Reasonable adjustments

Interview adjustments and Access to Work

Our goal

Our goal is to help you perform at your best throughout every stage of the employee journey.

As part of the recruitment process, we will only ask you about your health and disability to identify adjustments that are required. When adjustments are requested, we’ll work with you to identify what works best, ensuring the right support is in place for you to succeed.

Adjustment examples during the recruitment process:

  • Holding an interview on the ground floor to ensure accessibility
  • Providing additional time to complete written or oral tasks during the interview process>
  • Offering the option to complete assessments verbally rather than in writing
  • Sending interview questions in advance of interview
  • Interpreter bookings through Access to Work

Adjustment examples for employees

  • Ensuring meetings or events are held in accessible locations
  • Allowing additional time for tasks where needed
  • Providing alternatives to written communication or tasks, such as offering the option to complete them verbally
  • Offering flexibility in work schedules
  • Provision of assistive technology
  • Accommodation of breaks for medical needs, and providing a private space where required/possible

If you’d like to discuss your adjustments during the recruitment process, please get in touch with the Talent Acquisition team on: recruitment@sense.org.uk or 0121 393 4529.

Access to Work

At Sense we have a diverse team of people, passionate about making a difference to people’s lives. Our employee networks are led by our people and ensure we can all feel connected, celebrate our differences, and have a voice in decisions.

Disability Confident Employer

Disability Confident Employer accreditation logoSense is a Disability Confident Employer and offers a guaranteed interview to any candidate with a disability that meets the minimum requirements of the role. 

Job interview support

You can apply to Access to Work to get money for communication support at a job interview. The money pays for a communication support worker to go to your job interview with you. You can use this service if you: 

  • are Deaf or hard of hearing and need a British Sign Language interpreter or lipspeaker 
  • have a physical or mental health condition or learning difficulty and need communication support 

You need to apply before the interview takes place and tell us the total cost of the communication support you’ll need. For help with finding communication support and getting costs, you can contact your employment adviser or an organisation that specialises in supporting people with your needs. AtW pay the costs after the job interview has taken place. The money does not have to be paid back and will not affect your other benefits. 

Apply online for interview communication support 

You may need some information from the Talent Acquisition Team at Sense to complete your forms for interview, so get in touch on Recruitment@sense.org.uk or 0121 393 4529. 

A woman wearing a Sense lanyard talks to another using a laptop

What other support can be covered by Access to Work 

  • doing things another way, such as allowing someone with social anxiety disorder to have their own desk instead of hot-desking 
  • making physical changes to the workplace, like installing a ramp for a wheelchair user or an audio-visual fire alarm for a deaf person 
  • letting a disabled person work somewhere else, such as on the ground floor for a wheelchair user 
  • changing their equipment, for instance providing a special keyboard if they have arthritis 
  • allowing employees who become disabled to make a phased return to work, including flexible hours or part-time working 
  • offering employees training opportunities, recreation and refreshment facilities 

How to Apply 

You can apply online here or contact the Access to Work helpline: 

Telephone: 0800 121 7479 

Textphone: 0800 121 7579 

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm 

If you are deaf and use British Sign Language you may be able to use the Video Relay Service (known as VRS). 

If you’re in Northern Ireland, find out about employment for people with disabilities or contact Access to Work (NI).