MS Awareness for employment support professionals (including DWP)

Free MS awareness training sessions for professionals in the Department for Work and pensions (DWP)

A free training session providing an awareness of multiple sclerosis (MS) aimed at professionals working for the Department for Work and pensions (DWP), supported employment staff and employers who may have people with MS in their team.

We are hosting free MS awareness training sessions for you. Simply choose a date and book now!

Why does your team need this MS awareness session?

Did you know that MS is the most common disabling neurological condition in working aged adults? It is estimated that there are over 130,000 people in the UK who live with MS.

A report by the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on MS found that up to 80 per cent of people with MS stop work entirely within 15 years of diagnosis. Many gradually reduce or adapt their work before leaving the workforce permanently.

As well as having potential to affect physical ability there are also many invisible symptoms such as fatigue, issues with bladder or cognition. MS can impact on aspects of employment and overall physical and mental wellbeing.

Combine all these social, physical, and mental health factors and it highlights why people with MS may need some additional support from services and their employers.

Living with MS in the twenty first century does not mean that a person will have to give up work, or even necessarily change their career path. Employment has been shown to have a positive effect on the wellbeing of people with long-term health conditions and we know that many people feel a real sense of identity through their job. Stopping work too early can have a detrimental impact on people and getting the best support available to remain in the workforce for as long as possible can make a huge difference to individual’s employment outcomes.

In a previous session our co-trainer with lived experience of MS had this to say as part of his presentation to DWP staff:

Going part time was one of the hardest decisions I had to make as I felt it would compromise my career progression.  I was a senior member of the team in a growing industry, exactly where I wanted to be.  I was only able to reach this decision after the support of friends, family, colleagues and MS-UK.  I had support from MS-UK which helped me come to the conclusion that I can have both a career and manage my condition.

It is important that professionals supporting people to retrain, source or sustain employment understand multiple sclerosis. MS-UK want to share our knowledge to help support staff to increase their understanding of MS.

The hour long training session will cover

1. What is MS?
2. Myths and preconceptions
3. Symptoms that may impact on wellbeing
4. A lived experience of MS
5. Symptom management tips
6. The kind of support that people with MS may need on their MS journey

All MS-UK’s work is driven by our values and includes the voices of people living with MS. This session will be delivered by a member of our team in partnership with a volunteer with lived experience of MS.

Previous participants from the Department of Work and Pensions said that the session had been ‘educational and inspiring’ with another saying, ‘thanks so much for explaining MS so clearly – have learned so much!’.

Many thanked our co-trainer with lived experience of MS directly with a member of staff saying ‘So glad I joined this session. Thank you for being so frank and open. Really enlightening. Many thanks’.

This training session (delivered online via Teams) will provide participants with a better understanding of how they can support people on their MS journey.

Participants will have more knowledge of the condition and MS specific resources (both online and in the community) that will be useful for anyone supporting a person with MS.

Book now

If you feel that you or your team need a more comprehensive understanding of multiple sclerosis, MS-UK have a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) accredited MS Awareness eLearning course. This course is aimed at workers and volunteers who may support people affected by MS.