The role of our Advice Service team
We have strong relationships with our Members and Partners who get in touch often because we are pragmatic problem-solvers. We give advice that will help you practically ‘now’, and we will also advise on the wider strategic or policy implications and improvements avoiding future challenges.
Who has access to this Service?
We provide a business-facing service. The Advice Service advises managers and leaders who are working on behalf of our Member and Partner organisations. We regularly speak to people in the following roles:
- Human resources
- Diversity and inclusion leaders
- Line managers
- Customer service managers
- Disability and accessibility teams
- Estates, premises, and facilities
- Procurement and contract management
- Health and safety
- Recruitment and resourcing
Please note that we do not advise disabled individuals on their own difficulties and complaints; for example, if an employee has a grievance with a line manager, or a customer has complaint about a service.
Why do Members and Partners contact the Service?
People get in touch with the Advice Service for a number of reasons, such as the following:
- Something has gone wrong and they want to know the best way to fix it.
- To get advice on a specific situation.
- To check something they have been told by someone else or read in guidance.
- To run an idea by us or to get a ‘second opinion’ on a situation.
- To seek advice or build an evidence base for a consultation, equality analysis, or other evidence gathering exercise.
- To request a connection to another Member to share ideas and challenges on a shared interest or practice.
Specific queries
Our Members and Partners call us for many reasons, including the following:
- Case management support – for example, when carrying out absences, performance, or dismissal procedures
- Reviewing language and accuracy of forms, documents, organisational communications, announcement, surveys, and consultations.
- Advice on customer complaints and disputes.
- Advice on how to understand when adjustments may and may not be ‘reasonable’.
- Managing employees and customers with a disability or long-term condition.
Talking things through
Many of our Members and Partners contact us even when they don’t have specific questions – for example, to let us know what they are currently working on, to run ideas by us, or to get our view on a situation even if they know the answer.
On-going case support
We do not ‘close’ a query after we put the phone down to you. When we speak to you, we will often remind you that you can call us back after a meeting or discussion we’ve advised you on.
Members often call us back to tell us how something went following our advice. We welcome follow-ups. We know sometimes things won’t go as well as expected so it may be helpful to speak to us again.
How to contact the Advice Service
The Advice Service operates between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday and is only available to Members and Partners. You can contact us by using the following details:
Address: Business Disability Forum, Nutmeg House, 60 Gainsford Street, London, SE1 2NY
Telephone: +44-20-7403-3020
Email: advice@businessdisabilityforum.org.uk
Information for British Sign Language users
We are committed to making access to our products and services as accessible as possible. If you prefer to talk to us using British Sign Language (BSL), you can contact us through our SignVideo BSL Live service.
The service will connect you to a BSL interpreter who will communicate what you are saying to a member of our team.
Please find out more about using SignVideo BSL Live service.
