- Access to Work
- Assessments
- Guide
What to expect from an Access to Work workplace assessment: A step-by-step guide
If you have been referred for an Access to Work workplace assessment, it is completely normal to wonder what is going to happen.
The aim is to look at your role, your working environment, your health condition or disability, and the parts of work that are becoming more difficult than they need to be. From there, suitable recommendations can be made, such as equipment, assistive technology, training, coaching, travel support, communication support or other workplace adjustments.
What is Access to Work?
Access to Work is a UK Government scheme run by the Department for Work and Pensions, often shortened to DWP. It can provide advice and financial support for disabled people, people with a health condition, and people with mental health needs who need support to start work, stay in work or move into self-employment.
This support is not the same as Disabled Students’ Allowance, usually called DSA. DSA is linked to education and study. Access to Work is linked to employment.
Access to Work can support a wide range of needs. This may include physical disabilities, sensory impairments, mental health conditions, long-term health conditions and neurodivergent profiles such as ADHD, autism and dyslexia.
So, what happens during an Access to Work workplace assessment?
1. You apply for Access to Work
The employee usually makes the application. Employers can support the process, but the application belongs to the person who needs the support.
You may need to include details about your job, your employer, your condition or disability, and the support you think you may need.
If you are an employer or HR manager, one of the most helpful things you can do at this stage is make the process easier. Make sure the employee knows who to list as the workplace contact and respond quickly if Access to Work asks for information.
2. Access to Work reviews the application
After the application is submitted, an Access to Work case manager will usually review the information and may contact the employee, and sometimes the employer, to discuss what help may be available.
This is where they may decide whether a workplace assessment is needed.
Not every application will need the same process. Some support may be straightforward. Other cases may need more detail before recommendations can be made.
3. A workplace assessment may be arranged
If an assessment is needed, this may be carried out remotely or in person, depending on the situation.
The appointment should be arranged at a time that works for the employee and, where needed, the employer. If the assessment involves the workplace, it can be useful for a manager or HR contact to be available for part of the conversation.
This does not mean the whole assessment needs to be employer-led. The employee should still feel able to speak openly about what they are finding difficult.
4. The assessor asks about your role and challenges
The assessor will usually ask about your job, your working pattern, your tasks and the areas where you need support.
This could include questions such as:
- What parts of your role are most difficult?
- Do you work from home, on site, in an office or across different locations?
- What equipment do you currently use?
- Are there tasks that cause pain, fatigue, stress or sensory overload?
- Do you have difficulty with reading, writing, organisation, memory, communication or focus?
- Have you tried any adjustments already?
- What would make work easier or more manageable?
The point is not to make you feel put on the spot. The point is to understand your work properly.
5. Your workstation or working environment may be reviewed
If relevant, the assessor may look at your workstation, equipment, seating, desk, screen position, keyboard, mouse, lighting, noise levels or other parts of your working environment.
For remote or hybrid workers, this may include your home workstation.
This is not about criticising your setup. Most people are working with what they have been given, what they inherited, or what they quickly put together when their working pattern changed.
The question is not “what is wrong with this person?” It is “what is making work harder than it needs to be?”
6. Support options are discussed
Once the assessor understands the situation, they may discuss support options.
These could include:
- Ergonomic equipment
- Specialist seating
- Assistive technology software
- Assistive technology hardware
- Training on how to use recommended tools
- Workplace coaching
- Communication support
- Travel support
- Changes to working arrangements
- Manager guidance or disability awareness support
- The right recommendation depends on the person, the role and the barrier.
For example, two people may both have ADHD, but they may not need the same support. One person may benefit from coaching around planning and task initiation. Another may need assistive software for focus, reading or organisation. Someone else may need clearer workplace communication, environmental changes or a combination of several things.
Good support is not copy and paste.
7. Recommendations are written up
After the assessment, recommendations are usually written up and shared through the relevant Access to Work process.
This may include the type of support recommended, why it has been recommended and how it is expected to help.
If the employer is involved, good communication at this stage matters. Everyone should be clear on what has been recommended, what the next steps are, and who needs to do what.
8. Support is arranged
Once recommendations are approved, the next stage is arranging the support.
This might mean ordering equipment, booking training, arranging coaching, confirming supplier details or planning how support will be introduced into the workplace.
This is often the stage where people can feel a bit lost. The assessment has happened, the recommendations are in place, but the practical question becomes: “What do I do now?”
That is where Remtek Workplace can help.
How employers can make the process easier
Employers and employees go through this together.
That does not mean the employer needs to take over. It means they should be supportive, responsive and open to practical solutions.
A few simple things help:
Respond quickly to Access to Work requests
Give the employee time to attend the assessment
Avoid making assumptions about what support they need
Keep the conversation focused on barriers and solutions
Make sure managers understand the process
Remember that Access to Work does not replace reasonable adjustments
Be clear on who is responsible for next steps
What can Remtek Workplace support with?
Once you have received your Access to Work recommendations, the next challenge is often working out how to put them in place.
That can be the bit people underestimate.
A recommendation report may include several different types of support, such as ergonomic equipment, assistive technology software, specialist hardware, training, coaching or support worker provision. For the employee, employer or Occupational Health team, this can quickly become a lot to coordinate.
That is where Remtek Workplace can help.
Remtek offers an Access to Work Total Solution, which means we can support the full implementation of approved recommendations through one managed service. Instead of having to contact several different suppliers, arrange separate quotes, organise delivery, book training and chase support separately, you have one point of contact helping bring everything together.
This can include:
- Assistive technology software
- Specialist hardware
- Ergonomic equipment
- Chairs, desks and workstation accessories
- Product delivery and setup
- Assistive technology training
- Workplace coaching
- Guidance around claims, purchasing and reimbursement admin
Where Access to Work has recommended products from another supplier, Remtek can also look to price match where possible. This helps keep the process simple while giving employees and employers confidence that the recommended support can still be sourced in a cost-effective way.
We can also help with the finance and admin side of Access to Work support. This is particularly useful where recommendations include services such as workplace coaching or assistive technology training, where there may be ongoing sessions, invoices, claims or reimbursement steps to manage. Our role is to help make that process clearer and easier to follow, so the support does not get delayed by paperwork.
For employers, this reduces the pressure on HR, finance, procurement and line managers. For employees, it means the recommendations are more likely to turn into practical support quickly, rather than sitting in a report waiting for someone to work out the next step.
Put simply, Remtek helps turn Access to Work recommendations into workplace outcomes.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an Access to Work workplace assessment take?
The length can vary depending on the person’s role, needs and working environment. A straightforward assessment may be relatively short, while more complex cases may take longer.
It is sensible to allow enough time to explain your role, talk through the barriers you are experiencing and discuss possible support options without feeling rushed.
Can I have someone with me during my assessment?
You can ask for someone to be involved if it would help you. This might be a line manager, HR contact, colleague, support worker or someone else who understands your needs.
It can be helpful to agree this in advance, especially if you want part of the assessment to remain private or employee led.
The most important thing is that you feel able to explain your experience clearly and comfortably.
How long does the whole Access to Work process take?
The full Access to Work process can vary, so it is worth setting expectations early. For example, after submitting it will say you’ll be contacted within the next 30 weeks, but, for example, if your job is starting within the next 4 weeks, your application will be prioritised.
If a workplace assessment is needed, you’ll have an appointment arranged within the following 12 working days.
Once you’ve received your recommendations and sent them to Remtek Workplace, we’re usually able to provide equipment within the next few working days.