Our Theory of Change

Our Theory of Change: Active Inclusion

Our Theory of Change (using NESTA’s model) outlines a strategic mission to achieve equity in employment for individuals with lived experience of disability, neurodivergence, mental health conditions, and hearing loss. Despite existing government initiatives and training programmes, significant barriers to employment persisted in 2024, which this initiative sought to dismantle through a person-centred approach.

Core Mission and Objectives

• Support and Advocacy: Supporting disabled people overcome barriers and help advocate for employment equity.
• Collaboration: Working with diverse organisations and service providers to identify ‘real gaps’ in the current system.
• Systemic Change: Developing strategic partnerships and co-producing organisational models to foster equitable working environments.

Strategic Steps to Creating Change

The Pilot aimed to generate impact through various activities, including:

• Engagement: Utilising a dedicated website, social media, and networking to reach participants.
• Development: Hosting co-production workshops, unconference event, and one-to-one meetings.
• Innovation: Creating an accredited WaysOfWorking model and bespoke, crafted job roles.

Long-Term Goals

• Defining Active Inclusion: Moving beyond ‘virtue-signaling’ to a human-centric human resources definition that reflects genuine equity.
• Empowerment: Creating safe environments where everyone can request necessary tools without stigma or judgment.
• Inclusive Budgets: Ensuring communication tools are integrated into standard operational plans rather than treated as ‘extra’ costs.
• Sustainable Employment: Reducing grievances and tribunal cases while improving job retention and reducing ‘silent quitting’.

From Definition to Systemic Action

• Establishing the Foundation: The pilot began with three foundational workshops to define “Active Inclusion,” eventually expanding the term to ‘Active Inclusion: Equity in Employment’ to better reflect a mission focused on removing the barriers that ‘disable’ individuals in the workforce.
• Strategic Planning: The creation of a formal Theory of Change moved the project from “goodwill” toward a structured model for overcoming employment barriers through advocacy and partnership.
• Collaborative Delivery: In July 2024, the initiative delivered a co-produced unconference titled ‘What’s a “Happy” Workplace?’, directly fulfilling the Theory of Change goal of hosting non-traditional events to challenge workplace assumptions.

Evolution of Impact

• Community Building: By October 2025, the Theory of Change successfully transitioned from a plan to a living reality, resulting in the establishment of the Active Inclusion: Equity in Employment community.
• Resource Development: To ensure decisions and language models are preserved, the group is developing an Encyclopaedia—a tool that aligns with the goal of creating accredited, person-centred WaysOfWorking.
• Research and Archiving: Current efforts have expanded into co-producing a research project and a StoriesOfWork Community Archive, which serves to identify’real gaps’ in service provision and document lived experiences.

Future Growth and Sustainability

• Formalisation: As of May 2026, the initiative is moving toward becoming a Community Interest Company (CIC), a specific long-term goal identified in the original model to ensure a sustainable organisational structure.
• Operational Integration: Supported by partner organisations, the project is scaling its efforts to ensure that equity is not just a ‘tick box’ exercise but is embedded in the budgets and operational plans of employers using their work as LivingProof.
• Theory of Change: As the group formalizes and grows, a new Theory of Change will be co-produced.

#WaysOfWorking #StoriesOfWork

Legacy

The original Theory of Change, created in 2024 is attached as a PDF, other formats will be uploaded as capacity in the group increases.