Example: ICT into work support plan

This is what a typical plan looks like when someone is starting work and wants their technology sorted before day one. The person below is a made-up example, not a real client: every plan is built around the person in front of me.

Starting point

Jo (not a real person) is partially sighted and starts a part-time admin job in four weeks. The job uses email, Teams and shared spreadsheets on a work laptop. Jo is comfortable on a phone but has not used a computer for work in years, and is worried about keeping up in the first week.

Assessment (£75)

We start with a one-hour assessment, in person or by video. I look at:

• The devices Jo will use, at home and at work
• Accessibility settings: magnification, contrast, screen reader, keyboard shortcuts
• The software the job needs (here: Outlook, Teams, Excel)
• Where Jo feels confident, and where the worries are

Jo gets a short written report: what to set up, in what order, and roughly what it costs. If Jo books further sessions, the £75 comes off the next invoice.

Goals

We agree three goals in Jo's own words:

1. “I can find, read and reply to emails without asking for help.”
2. “I can join a Teams call and share my screen.”
3. “I can open the team spreadsheet and update my rows.”

Sessions

Jo's sessions, week by week

When	What we do	By the end
Week 1	Set up accessibility settings on Jo's devices	Screen is comfortable to read; settings saved
Week 2	Email: inbox, folders, search, replying	Goal 1 met
Week 3	Teams and the spreadsheet, practised on real tasks	Goals 2 and 3 met
Week 5	Check-in after Jo's first week at work	Any new snags fixed

Each session is about an hour. Pace and order change to suit the person.

Access to Work

Access to Work is a government grant that can pay for “specialist equipment and assistive software” and support like job coaches, and it does not have to be paid back (Access to Work on GOV.UK). It does not cover adjustments the employer is legally required to make.

For Jo, that could mean magnification or screen reader software and the training to use it. I help Jo work out what to ask for, explain the setup in plain English for the application, and deliver the training if it is approved.

What Jo leaves with

• Devices set up and settings saved, so nothing resets
• A one-page “how I do things” guide in large print, written with Jo
• Confidence with the three tools the job uses
• A direct contact for when something goes wrong

Cost

Jo's plan comes to £300 in total, and Access to Work may pay for some or all of it.

Cost of Jo's plan

Item	Cost
Assessment	£75
4 sessions at £75 an hour (Access to Work rate)	£300
Assessment fee credited back	minus £75
Total	£300