A disabled Perth man has received an apology after he hit out at a charity’s “poor” recruitment efforts.
Gordon Kennedy, who suffers from bi-polar disorder, applied for a clerical position at Capability Scotland’s Perth offices at the start of this month and should have been guaranteed an interview, according to Government policy.
Despite meeting all the necessary criteria to qualify for the Two Ticks scheme, his application was unsuccessful.
The 39-year-old, who has spent time in hospital because of his condition, contacted staff at the Upper Springlands building to ask why he was not granted an interview. He was referred to a member of staff at the Edinburgh head office, who revealed it had been “human error”.
Mr Kennedy was offered an interview but said the situation has caused him stress. He believes Jobcentre Plus needs to monitor all employers displaying the Two Ticks symbol which indicates they are “positive” about disabled people.
He told The Courier: “I have been unemployed for around a year and was quietly confident about this job. I’m desperate to get back into work.
“Because Capability Scotland is a charity that supports disabled people, you would expect its staff would fully understand the disability discrimination legislation.
“I have worked in a number of clerical and administration roles so I knew I met the minimum criteria for an interview.”PromiseHe added: “I don’t expect to get a job because I have a disability but I expect employers to follow through on their promise to interview me.
“Because I’ve had time in hospital I have a few gaps on my CV and I was comfortable about applying to Capability Scotland as I thought they would understand that.
“I don’t see how the three staff on the interview panel could have failed to notice I ticked a box.”
George Finnigan, chief operating officer at Capability Scotland, apologised.
“Unfortunately this is a genuine oversight on our part and the result of human error,” he said. “Mr Kennedy has now written to us about the matter and we have responded to tell him that we will investigate and provide him with a full response.
“In the meantime we have offered him an interview for the role in question. Interviews have not yet been held so he would be at no disadvantage compared to the other candidates.
“As an organisation we are dedicated to the Two Ticks scheme and the right of all disabled people to access employment. We apologise to Mr Kennedy for any upset and stress that this incident has caused him.”