Optimising Employment for People with Multiple Sclerosis

Optimising Employment for People with Multiple Sclerosis

with Dr Blanca De Dios Pérez, Senior Research Fellow, University of Nottingham

📅 Live Online Event 🎥 Recording sent to all registrants 📜 CPD Attendance Certificates available on request

Why This Event Matters

People are most often diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) between the ages of 20 and 40, the very years when careers are being built, families are forming, and financial independence is crucial. Yet far too many individuals with MS are forced to leave work prematurely due to preventable barriers.

This live session brings you cutting‑edge evidence, practical insights, and real‑world learning from one of the UK’s leading researchers in MS vocational rehabilitation.

If you work in vocational rehabilitation, occupational therapy, case management, employment support, HR, workplace health, or long‑term condition management, this is an essential CPD opportunity.

About the Presentation

Optimising Employment for People with Multiple Sclerosis

This session explores the current evidence on supporting people with MS to remain in or return to work, including the barriers and enablers that shape job retention. Dr De Dios Pérez will also share findings from a recent research programme delivering a job‑retention vocational rehabilitation intervention within existing NHS services, offering practical insights into what works, what gets in the way, and how services can be strengthened to prevent premature workforce exit.

Meet the Speaker: Dr Blanca De Dios Pérez

Dr Blanca De Dios Pérez is a Senior Research Fellow in Rehabilitation Research at the Centre for Rehabilitation and Ageing Research, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham.

Originally trained in Psychology with a specialisation in Neuropsychology at Complutense University of Madrid, she moved to the UK to pursue advanced academic work focused on neurological conditions. In 2024, she was awarded the prestigious Early Career Fellowship from the UK MS Society to advance research into job retention and vocational rehabilitation for people with MS.

Her work centres on understanding the support needs of people with MS and their employers, developing interventions that optimise employment outcomes and reduce the risk of premature workforce exit.

Connect with Dr De Dios Pérez:

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blanca-de-dios-perez-phd-525b201a7/

🐦 X (Twitter): https://x.com/BlancaDios

Further Reading

De Dios Perez, B., Holmes, J., Elder, T., Lindley, R., Evangelou, N., Das Nair, R., ... & Radford, K. (2025). Implementing vocational rehabilitation for people with multiple sclerosis in the UK National Health Service: a mixed‑methods feasibility study. Disability and Rehabilitation, 47(12), 3124–3136.

Who Should Attend?

This event is ideal for:

• Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals

• Occupational Therapists

• Case Managers

• Employment Advisors

• Physiotherapists

• Neurorehabilitation Teams

• HR & Workplace Health Leads

• Anyone supporting people with long‑term neurological conditions

What You’ll Gain

• Evidence‑based understanding of MS and employment

• Practical insights into job retention interventions

• Real‑world learning from NHS‑embedded research

• Strategies to support sustainable work participation

• CPD‑relevant knowledge you can apply immediately

Secure Your Place

Join us for an insightful, practice‑enhancing session that will strengthen your ability to support people with MS to stay in work, thrive in work, and avoid preventable job loss.

🎟 Register now — recording included for all registrants.