Celebrating success; inspiring others - 8 July 2020 - the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion
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Foreword Denise Keating, Chief Executive, enei The enei Awards recognise the commitment of organisations in achieving diverse and inclusive workplaces and celebrate the teams and individuals who are really making a difference. It is encouraging to see that despite economic and political uncertainty organisations are still prepared to lead the way in doing the right thing, not the easy thing, and are seeing the business benefits of doing so. The leading organisations showcased at our Awards are proud to share their achievements and the best practices needed to provide insight for other organisations to develop unique responses to the challenges faced in their workplaces. It is clear from the award entries that the best organisations recognise both the benefits of a diverse and inclusive workforce and the need to push themselves further along their journey in order to successfully compete in national and global marketplaces. Award Categories Judges ● Overall Winner – Private Sector ● Denise Keating, Chief Executive, enei ● Overall Winner – Public Sector ● Hamid Motraghi, Chair of The NETWORK, Supported by NHS Employers Home Office ● Small Employer of the Year ● Sarah Bakewell, Diversity and Inclusion Manager, AWE ● Personal Achievement ● Global Diversity ● Paul Deemer, Head of Diversity and Inclusion, NHS Employers Sponsored by Global Diversity Practice ● Impact Through Innovation ● Katherine Montague, Director of People, Tate Sponsored by AWE ● Raj Jones, Diversity & Inclusion Manager, Sodexo ● Inclusive Culture Supported by NHS Employers ● Dawn Moore, Group People Director, Murphy Group ● Innovative Ways of Working ● Advancing Social Mobility in the Workplace Judges followed a rigorous process and were asked to look specifically for entries that showed: ● Representative Workforce ● Clear response to specific challenge ● Apprenticeships ● Definitive and measurable outcomes ● Inclusive Recruitment ● Evidence of significant impact ● Disability Confident ● An innovative approach ● Wellbeing ● A commitment to good practice above and ● Neurodiversity beyond legal compliance ● Pay Gap ● Initiatives or policies that inspire other ● Employee Network Group of the Year employers ● Team of the Year Sponsored by Personnel Today ● Equality & Inclusion Senior Champion of the Year Supported by NHS Confederation ● Community Impact 2
Overall Winner 2020 - Private Sector PwC Social mobility is a top priority for the firm’s board as the business recruits based on PwC are Overall Winner - Private Sector 2020 behaviours and potential, as a result of taking home both the Team of the recognising that technology is Year Award and the Advancing Social Mobility in transforming work and roles. the Workplace Award. The firm are also Highly In 2015 PwC removed UCAS Commended in the Innovative Ways of Working points from the majority category. of graduate and undergraduate opportunities after identifying that UCAS tariffs were a better indicator PwC are one of the Big Four professional services firms of socio-economic background than they were of and employ over 21,300 people in the UK. aptitude and potential. In 2017 PwC formalised their The Inclusion, Community and Wellbeing Team works social mobility strategy into a five-point plan with five across PwC to drive progress and change. The team has ambitious deliverables. These include: introduced a programme to build the inclusive leadership ● Helping 25,000 young people to develop workplace capability of the organisation’s leaders and have skills through programmes with schools and colleges embedded inclusive leadership skills into development across the UK (over 40,000 already supported) programmes. ● Provide paid work experience places for at least 1,000 Other initiatives include the Everyday Inclusion campaign young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (467 which engages all PwC employees to be personally places already provided) responsible for creating an inclusive culture. The ● Give 100 young people a year the chance to develop campaign is sustained with a programme of activities technology skills without tuition fees, through that focuses on a different inclusion topic each month. PwC’s technology degree and data science graduate apprenticeships (achieved annually) ● Be a cornerstone employer in Bradford supporting the government’s social mobility agenda (achieved) ● Support the development and training of 250 social enterprises and commit to spending £10 million through their supply chain with social enterprises (71% expenditure) PwC’s year 12 paid work experience programme has grown from 67 places in FY15 to 500 (250 of whom will be from less privileged backgrounds) in FY21. Their target is that 15% of hires across student and experienced recruitment received Free School Meals (FSM) at school. PwC are using virtual tools to support teachers and students during COVID-19, facilitating the development of key employability skills whilst learning from home. Everyday Flexibility is an initiative that sits alongside the firm’s formal flexible working policy and supports Colourbrave was launched by the team following internal informal, day-to-day flexibility. Everyone having informal research into the experiences of BAME employees. It has access to flexible working has helped reduce the stigma grown to a network of over 70 advocates from all areas around agile working and now this is the new norm. of the business who role model confident conversations The Flexible Talent Network scheme was introduced in about race and ethnicity. 2018 and has helped the firm attract new talent whose With the diversity at junior grades not being reflected personal circumstances mean that a full-time role at at senior levels the team set targets in 2015 for the PwC isn’t an option. There are an array of different proportion of females and ethnic minorities to be working patterns, from people who only wish to work achieved by 2020. Two years in it became clear that term time due to childcare commitments, through to these targets would not be reached at the existing entrepreneurs growing their own businesses and looking rate of change, so financial consequences for target for supplementary income. achievement were introduced for all partners in 2018. This new scheme has allowed PwC to flex its workforce Senior leaders are supported with quarterly management during its busiest times, adding talented, qualified reports showing progress against targets with data on individuals to the workforce at times that suit both the diversity in resourcing, promotions and recruitment. firm and the employee. 47% of applications to these roles are female. 3
Joint Overall Winner 2020 - Public Sector Supported by: Financial Ombudsman Service The Financial Ombudsman Service have been named Joint Overall Winner 2020 - Public Sector as winner As we assess the impact of Covid-19, employers are realising even more so the importance of flexible working, equality and inclusive workplace of the Inclusive Culture cultures. If employers are going to retain their staff and recruit a more Award and the Employee diverse workforce in the future, they need to create workplaces where staff feel physically, psychologically and spirituality safe. Network Group of the Year Award. on domestic abuse awareness which was one of the The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent organisation’s most well attended. They’ve created a new public body set up by Parliament to resolve complaints additional support team to help customers in vulnerable between financial businesses and their customers. circumstances, and the accessibility team work to ensure Employing over 2,700 people, the Financial Ombudsman everyone can use the service regardless of disability. Service is committed to diversity and inclusion because it means they can better understand people’s different The Embrace employee network has over 300 members perspectives and backgrounds which is essential to their and keeps them engaged through the delivery of an job of resolving financial complaints. impressive amount of activity. Whilst the principles of diversity had been established Group activity includes: in the organisation, the Financial Ombudsman Service faced a challenge in moving beyond this and embedding ● Regular lunchtime sessions called ‘My Journey’ where inclusion. They also needed to enable the 14 employee senior BAME staff members, non BAME senior allies networks to contribute alongside their existing roles and and external BAME speakers in senior positions were encourage participation from across the organisation, not invited to share their career stories. just highly engaged pockets. They did this by aligning ● Yearly mentoring circles led by senior leaders. Each wellbeing with inclusion, including teams and strategies. circle has up to eight mentees – with six monthly sessions. Of the 107 mentees who’ve taken part in The contribution of network members is recognised in the mentoring circles, 14 have had a promotion to a performance conversations and chairs are given one new position and eight of those positions are either day a month for network activity to recognise their managerial or senior positions. importance to the Financial Ombudsman Service’s ● Hosting a career insight day for 16 students from work. The executive sponsors, Inclusion and Wellbeing Brampton Manor Academy in East London, delivering team and network members work collaboratively a number of sessions which empowered the students to deliver events and learning that respond to the with confidence and soft skills to help them become intersectional diversity of employees (e.g. wellbeing and workplace ready through problem solving exercises being a carer in the Asian community) and also align and interview skills practice. with understanding customer’s needs e.g. a workshop ● Delivering a series of workshops and events focused on supporting wellness in BAME communities. 4
Joint Overall Winner 2020 - Public Sector Supported by: North East London NHS Foundation Trust As we assess the impact of Covid-19, employers are realising even more so the importance of flexible working, equality and inclusive workplace cultures. If employers are going to retain their staff and recruit a more diverse workforce in the future, they need to create workplaces where staff feel physically, psychologically and spirituality safe. NELFT have been recognised as Joint Overall Winner 2020 - Public Sector in recognition of Actions taken include making EDI training mandatory, their work embedding diversity and inclusion with a 97% compliance rate, introduction of a Health throughout the organisation, despite only being Passport and making a number of adjustments to the recruitment process. a team of three. The Trust was named winner of the Disability Confident Award and was The introduction of health passports, a confidential Highly Commended in the Inclusive Culture and document designed for staff with long-term health conditions, mental health issues, neurodiversity or other Innovative Ways of Working categories. learning difficulties, helps them assess the support they North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) may need in the workplace on terms of time, space, provide care and treatment for a population of 4.3 million technology or equipment and communication. It aims to people, employing approximately 6,500 staff who work encourage declaration and support staff to manage their across 210 bases in London, Essex, Kent and Medway. health at work and remove obstacles throughout their NHS career. NELFT are committed to an inclusive culture that creates a better work environment for staff and better outcomes Staff Survey results: for patients. Internal investigations found that leadership teams weren’t properly accountable or committed to ● Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is scored 9 out of 10 the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda, a number ● Fair organisation – score has been steady for the past of groups were under-represented in the workplace and five years at 83%-84% engagement rates were lower for a number of groups. ● Reasonable adjustments – score has risen from 71% to 79% in the last year ● Flexible working is scored at 67% which is best score in the sector ● Positive action on staff health and well-being score has risen from 27% to 42% in last two years ● Support from managers score is 7.5 which is best score in the sector ● Staff engagement score has risen steadily for the past five years and is 7.2 which it better than the average. 5
Small Employer of the Year 2020 (less than 1,000 employees) Frontline Frontline have been named Small Employer of the Year 2020 in recognition of the way they have focused on wellbeing as a way to enable the positive effects of change, and not just ● Group wellness walks mitigate the negative effects. ● Participation in national events such as National Fitness Month Frontline is a charity working to transform the lives of vulnerable children by recruiting and developing social The Diversity and Inclusion Working Group works workers, employing 140 people. alongside the Wellbeing Action Group, and whilst led by HR is also made up of employees from all teams across The organisation’s expansion into new regions has the organisation. Much of the D&I group’s work overlaps created new teams, roles and managers. Frontline has with the wellbeing agenda and close collaboration helps recognised that the best way to help employees through maximise the impact of initiatives. the changes rapid growth causes is by focusing on wellbeing, and it empowers its employees to lead this Innovative actions taken by Frontline include: agenda themselves. ● Recruitment and training of Mental Health First The work is driven by the employee-led Wellbeing Action Aiders Group which is comprised of employees from every ● A core hours policy between 10am and 4:30pm which team, region and level of the organisation. The group gives employees flexibility meets monthly, with initiatives and opportunities shared ● Employees are encouraged to work from home at on the internal communications platform. These activities least one day per week have included: ● All employees get up to three days per year to volunteer at a mission-aligned charitable organisation ● Employee led lunch and learn events covering employee benefits and financial wellbeing As a result of the actions taken by Frontline wellbeing ● Pot Luck Lunches where each colleague contributes a based questions on staff surveys have seen across the different dish board improvements. 6
Personal Achievement Award Winner: Zaheer Highly Commended: Ahmad, EY Bernice Allport, Civil Service Zaheer is the Head of Strategic Employee Policy Delivery for EY in the UK Bernice is Workplace Adjustments and Ireland, responsible for Team Leader at Civil Service leading EY’s national strategy Employee Policy and chair of the on race, social mobility, faith Cross-Government Menopause and innovation. Zaheer has Network. The network was formed led the firm’s implementation of D&I targets for every to share good practice for support partner, making the entire leadership responsible and and guidance on the menopause accountable for diversity in the business. at work. The network’s aim was to develop an overarching joint Under Zaheer’s leadership EY has made public menopause policy, commitments to double its gender and race guidance and toolkit representation at partner level to 40% female and which would offer and 20% BAME. He is working closely with the Student underline education Recruitment and Experienced Hire senior management and knowledge sharing broadly across all parts of teams to implement a recruitment strategy which is government. aligned to these targets. The Network has secured senior champions to help Zaheer has set up the Race Advisory Board, made up of elevate menopause issues in the organisation and was senior partners from across the business, to ensure that awarded the Civil Service Health and Wellbeing Award EY’s efforts on race are implemented consistently across 2019. In her role as Chair Bernice has gone far beyond the all service lines. Zaheer has also partnered with the EY initial ambition and gone on to make an impact outside Foundation to set up a social mobility working group. her own organisation; she has changed and improved Thanks to the work of Zaheer and the group, changes access to care and education, recognised in 3 Charity have been implemented in the application process for for CS awards-including the network of the year and the Graduate and Apprenticeship roles to ensure social overall people’s choice with unprecedented numbers mobility data is captured, recorded and monitored. voting. The Committee has now been approached to support local government offices in Leeds and the Fire In addition to all the above, Zaheer is also a serving Service if they can join the network as an outreach of the Magistrate sitting in Adult Criminal court and works with existing network. the judiciary to help raise awareness of Diversity and Inclusiveness in the public sector and plays an active role in his local community as a school governor at a primary school. Through inclusive leadership, Zaheer has been Highly Commended: Jacqui instrumental, together with the school leadership, in helping the school to reduce its £1m deficit to £200,000 McBurnie, NHS England in just two years. Jacqui is Senior Programme manager at NHS England and Zaheer has mentored several individuals, from all Chair of the NHSE/I Menopause ethnicities and genders, who come from less privileged Network. The NHS England/ areas of London. He has dedicated time to help many Improvement Menopause with their education, CV, interview preparations and Network was established in given hints and tips around ways to progress and gain 2017 as a consequence of nearly visibility in their workplaces. His mentees not only look half the entire NHS working up to him as a role model but also want to use his population being women aged infectious attitude towards D&I to make a difference. between 45 and 64 years old. The network is now working with acute hospital trusts and NHS Leadership Academy to share best practice and have published a toolkit and guidance in conjunction with the Cross-Government Menopause Network. The network has also carried out a survey of members to establish the prevalence of menopause related issues in the NHS. Jacqui administers the network in addition to her full time role without any defined budget or allocated resource. 7
Global Diversity Award Sponsored by: Winner Public Sector: GDP are proud sponsors of the Department for International enei Awards, celebrating the efforts of organisations striving Development to advance equality, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace. These awards are an opportunity to recognise those who create an environment of belonging for everyone, and we honour their positive contributions to the global D&I cause. Winner Private Sector: IBM IBM are a global technology company who employ over 370,000 The Department for International Development is the UK people globally. The Government Department responsible for administering business has focused the UK’s efforts to end poverty globally. They employ its attention on gender over 3,200 people in 54 countries. representation at the global level after identifying that The department identified an internal lack of openness women only occupy 27% of technical roles globally. around sexual harassment at the same time as the Multiple programmes have been developed for women #MeToo movement and the aid charity safeguarding by IBM, all adaptable at country level to meet local legal scandal were making headlines. An all-staff survey was and cultural needs; the programmes are also branded launched to establish the scale of any problem in the differently across the world for the same reason. All of department which was completed by almost a third of these initiatives are designed to rehire, retain and to the employee population. prepare women for promotion to an executive level. The survey found that 44% of respondents had either These initiatives include: experienced or witnessed sexual harassment, with most not reporting incidents as it was believed to be ● The Technical Re-Entry Programme: piloted in the ‘something to put up with’. USA, Brazil and India and now rolling out globally, this programme is a six-month returnship placement Determined to eradicate any tolerance of sexual for women who have taken a career break of harassment, the cross-departmental team behind the more than two years. Successful graduates are survey developed a suite of guidance, tools and advice automatically converted to full time contracts of for tackling sexual harassment within teams and across employment: in 2019 the programme was completed the organisation. Training sessions were developed which by 99 women and 99% of participants were offered focused on ensuring global cultural differences were full time roles. taken into account. ● The Elevate + programme: this programme has been deployed worldwide and prepares senior women Since the introduction of training and guidance the for promotion to the Executive level. In Europe 101 proportion of employees reporting bullying and women have completed the programme and the harassment has increased by 20% to 58% and the team promotion rate for participants is 55%. have been recognised by the Civil Service for the work done on tackling sexual harassment and received the ● The Unleashing Your Leadership Potential Programme: aimed at the young professional female Civil Service Cabinet Secretary Award for Diversity and population, this Inclusion. initiative is run by The Department for International Development have senior women and also partnered with the Department for International includes three 3-hour Trade and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the sessions over a three- two Government departments with a similar international month period. More than 20,000 women presence, to help them tackle similar issues. have completed the programme globally with many graduates stepping up to co- facilitate it for their colleagues. 8
Impact through Innovation Award Sponsored by: Winner Private Sector: “We are delighted to be Thames Water sponsoring the 2019 enei Award ‘Impact Through Innovation’ category. Thames Water are the Being open to doing things differently and UK’s largest water and embracing innovation wastewater services across our organisation provider, with over 6,000 is key to providing an employees working to environment where everybody can contribute and develop professionally and personally. supply around 2,600 million Inclusion is the oxygen that enables innovation to grow and to flourish litres of tap water each and we wish all the entrants the very best.” day and serving 15 million customers across London and the Thames Valley. Winner Public Sector: Civil Thames Water’s inclusion cards were created by diversity Service and inclusion champions from across all the different The Civil Service employee networks within the business. The cards are a carries out the simple conversation starter which contain three fictitious practical and scenarios per Protected Characteristic. administrative The scenarios involve teasing out conversations about work of the UK positive action as well as considering imagery and Government. gender-neutral language. They were then adjusted to It includes all ensure each scenario was written in the third person to Government Departments as well as their agencies and ensure a cultural of learning that was blame free with public bodies, covering 445,000 employees. open conversations could take place. The Civil Service Job Share Finder website is a tool that The cards are designed so employees could pick and allows civil servants to identify and contact other civil chose or select cards at random thinking through servants looking for job share partners. Before the tool themselves what they would do and when calling or was created potential job sharers were dependent on meeting up with colleagues, during a break could supportive managers identifying opportunities, word of discuss the scenarios they had considered and what their mouth or serendipity. thoughts were. The website was updated in 2018 to include a resource Thames Water have seen an increase in BAME employees library which provides information about job sharing joining and staying with the company (now 15% and flexible working. It was primarily created to help civil compared with a cross sector average of 5%) and an servants and their line managers when they wanted to increase of females on joining and staying on the Exec know how to set up a job share partnership, make the (now 33%). most of working in a job share partnership or manage staff who were in a job share partnership. The cards have also been shared and rolled out with partners including Thames Water’s facilities manager The tool provides valuable data about users’ journeys Emcor, and co-chair of the Thames Valley Employers to find a job share partner, and evidence not previously Diversity and Inclusion Network, Berkshire Healthcare available about the number and nature of job sharers NHS Foundation Trust. and job share partnerships in the Civil Service. This information has contributed to further development of flexible working policies across the Civil Service, including the “planning the parental leave journey” guidance on GOV.UK. The tool has now reached 200 signups per month, with 3,400 civil servants in total, and 140 employees have found job share partners through the tool, with 110 of them being women in senior positions. 9
Inclusive Culture Award Supported by: Winner: Financial Ombudsman Service The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent public body set up by Parliament to resolve As we assess the impact of Covid-19, employers are realising even more so the importance of flexible working, equality and inclusive workplace complaints between cultures. If employers are going to retain their staff and recruit a more financial businesses diverse workforce in the future, they need to create workplaces where staff and their customers. feel physically, psychologically and spirituality safe. Employing over 2,700 people, the Financial Ombudsman Service is diversity of employees (e.g. wellbeing and being a committed to diversity carer in the Asian community) and also align with and inclusion because understanding customer’s needs e.g. a workshop it means they can on domestic abuse awareness which was one of the better understand people’s different perspectives and organisation’s most well attended. They’ve created a new backgrounds which is essential to their job of resolving additional support team to help customers in vulnerable financial complaints. circumstances, and the accessibility team work to ensure Whilst the principles of diversity had been established everyone can use the service regardless of disability. in the organisation, the Financial Ombudsman Service Comparing the 2018 and 2020 staff survey found that: faced a challenge in moving beyond this and embedding inclusion. They also needed to enable the 14 employee ● 88% were dedicated to helping the organisation networks to contribute alongside their existing roles and achieve its goals. This increased to 95% in the 2020 encourage participation from across the organisation, not survey, just highly engaged pockets. They did this by aligning ● 57% strongly agreed/agreed they’re proud to work wellbeing with inclusion, including teams and strategies. for the Financial Ombudsman Service. This increased in the 2020 survey to 73%. The contribution of network members is recognised in 64% strongly agreed/agreed they could bring their whole performance conversations and chairs are given one selves to work. In 2020 this increased to 87% when asked day a month for network activity to recognise their the ‘I work in an environment where everyone can feel importance to the Financial Ombudsman Service’s work. included, respected and accepted’. This compares to the The executive sponsors, Inclusion and Wellbeing team survey provider benchmark of 62% and 3rd & public and network members work collaboratively to deliver sector benchmark of 63%. events and learning that respond to the intersectional 10
Highly Commended: Scottish Highly Commended: North Water East London NHS Foundation Trust North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) provide care and treatment for a population of 4.3 million Scottish Water provide utility services cross Scotland and people, employing approximately 6,500 staff who work employ 4,200 people. across 210 bases in London, Essex, Kent and Medway. The Belong Network was formed in 2018 when all NELFT are committed to an inclusive culture that creates seven employee-led diversity networks were united a better work environment for staff and better outcomes under a common purpose of enabling employees to for patients. Internal investigations found that leadership be themselves at work and to feel that they belong at teams weren’t properly accountable or committed to Scottish Water, regardless of their background, beliefs, the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda, a number life experiences or personal characteristics. of groups were under-represented in the workplace and engagement rates were lower for a number of groups. The seven networks still exist as groups within the Belong Network, and have the independence to set their own Actions taken include making EDI training mandatory, agendas based on their unique priorities. Bringing all with a 97% compliance rate, introduction of a Health seven groups under the banner of one network has Passport and making a number of adjustments to the helped facilitate collaboration among the groups on recruitment process. common themes (for example mental health issues) and Staff Survey results: allowed members to widen their understanding of the experiences represented across the Belong platform. ● Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is scored 9 out of 10 ● Fair organisation – score has been steady for the past In early 2019, Scottish Water invited 70 employees from five years at 83%-84% across the organisation to participate in a powerful video highlighting the similarities we share, and the ● Reasonable adjustments – score has risen from 71% to 79% in the last year unconscious biases which must be overcome to achieve true inclusion. This was released at key internal events, ● Flexible working is scored at 67% which is best score before being sent directly to the full workforce, and in the sector eventually released externally during National Inclusion ● Positive action on staff health and well-being score Week 2019. has risen from 27% to 42% in last two years ● Support from managers score is 7.5 which is best Scottish Water has embraced agile working, with all roles score in the sector classified as either ‘fixed, fluid, field or free’ and each role-holder is enabled through appropriate technology ● Staff engagement score has risen steadily for the past five years and is 7.2 which it better than the average. to carry out their role effectively regardless of their location. 11
Innovative Ways of Working Award Winner: Steer This cultural change in attitudes to work has resulted in many notable improvements across key measurables. The number of formal agile working requests increased by 85% in 2018/19, and all the women who took maternity leave and new parents who took Shared Parental Leave returned to Steer with a variety of different work patterns. Steer’s most recent employee survey found that 71% of employees had some form of agile working arrangement, compared to 35% the year before. 80% of employees Steer are a global transport consultancy employing over found these arrangements made their work/ life balance 450 people around the world. For Steer, agile working is more effective and manageable and 85% found their a key part of the strategy to improve growth, retention, colleagues to be generally or totally supportive. As a productivity and profitability. result, staff turnover is down almost 2% from 21.3% in 2017/18 to 19.5% 2018/19 and due to hit the target of Crucial to Steer’s transformation towards becoming 17% for the current financial year. This equates to roughly an agile and innovative employer has been the nudge a saving of £100,000 in recruitment associated costs. programme; a series of small and medium sized actions and activities designed to gradually change behaviours Agile working is a commercial success too. From 2017/18 and attitudes. This way change comes from all directions, to 2018/19 Steer have more than doubled profit after tax rather than top down, which is especially important as (with employee numbers being similar). The amount paid the business operates an employee ownership model. in bonuses to employees (as shareholders) also more The nudge programme has included clearer messaging than doubled. Also, by hotdesking Steer are currently in favour of flexible working during the recruitment making an annual saving of £23,000 on rent. process, online Learning Hub, updated Family Leave and agile working policies and practices, a seminar series and introduction of hot desking. 12
Highly Commended: PwC Highly Commended: North PwC are one of the Big East London NHS Foundation Four professional services firms and employ over Trust 21,300 people in the UK. Everyday Flexibility is an initiative that sits alongside the firm’s formal flexible working policy and supports informal, day-to-day flexibility. Everyone having informal access to flexible North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) working has helped reduce the stigma around agile provide care and treatment for a population of 4.3 million working and now this is the new norm. people, employing approximately 6,500 staff who work across 210 bases in London, Essex, Kent and Medway. The Flexible Talent Network scheme was introduced in 2018 and has helped the firm attract new talent whose The biggest challenge in implementing agile working personal circumstances mean that a full-time role at at NELFT is the nine-to-five stereotype, where staff PwC isn’t an option. There are an array of different performance is measured by time and attendance. working patterns, from people who only wish to work term time due to childcare commitments, through to At present 6,159 laptops have been issued to staff to entrepreneurs growing their own businesses and looking help them work agile and 19 locations are available for for supplementary income. staff members to book an agile desk online. NELFT’s HQ at CEME houses over 70 agile workspaces, six training This new scheme has allowed PwC to flex its workforce rooms, seven meeting rooms and the boardroom, with during its busiest times, adding talented, qualified the push on more bookable shared desk and room individuals to the workforce at times that suit both the space. Executive directors and leadership teams have also firm and the employee. 47% of applications to these roles embraced agile working. They no longer have their own are female. offices and utilise the open plan workplaces, meeting pods and shared facilities. As a result of these initiatives: Agile working has enabled staff to effectively work from ● 75% part time employees are satisfied with PwC as a anywhere, where possible. This has meant that they great place to work (up 5% from last year), compared are able to spend more time in the community seeing to 71% for full time employees patients, starting their working day from home and ● 75% part time employees agree they have the heading straight to a clinical contact rather than coming opportunity to work on challenging assignments that to an office base. contribute to their development ● 95% Part time employees agree that ‘’the people I work for trust me to use flexibility options without compromising the quality of my work”, compared to 84% for full time employees. 13
Advancing Social Mobility in the Workplace Award Winner: PwC Highly Commended: HS2 PwC are one of the Big Four professional services firms and employ over 21,300 people in the UK. Social mobility is a top priority for the firm’s board as the business recruits based on behaviours and potential, recognising that technology is transforming work and HS2 are responsible for building Britain’s new high- roles. speed railway and directly employ 1,600 people. The HS2 project will require a significant proportion of the UK’s In 2015 PwC removed UCAS points from the majority engineering workforce, and existing skills shortages in of graduate and undergraduate opportunities after STEM fields mean workforce challenges are the biggest identifying that UCAS tariffs were a better indicator threat to delivering HS2 on time and on budget. of socio-economic background than they were of aptitude and potential. In 2017 PwC formalised their HS2’s Skills, Employment and Education (SEE) Strategy social mobility strategy into a five-point plan with five aims to stimulate interest in STEM subjects amongst ambitious deliverables. These include: young people from backgrounds not traditionally represented in STEM careers. ● Helping 25,000 young people to develop workplace skills through programmes with schools and colleges Over the last three years highlights of the Education across the UK (over 40,000 already supported) Programme have included: ● Provide paid work experience places for at least 1,000 ● Primary school STEM workshops, a half day session young people from disadvantaged backgrounds (467 for up 30 Year 3-6 pupils. Delivered in 47 schools and places already provided) reaching more than 2,000 pupils. ● Give 100 young people a year the chance to develop ● Secondary school STEM workshops, a full day session technology skills without tuition fees, through for up 60 Year 7-9 pupils. Delivered in 172 schools PwC’s technology degree and data science graduate and reaching more than 9,000 pupils. apprenticeships (achieved annually) ● Supported more than 150 school careers activities, ● Be a cornerstone employer in Bradford supporting such as presentations, mock interview days and the government’s social mobility agenda (achieved) speed networking sessions. ● Support the development and training of 250 social ● Run major stands at national careers such as Big enterprises and commit to spending £10 million Bang Fair, World Skills Live and Skills London. through their supply chain with social enterprises (71% expenditure) ● More than 400 colleagues have volunteered as Education Ambassadors. ● 100 young people completing a work experience placement. In 2019 72% of students on work experience were from BAME backgrounds, and 35% were female. PwC’s year 12 paid work experience programme has grown from 67 places in FY15 to 500 (250 of whom will be from less privileged backgrounds) in FY21. Their target is that 15% of hires across student and experienced recruitment received Free School Meals (FSM) at school. They deliver face-to-face workshops as well as offering virtual events and access to the Employability Skills toolkit - containing downloadable lesson plans. PwC are using virtual tools to support teachers and students during COVID-19, facilitating the development of key employability skills whilst learning from home. 14
Representative Workforce Award Winner: British Film Institute BAME representation has increased: The British Film Institute is ● Job applicants 21% (2017/18) to 23% (2019/20) the UK’s lead organisation ● Employed workforce12.4% (2017/18) to 16% (2019/20) for film, television and the moving image, employing In 2019/20: almost 600 people. As part ● 64% applicants identified as women (70% of of wider moves to ensure appointments) the UK’s cultural diversity is ● 22% applicants identified as BAME (24% of represented on screen, the BFI appointments) is making efforts to mirror that in their own workforce. ● 5.5% applicants identified as disabled (8.4% of appointments) The BFI identified that there was a long-term gap in representation of BAME and disabled people. This under- representation was set against low planned turnover, Highly Commended: an average length of service of eight years and a 40% decrease in Government funding which all reduced the opportunities for new roles. Cabinet Office In April 2018 the BFI set a series of ambitious targets to drive demographic change in the organisation: The Cabinet Office is the Government ● 50/50 gender balance (52.2% female 2018) department ● 20% BAME (12.4% 2018) responsible for ● 10% LGBTQ+ (9.1% 2018) supporting the ● 7% D/deaf and/or disabled (3.7% 2018) Prime Minister and Cabinet of the The BFI have implemented multiple initiatives to United Kingdom. It employs over 7,000 people. support inclusion and address under-representation. The organisation has updated their recruitment The Cabinet Office is composed of various units which processes, offering guaranteed interviews to both co-ordinate the delivery of government objectives across BAME and disabled candidates that meet the minimum departments and so finds itself at the heart of the Civil requirements for a role, as well as increasing engagement Service’s diversity and inclusion agenda. with external charities that focus on getting individuals The Positive Action Pathway is one such initiative led with diverse needs into the workplace. by the Cabinet Office, and is a twelve month cross- government learning and development programme for people in under-represented groups specifically open to ethnic minority, women, disabled and LGB&TI employees. The programme is designed to provide development that will prepare people to move to the next grade or more stretching roles within the Civil Service. The Cabinet Office has achieved Disability Confident Level 3 leader status, which not only affirms its own work on disability but allows the Cabinet office to support other organisations in changing attitudes towards disability. Different directorates were set pragmatic targets that The actions that the organisation has undertaken has led reflected their ability to effect change, and then tasked to the following outcomes: to set out a plan to meet those targets. Mandatory diversity and inclusion training was implemented for ● Disability representation has nearly quadrupled from all employees, with a focus on unconscious bias and 3.9% in 2012 to 14.8% in 2019. bullying and harassment, and each workshop was ● The percentage of BAME staff has nearly doubled introduced by an executive director. As a result of these from 11.3% in 2012 to 20% in 2019. actions: ● LGB representation is above the economically active working age population. Disabled representation has increased: ● Cabinet Office is fast approaching a gender balance ● Job applicants 4% (2017/18) to 7% (2019/20) across all grades including the Senior Civil Service. ● Employed workforce 3.7% (2017/18) to 9.3% (2019/20) 15
Apprenticeships Award Winner: IBM IBM are a global technology business with 12,000 UK based employees. As an employer with a large technical workforce, skills shortages in STEM subjects are a particular pain point for IBM’s business. This was a major motivator for IBM taking things into their own hands and creating a technical apprenticeship scheme in 2010. Apprenticeships are now a key component of IBM’s and Prevent policies) which was a completely new workforce strategy, with a vision of ensuring today’s requirement for IBM. apprentices grow into future leaders of the business. The first apprentices in this new programme were In 2017 IBM became an Apprenticeship Employer recruited late in 2017. Results include: Provider, offering Level 3 and 4 Trailblazers in Project Management, Management Consultancy, IT Technical ● A 100% pass rate for every apprentice who reached Sales, Software Development and Software Testing. This the End Point Assessment is in tandem with their Digital & Technology Solutions ● 100% Distinctions for all qualified Junior and Chartered Management Degree Apprenticeship Management Consultant apprentices programmes at five universities. ● 100% of successful apprentices went on to full time As an Apprenticeship Employer Provider IBM faced employment a number of brand new challenges, including the ● IBM has retained 97% of apprentices in the business requirement to construct a curriculum for their ● All qualified Degree Apprentices gained either a 1st apprenticeship standards, ensure the business had the or a 2:1 degree. skills required to deliver the training to the required standard and to ensure compliance with Ofsted IBM’s apprenticeship strategy meets the needs of the standards (including implementation of Safeguarding business by giving excellent return on investment in terms of retention and revenue. $[COLOUR_OFFSET] $[CALCURVE] A 17 EMPLONET_330029_TEXT.job 06/24/2019 16
Inclusive Culture Measurement We know how difficult it is for employers to measure whether the actions they take to make a culture more inclusive actually work. enei have collaborated with Workio to create a new and innovative Inclusive Culture Measurement (ICM) ICM is an anonymous, quantitative, and holistic approach which gathers data from employees about their experiences, their preferences, and their priorities in the workplace. How does ICM work? Employees respond anonymously to an online chatbot survey - the process takes less than 15 minutes. Four core sets of data are gathered: ● The employee’s demographics ● The employee’s experiences ● The employee’s preferences ● Relative importance of different aspects of the workplace If you have any questions about ICM please visit: Questions cover ten categories: w: www.enei.org.uk Role - Relationships - Results - Progression - Purpose & Mission t: +44 (0) 20 7922 7790 - Leadership - Management - Money & other valuable benefits - e: debbie.rotchell@enei.org.uk Innovation – Personal What is it important to measure Inclusive Culture Denise Keating, CEO of enei, says: “In a remote working world, there are fewer opportunities for managers and leaders to pick up physical cues about the culture of diversity and inclusion in their organisations. It’s vital that we create new ways to understand how employees feel and where improvements can be made to push the D&I agenda forward, and we’re delighted to work with Workio to help our Members on this.” Please contact debbie.rotchell@enei.org.uk for enquires and pricing questions 17
Inclusive Recruitment Award Winner: Yeovil District Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Yeovil Hospital NHS Foundation Trust employ over 2,300 and continues with regular contact to check progress people serving a patient population predominantly and answer queries, and their responsibility extends drawn from Somerset and Dorset. to ensuring staff immediately feel part of the Yeovil In March 2017 the Trust’s nursing vacancies were Hospital team. The team proactively supports travel reaching crisis levels. The Trust had 82 staff nurse arrangements, and actively settle staff and their vacancies within a headcount of 547 and was spending families into the area, including securing appropriate £2.8m per year on agency nurses. This was exacerbated accommodation, creating bank accounts, shopping and by an aging workforce with 22% of nurses aged over 50, creating a new network of friends. a figure which would have reached 28% by this year. The success has been exceptional: This was impacting patient care in a number of areas, ● 750 nurses supported to arrive and begin their notably care continuity, staff morale and retention NHS journey and the impact on the Trust’s budget. Despite running domestic and international recruitment campaigns ● Staff nurse vacancies now at zero and employing specialist agencies, the number of new recruits completing the process and being placed in the ● Turnover rate has dropped from 23% to 15% hospital was limited. ● Sickness has dropped from 4.4% to 2.2% The Overseas Recruitment Team was created with the ● OSCE pass rate 100% first for attempt specific aim of not just filling posts, but doing so in a way which was focused on the wellbeing and experience of ● Agency costs have decreased from £250k PCM to the nurse. This approach recognised the wider impact of £33k PCM moving thousands of miles across the world to the UK and the effect on families. ● Now recruiting on behalf of 16 NHS Trusts. The team used a more evidenced approach to focus ● Proud to employ a diverse workforce which represents 62 nationalities recruitment on select countries which closely met the requirements for UK nursing. Work starts at interview 18
Highly Commended: Highly Commended: Sandwell and West North East Ambulance Service Birmingham NHS Trust NHS Trust Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust provides healthcare for 530,000 residents and employs 7,000 people. The Health Overseas Professionals (HOP) programme The North East of England’s BAME population has provides training in English language for refugees and doubled in the last 15 years, but this has not been works with individuals on how they can resume their reflected in NHS regional workforces. Six organisations medical careers, whilst putting much needed resource pooled finances, people and knowledge resources to put back into the local NHS. The emphasis of the scheme together an event that would engage the local BAME has been placed not on lower level employment around community, promote the NHS as the employer of choice cleaning and catering, for example, but upon harnessing in the region and build greater workforce representation the existing higher-level medical skills of the participants, across the six NHS trusts which took part. which include Doctors and Pharmacists. The participants were: Without either of the following English language ● The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust qualifications, ‘International English Language Testing System – IELTS’ and ‘Occupational English Test – OET’, ● Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Trust any medically qualified migrants would not be able ● Gateshead Health NHS Trust to proceed with their ambition. Hence, provision was ● Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust made by the trust to offer free-of-charge these English ● NHS Leadership Academy language qualifications to medically qualified refugees/ ● North East Ambulance Service migrants. The BAME recruitment event took place at a central Currently, there are 265 clients on database and 40% are location and faced a number of challenges, including a now in paid work with Sandwell & West Birmingham NHS lack of iwmages of BAME people in organisations, how to Trust or other healthcare providers in the West Midlands. reach a poorly engaged community and dispelling myths Also, 127 medically qualified migrants are studying or that careers in the NHS were limited to medical roles. have IELTS/OETS to date. The event was attended by over 400 people and resulted The Trust has successfully matched more than 200 in 82 applications submitted, with nine attendees people into healthcare roles and placements across the appointed to NHS roles. area. Examples include GPs, nurses, pharmacists and even highly trained medical and surgical consultants. 19
Disability Confident Award Winner: North East London NHS Foundation Trust North East London NHS Foundation Trust (NELFT) provide care and treatment for a population of 4.3 million people, employing approximately 6,500 staff who work across 210 bases in London, Essex, Kent and Medway. NELFT’s biggest challenges in being disability confident comprehensive personalised support, advice and are disclosure of disability, differential levels of information to employees. bullying and harassment experiences for disabled and non-disabled staff and the provision of reasonable ● Changes to the recruitment process include a guaranteed interview for all disabled candidates who adjustments. meet the essential criteria for the post applied; allows The Trust’s efforts to tackle these challenges include: extra time on numeracy and literacy assessments for candidates with dyslexia and other specific learning ● The introduction of health passports, a confidential difficulties and could provide written questions on document designed for staff with long-term health the day of the interview conditions, mental health issues, neurodiversity ● Calibre Leadership Programme, which is custom or other learning difficulties, to help them assess designed training to address the distinct and often the support they may need in the workplace on subtle barriers disabled employees must overcome, terms of time, space, technology or equipment and increase their confidence and empower disabled staff communication. It aims to encourage declaration in career development or leadership in the future. and support staff to manage their health at work and The programme is delivered annually and is currently remove obstacles throughout their NHS career. running for the fifth cohort of 14 delegates. ● Recruitment of disability ambassadors with expertise ● NELFT is also working with local Job Centres to on information technology, human resources support people with disabilities into employment. and equality, diversity and inclusion who offer 20
Highly Commended: Highly Commended: West Midlands Police Brunel University EnAble Disability and Carers Community Brunel University is a higher education institution employing 2,700 people. The university’s commitment to disability includes West Midlands Police serve a population of 2.8 million reaching Disability Confident Leader status, the fourth and employ 7,000 people. Disability (both mental and university to achieve this and the first in London. Brunel physical) has historically been viewed in a negative light has reviewed its recruitment process, developing an due to the nature of police work, and staff with different inclusive recruitment strategy that ensures the university ability have been stigmatised and isolated and not used advertises in a diverse range of publications, automatic to their full capabilities. This has contributed to a poor shortlisting of disabled candidates who meet the level of morale across the force. minimum requirements for the role and a review of the wording in job adverts and descriptions. The EnAble Disability and Carers Community works to change attitudes towards disability across the force. As Focus group feedback demonstrated that the process well as diversity champions being introduced across the for getting reasonable adjustments was disjointed, and organisation to drive the agenda forward West Midlands a new policy was introduced bringing together various Police have achieved Disability Confident Leader status, parts of the business to provide a one-stop shop for becoming only the second force in the UK to achieve this reasonable adjustments. and the first metropolitan force. The university is now developing a disability leadership The force has also introduced a Reasonable Adjustment programme to develop and implement strategies that Passport and policy to support staff and managers in reflect the unique challenges and experiences of disabled making the right adjustments. A Reasonable Adjustments staff. officer has been employed and a centralised budget means managers don’t have to worry about the impact of adjustments on their budgets. The EnAble Disability and Carers Community has also promoted cultural change through the introduction of force-wide wellbeing days where staff are encouraged to attend events where they can obtain help, support, signposting and information. 21
Wellbeing Award Winner: Frontline Frontline is a charity working to transform the lives of vulnerable children by recruiting and developing social workers, employing 140 people. The organisation’s expansion into new regions has created new teams, roles and managers. Frontline has recognised that the best way to help employees through the changes rapid growth causes is by focusing on wellbeing, and it empowers its employees to lead this the organisation. Much of the D&I group’s work overlaps agenda themselves. with the wellbeing agenda and close collaboration helps maximise the impact of initiatives. The work is driven by the employee-led Wellbeing Action Group which is comprised of employees from every Innovative actions taken by Frontline include: team, region and level of the organisation. The group ● Recruitment and training of Mental Health First meets monthly, with initiatives and opportunities shared Aiders on the internal communications platform. These activities ● A core hours policy between 10am and 4:30pm which have included: gives employees flexibility ● Employee led lunch and learn events covering ● Employees are encouraged to work from home at employee benefits and financial wellbeing least one day per week ● Pot Luck Lunches where each colleague contributes a ● All employees get up to three days per year to different dish volunteer at a mission-aligned charitable organisation ● Group wellness walks As a result of the actions taken by Frontline wellbeing ● Participation in national events such as National based questions on staff surveys have seen across the Fitness Month board improvements. The Diversity and Inclusion Working Group works alongside the Wellbeing Action Group, and whilst led by HR is also made up of employees from all teams across 22
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