Diversity and inclusion

Find out what we're doing to be an inclusive employer.

Our cultural ambition is to be an organisation that lives and breathes our values. We want all our people to work in an empowered, collaborative and innovative way so they can make a positive difference for our communities.

We also want to create a diverse and inclusive working environment where everyone feels supported to do their best work, without fear or favour.

To help us improve and develop as an organisation, we are members of:

  • Business Disability Forum (BDF)
  • Inclusive Employers (IE)
  • Employers for Carers (EFC)

We are also committed to being a Disability Confident employer.

Diversity

Our commitment to diversity

We are committed to creating a culture where people from all backgrounds, with different skills and experiences, feel valued and included. We know that a diverse workforce helps us deliver better services for our residents.

Protected characteristics

The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination based on 9 protected characteristics:

  • age
  • disability
  • gender reassignment
  • marriage and civil partnership
  • pregnancy and maternity
  • race
  • religion or belief
  • sex
  • sexual orientation

Each year we profile and monitor our workforce by race, disability, gender, age, religion or belief and sexual orientation.

Staff networks

Our staff networks bring together employees with shared experiences and interests. They provide support, help build connections and create opportunities to influence positive change across the organisation.

Our staff networks are:

  • Black, Asian and Global Majority Network
  • Carers Staff Network
  • Disabled Staff Network
  • LGBTQ+ Staff Network
  • Mental Health Staff Network
  • Neurodiversity Staff Network
  • Women's Staff Network

Supporting wellbeing and opportunities

We are committed to reducing the stigma around mental health through our Time to Change Employer Pledge. We encourage staff to take part in activities that support their wellbeing and resilience. We also support employees who need help returning to work after a period of absence.

Our apprenticeship programmes create opportunities for a wide range of people, including:

  • young people starting their careers
  • people looking for a career change
  • parents returning to work
  • veterans moving into civilian employment

We are committed to helping people develop their skills and access rewarding employment opportunities.

Inclusion

Employing and supporting disabled people

We are committed to employing, supporting and developing disabled people.

This commitment means we:

  • interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for a role
  • assess applicants based on their skills, experience and ability to do the job
  • regularly discuss with disabled employees how we can support them to develop and make the most of their skills
  • make every effort to support employees to stay in work if they become disabled
  • help employees develop the disability awareness needed to create an inclusive workplace

Jobs for people with learning disabilities or autism

If you have a learning disability or are autistic, you can get support with applying for jobs with us.

Find out more about the help available on our supporting people with a disability page.