Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils have become the first councils in Worcestershire to be formally recognised for their commitment to building a diverse and inclusive workforce.
Both councils have achieved INclusive Worcestershire Leaders status, meaning they are at the forefront of best practices, committed to diversity and inclusion, and a role model for other organisations to follow.
The scheme is run by Worcestershire Growth Hub and Worcestershire Local Enterprise Partnership. It promotes the benefits to companies of embracing diversity and inclusion to support staff and grow their workforce.
Both councils are Disability Confident Employers, a government scheme encouraging companies to recruit and retain staff with disabilities and health conditions.
They have an equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) lead who delivers employee training and drives the councils’ approach to EDI on top of their day-to-day job. Employees also volunteer to act as Health and Wellbeing Champions to promote awareness and other support to colleagues.
Reasonable adjustments are proactively offered as part of each role and during the interview process to support candidates. The recruitment process has also been reviewed to remove the potential for bias and ensure it is fair to everyone.
Both councils also work closely with schools and colleges on work placements, employment talks, events and visits to create opportunities for young people.
Allison Neal, Head of HR and Organisational Development for Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils, said: “Embracing the diversity and inclusion agenda has not only allowed us to improve the support offered to our existing staff so we can retain them, but we have also recruited people from a much wider talent pool with skills that would otherwise have been lost to us.
“We’re building a workforce from a wide variety of backgrounds, ages and abilities, which is bringing new ideas and innovations that are benefiting both councils as we continue to focus on delivering high quality services for our residents.”
Hannah Strong, INclusive Worcestershire’s Lead, added: "I'm incredibly proud of Wychavon and Malvern Hills District Councils for being the first authorities in Worcestershire to achieve INclusive Worcestershire Leaders status. Their dedication to fostering an inclusive environment sets a fantastic example for the entire region. It's truly heartening to see an increasing number of local businesses and services embracing inclusivity, ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background or abilities, feels supported and valued. These positive steps are essential for creating a community where all employees and residents can thrive."
Companies wanting to find out more about how being more inclusive can benefit them should visit the INclusive Worcestershire website..
Pictured: Andy Baldwin, Deputy Chief Executive of Malvern Hills District Council, Allison Neal, Head of HR and Organisational Development for Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils and Vic Allison, Chief Executive of Malvern Hills and Wychavon District Councils.
