Culture, inclusion and diversity

We aim to attract people from different backgrounds by respecting their differences and taking proactive steps to embrace them.

Our commitment to diversity and inclusion

As a business, we are committed to:

ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible
communicating and promoting vacancies in an accessible way
anticipating and providing reasonable adjustments
supporting any existing employee with a disability or long-term health condition
training managers to understand disability requirements.

Our initiatives

We have various initiatives in place that help to build a real sense of community amongst our people.

Health and Wellbeing Champions

Our Health and Wellbeing Champions are committed to helping team members look after their physical and mental health, as well as ensuring they feel supported in the workplace.

They also help us to hold events throughout the year to promote a healthy lifestyle and raise awareness for different health conditions.

Mental Health First Aiders

We have a dedicated group of trained Mental Health First Aiders, who provide confidential support and assistance to anyone experiencing issues affecting their mental wellbeing.

As well as offering a confidential listening ear, they are trained to recommend where to go for additional support if needed.

Culture, Inclusion and Diversity (CID) Champions

Our CID Champions promote a culture of inclusion and diversity across the business and work with our senior leadership team to help the business improve in these areas.

With a focus on under-represented groups, they meet regularly with the aim of:

enhancing employee engagement
creating a sense of belonging
improving the employee experience
enhancing innovation
improving leadership skills and abilities.

The ARC Alliance

The ARC Alliance aims to make sure LGBTQ+ employees are always treated with respect and dignity, while also providing them with access to a non-judgemental support service.

It also allows them to influence policies, practises and procedures to ensure they are of an inclusive nature.

Working Parents’ Network

Our Working Parents’ Network was set up to provide a forum for team members across the business to discuss the challenges all working parents face.

This allows them to share experiences, support each other and suggest improvements.

Meet4Menopause

We want our people to feel comfortable talking openly and honestly about the challenges menopause can bring by encouraging them to speak to each other.

Our aim is to transform conversations in the workplace by raising awareness of the impact of menopause and supporting those affected now and in the future.

Sustainability Working Group

The Sustainability Working Group, which is made of people from across the business, meets regularly with the aim of:

aligning business sustainability strategies
creating new sustainability initiatives
ensuring progress towards environmental and sustainability goals
growing the business to be a resilient and responsible leader within the sector.

People’s Council

Our People’s Council listens to the views of our people, highlights areas of improvement and shares ideas for positive change.

This helps to ensure all voices are heard and working conditions are constantly improving for our people.

Our partnerships

We are continuing to build and develop a diverse and inclusive culture with the help of our partners.

Armed Forces Covenant

The covenant focuses on providing members of the armed forces with the same access to starting a new career as other people.

Applicants who have previously served in the armed forces, and meet the minimum requirements for the job, will automatically be invited for an interview.

Disability Confident Employer

As a Disability Confident Employer, we will guarantee a job interview to any applicant who declares they have a disability, as long as they meet the minimum requirements for the role.

National Autistic Society

We have partnered with the National Autistic Society to help us understand, embrace and increase neurodiversity through the Autism at Work programme.

This programme allows us to advertise roles on the society’s network and provide tailored support to candidates with autism. Managers and direct team members of successful candidates are entitled to training too.

Bristol Women in Business Charter

We are committed to ensuring that gender equality is an ongoing focus across everything we do. Analysing our approach to gender equality has helped us make better decisions in the way we recruit, retain and engage with our team members.

With the support of the Charter, our collaboration with other members has allowed us to share ideas and celebrate the achievements made towards gender equality.