Disability Confident Leader

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader. 

The Disability Confident government scheme supports employers to make the most of the diverse set of abilities that people can bring to organisations.  It encourages the change of attitudes towards disabled people and provides a framework within which employers can achieve this.

In our recognition as Disability Confident Leader, we have shown we are committed to taking a leadership role in creating programmes which support disabled people into work and retaining the talent that they bring, through fair practices.  We are committed to acting as a champion in supporting other employers to becoming Disability Confident.

Disability and actions

Ensuring the Council is an inclusive and attractive employer of choice, which celebrates diversity, provides equality of opportunity and is free from discrimination, is paramount.  In line with this, we are committed to attracting and retaining people of all abilities, providing supportive actions for disabled employees and by promoting a disability friendly culture.   

How do we do this?

Actively attracting and recruiting disabled people

We do this by:

• Providing supported internships
• Working with our partners to place disabled people into work
• Providing a more inclusive and accessible recruitment process

Ensuring we provide our employees with reasonable adjustments

We do this by: 

• guidance and support for our managers
• Occupational Health support and referrals
• Our recruitment processes

Providing support for our disabled staff

We do this through:

• Our Mental Wellbeing Champions
• The Diverse Abilities Network for staff
• The Council’s Employee Assistance Programme

Promoting a disability friendly culture

We do this by:

• obtaining and acting upon feedback from disabled staff
• providing on-going learning opportunities which highlight different types of disabilities and accessibility
• publishing disability related data, such as the disability pay gap which highlights key findings and actions.

Mental Health and Wellbeing and actions

Mental wellbeing is one of the key focuses of the council in its drive to become more inclusive. We are committed to providing an environment that supports employees and raises awareness of mental health issues, empowering managers to take action where necessary.   Of our staff who have declared that they have a disability, 3% have further declared that they have a mental health condition (as at end January 2024).  

The latest staff survey was carried out during November-December 2023 and captured the views of 1,622 staff – a 52% response rate. The survey was conducted by BMG, an independent survey contractor, on behalf of the Council. 

Findings included: 

• 88% of staff agreed* that they felt safe while at work
• 87% agreed they were able to deal with customers and clients safely
• 43% were very, or moderately, concerned about their mental health and wellbeing, 30% were a little concerned and 27% were not at all concerned. 
• 44% were very, or moderately, concerned about their physical health and wellbeing, 30% were a little concerned and 26% were not at all concerned.
• 64% agreed they were able to strike a balance between their work and home life
• 67% agreed they were aware of the support available for their wellbeing
• 34% agreed with the statement ‘I feel that the level of stress in my job has a negative impact on my work’, 33% disagreed and 34% neither agreed nor disagreed (note: figures rounded to nearest percentage point).
• 74% said they were ‘very’ or ‘fairly’ satisfied with their job
• 90% agreed their line manager is accessible when they need to see them
• 90% agreed they were happy to go the extra mile at work when required

* Agreed = those who said ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree‘

The work of the council on mental health and wellbeing includes:

• Information and guidance for managers on mental health and how to support employees
• Subscription to an Employee Assistance Programme, available for all staff
• Trained Mental Wellbeing Champions to provide employees with support
• Regular briefings on Mental Health and Mental Wellbeing available for all staff
• Access to a Mental Health app which provides toolkits, journals and tips for good mental health
• Mental health support and awareness raising through the Diverse Abilities Network for staff.