Today EKFB announced that we have achieved Disability Confident Leader status.
Disability Confident Leader is the third, and highest, level in the Department of Works and Pensions’ programme, launched in 2016 to support and enable disabled people in the workforce. EKFB joined the programme in 2018 as Disability Confident Committed before progressing to become a Disability Confident Employer in April 2019.
To achieve Leader status, the National Centre for Diversity carried out an extensive review of our recruitment processes and job advert strategy, our wellbeing strategy and the actions we have taken to raise awareness of disability in the workplace.
We were able to demonstrate our many initiatives in place to support disabled people in the workplace, including:
· Encouraging supply chain partners to become Disability Confident.
· Using internal channels and social media to promote and share good practice.
· Engaging local charities and disability centres in the communities where works are taking place to offer disabled people an opportunity to choose EKFB as an employer and to offer work experience.
· Reporting regularly on disability numbers and assess EKFB’s progress using our award winning EDI Steering Group.
· Giving training and ‘toolbox talks’ in offices and sites.
Elena Gonzalez, Social Value Manager, commented: "As leaders in our industry, we have a responsibility to tap into diverse talent pools outside traditional recruitment channels, ensuring our processes for recruitment and selection are fair as well as breaking industry taboos about disability by encouraging and embracing difference.
“We are excited about the journey ahead, and how becoming Disability Confident Leader will help us drive our commitment to inclusion and raise the profile of our industry. Our vision of ‘Shaping infrastructure for a better tomorrow’ can only be achieved by creating an environment where everyone is valued and respected and proud to belong.”
Osita Madu, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager at HS2 commented: “Having worked with EKFB over the years I have seen some real progress with the approach to improving disability access and inclusion at work. This has led to the worthy achievement of becoming a Disability Confident Leader. I am excited about the work they will be doing to capacity build other employers to achieve this status.”
Watch the video below to hear from some of our team about why EKFB is such an inclusive place to work.