Earlier this year, CCHA received the Disability Confident Level 2 Award, highlighting our strong commitment and ongoing dedication to supporting individuals with different abilities throughout their employment journey.
Understanding disability can be complex and is influenced by many factors. While physical or mental conditions may play a role, societal barriers often create additional challenges that can limit opportunities or access. That’s why, whenever possible, we prefer to use the term ‘different abilities’- to celebrate the diverse talents within our teams.
For us, the ‘Disability Confident’ badge isn’t just a title, it’s a reflection of our values and the way we work.
Every organisation has employees with different abilities, whether they realise it or not. By fostering a supportive environment, we can help reduce stigma and increase representation to allow more open and honest discussions about our different abilities.
In the last year, we have rolled out the following tools to support our colleagues:
- Interview support: Sharing questions before the interview meant that no one had to ask for any cognitive-related reasonable adjustments. Not only does this reduce the burden on candidates who might otherwise have to request them, but reasonable adjustments offered to all means that everyone benefits equally.
- Reasonable adjustments guide: Anyone can face challenges in work while being unsure of what they need to mitigate them. Our new guide is intended as a starting point to help anyone think about reasonable adjustments they might need at work. Rather than focusing on the specific conditions of Autism/Autistic Spectrum, ADHD, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dyspraxia and Tourette’s Syndrome, the guide looks at various presentations across neurodiverse conditions and the adjustments that may be helpful.
- Neurodiversity training: CCHA’s IncludED Group assessed several different training providers and chose Differing Minds as a partner to deliver neurodiversity and neuroinclusion programmes. Workshops have been developed with different needs and learning styles in mind. Multiple formats, including interactivity, storytelling, and video, have been used to make sure workshops are engaging, impactful, and memorable. Colleagues who took part in the sessions found them informative and reassuring.
What is next for us?
Our goal is to continuously improve our workplace. Although we have the necessary facilities in place for colleagues with different physical abilities (lifts, accessible toilets, designated parking), we’re conducting a disability access audit to identify areas for improvement.
We’re also raising awareness among staff at CCHA about invisible different abilities and how they impact our daily lives. We may not always notice a different ability, but it’s something we should all be mindful of.
We’re reviewing our onboarding process to make sure all new colleagues feel comfortable sharing their needs from the start.
Finally, we’re creating a collaborative space for staff and tenants to share their experiences and learn from each other. This will help us better understand the challenges faced by people with different abilities, and how we can work together to improve our services.
Through Disability Confident, we aim to create a more inclusive environment by
- challenging attitudes towards disability,
- increasing understanding,
- removing barriers for differently abled individuals and those with long-term health conditions
- making sure everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential and pursue their dreams.
Our end goal?
We want to create an environment where everyone’s unique abilities are not only celebrated but also used to build stronger communities. It’s a place where barriers are lowered, making participation easier and more welcoming for all.
Seb York, our People Partner, said:
“We don’t do what we do to get praise; we do it because we know that by being more inclusive and supportive, we actively shape a better future for our communities. This commitment is what establishes us as both a vital community anchor and an organisation that people want to work for.”
Benefits of the scheme
Taking part in the Disability Confident scheme is an excellent opportunity for organisations to expand their talent pool. It supports the recruitment and retention of individuals with different abilities, fostering a more diverse and innovative workforce, ultimately enhancing productivity. Through the scheme, organisations have access to complimentary resources, valuable guidance, and a supportive community for staff.
Disability Confident organisations lead in improving attitudes, transforming behaviour and culture in their businesses, networks, and communities, and benefiting from inclusive recruitment.
