Inclusion is creating a culture in which everyone is treated fairly and respectfully, has equal access to opportunities and can fully contribute to the success of the business. In addition to gender, ethnicity, age and sexual orientation, diversity is everything which celebrates our differences. At WPA, we strongly uphold the belief in openly sharing information about our company, while providing excellent service to our customers and unwavering support for each and every colleague throughout their career journey.
At WPA, we are hugely proud of our positive and inclusive culture. We want to build on these foundations by having dedicated focus on I&D. The I&D Group was formed in July 2022 with the purpose of shaping our business in this context. Our aim is to create a broader awareness of the differences that make us all what we are.
Below are examples of some of the recent activities we have been involved with at WPA.
WPA supported the Wellbeing of Women charity with their first summit 'Challenging The Status Quo'. A number of inspiring speakers covered topics such as women's health strategy, innovations in women's health and ensuring women's voices drive change.
We celebrated pride month, highlighting the work of LGBTQ+ people, educating in LGBTQ+ history and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. Our monthly charity donation went to Switchboard, an LGBTQ+ helpline, which has assisted thousands in the community since 1974.
Alongside launching a new section of our Health and Wellbeing Hub, we had a guest speaker highlight real lived experience of being neurodiverse in a neurotypical world. He also provided insightful training in order so we can better support our colleagues in the workplace.
Our Mental Health First Aiders were on hand during this week to provide our teams with helpful tips and to spread awareness. Utilising everything from food that promotes healthy living, to a video reaching out to staff who might be suffering in silence, they provided a really broad range of support.
Our colleagues in India celebrated their 15th Anniversary recently, with a group performance representing unique dance forms. The teams enjoyed learning about the different cultural, dress and performances from each other's home states.
It is important that all our colleagues feel fully supported regardless of the stage in their career, from our recruitment and interview process, all the way through to training, development and career progression. Below shows the stages of a WPA employee's career and the support available.
Recruitment: We have created an inclusive recruitment process and support all individuals through their application and interview journey.
Training & Development: Employee development is hugely important to us, and everyone is encouraged to partake in a wide range of training to further their personal and professional skillset. This includes personalised training to support our customers based on their individual requirements.
Reward & Recognition: Through staff recognition programmes and monthly awards, we continuously recognise and celebrate individual and team achievements.
Manage: With annual staff surveys and assessments we keep in touch with what matters the most to our staff.
Retain: WPA is an inclusive and great place to work, where we encourage internal opportunities and progression. This is further demonstrated by our average length of service, which is 10 years.
Diversity, inclusion and equality are at the heart of everyday life at WPA and embedded in the foundations of our organisation's governance structure.
As a not-for-profit company, committed to transparency in all that we do, we recognise the importance of sharing details of our company reports and structures.
Find out more about our leaders, values, culture and governance.
Corporate governanceAs a Disability Confident Committed Employer we have committed to:
Find out more at disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk
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