Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) has been at the heart of United Response since its inception, but we recognise that we still have a lot to do to ensure that we create a culture that values diversity but also promotes inclusion and fosters an environment where our people feel they belong.

Our strategy

To leverage our commitment to EDI, we formed a consortium of individuals from various parts of the organisation to compile our EDI strategy, ensuring that all voices are heard and valued.

The aim of our EDI strategy is to outline how we implement systemic change and ensure our pledges are realised, ensure equity and inclusivity in our recruitment, training, development, and retention processes, recognising and valuing the unique differences each employee brings all while staying true to our core values.

We believe everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and our goal is to cultivate an inclusive culture that nurtures talent, allowing every individual, regardless of disability, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic background, or nationality, the opportunity to thrive and reach their full potential.

Our vision and values

We aim to embed our values into all of the work we do. It informs who we are and how we deliver for the people we support.

Our Big Plan

Our EDI strategy is developed in line with our Big Plan.
Work done so far

Since we first developed a Diversity Action Plan in mid-2021 we have continued to make a lot of progress:

Statements of intent /policy

  • United Response was accredited as a Disability Confident Leader (Level 3) organisation in December 2023. This is the highest level of the government-initiated Disability Confident scheme.
  • We recruited a dedicated EDI Advisor to lead and coordinate United Response EDI initiatives.

Learning

  • During 2022-2023 we evaluated our workforce data and learned that 9% of our frontline workers are from ethnic minority backgrounds but this makes up less than 5% of managers. In response to this disparity, we invested in development training for aspiring managers from this group. 
  • We delivered unconscious bias training to managers so they could recognise the importance of understanding the problem of bias in the workplace, address their own biases and create a more inclusive workplace.
  • Fifty colleagues completed neurodiversity training, including our recruitment team.  

People and groups

  • We created of a Diversity Forum which provides excellent insight and has steered activity taken forward in our organisational action plan.
  • We have 12 Diversity Ambassadors in place. The Ambassadors are a group of friendly faces who work in different parts of United Response who are happy to be approached to talk about diversity and help identify where action needs to be taken.
  • We have put in place a Diversity Hub site with lots of useful information on EDI topics.

Management Information

  • We have continued work to improve employee baseline data, including data on ethnicity. In November 2021 about 43% of staff did not state their ethnicity on our HR system. In October 2023 following various initiatives this figure had reduced to 27%.
Our commitments going forward

Our people

Being a Disability Confident Leader means that not only do we have a commitment to the people we support, but that we also take measures that will help us recruit, retain and develop disabled people because we recognise the value they can bring to our organisation. The United People goal is one of the seven goals set out in our Big Plan, and it’s all about taking steps to support our staff to feel valued, listened to and able to make progress in their careers.

In it together

EDI is often viewed as an organisational responsibility, but since the organisation is made up of individuals, it becomes everyone’s responsibility and that’s the message that we advocate for across the business. From the board and trustees to our frontline staff, each person plays a crucial role.

To ensure that everyone has the required knowledge and understanding of EDI, and is equipped with the confidence to apply this in their work and daily interactions, we will:

  • Continue to embed EDI in everything that we do
  • Introduce mandatory EDI training topics for all colleagues
  • Train managers on inclusive recruitment and management practices, as well EDI specific topics tailored to managers
  • Offer specialised training to frontline staff to better equip them in supporting the people we support
  • Have a zero tolerance policy against any form of discrimination, harassment or abuse of staff
  • Develop clearer processes to report behaviour not in line with our EDI policy and values.

Building an inclusive culture

We aim to create a culture where inclusive ways of working are the norm, always considering the role of intersectionality in everything we do. We understand that the disabled community is diverse in itself and includes people of different demographics such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, economic background, religion, education status and values and experience.

To ensure that we’re being as inclusive as possible, we will:

  • Continue to review and build inclusive recruitment practices to better attract more diverse candidates for our vacancies through the active implementation of initiatives such as positive action
  • Support managers with tools and resources to create engaged and inclusive teams, as well as encourage conversations around EDI
  • Redefine, develop, create awareness and increase participation of our employee networks and forums. Currently we have our Diversity Forum, United Voice, The People’s Forum, Convenors, Diversity Ambassadors and disability, LGBTQIA+ and religion networks
  • Incorporate diversity and inclusion into our key policies and practices
  • Review our training provision on an on-going basis to ensure that it’s fit for purpose, up to date, inclusive and accessible.

Tracking progress

EDI is a continuous journey and is always evolving. We must ensure that we are able to adapt and respond to changing EDI needs, staying current with best practices and emerging trends, as well as tracking our progress and assessing the impact of our efforts.

To do this we will:

  • Track promotion rates, training opportunities, and access to development programmes for different demographic groups, and identify any disparities and gaps
  • Ensure our workforce data is accurate and up-to-date so we can adequately address issues of underrepresentation in certain groups, areas or roles and make reasonable adjustments and provide training where required
  • Use employee engagement and pulse surveys to understand how staff are feeling and assess the impact of our EDI efforts
  • Track the diversity of colleagues at every stage of the recruitment process and their career at all levels within the organisation
  • Improve our approach to recruitment and onboarding so that everyone feels welcome to join United Response
  • Offer targeted mentoring opportunities to support marginalised colleagues’ development
  • Continue to report on the progress we’re making towards maintaining our Disability Confident Leader status.
What success looks like

As an organisation, we aspire to create an environment where doing the right thing becomes second nature to everyone. We aim to be a place where people feel valued, listened to, and that they belong and matter. We strive for a culture where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, diversity is truly valued, and inclusion is always prioritised.

This will be reflected in the:

  • High retention and low turnover because employees are genuinely happy to be working for us
  • Diversity of our workforce and senior leadership team
  • Fair and transparent policies that ensure equal opportunities for recruitment, training, promotion and retention of employees
  • Leaders who actively champion and model EDI values, driving initiatives and fostering an inclusive environment
  • High level of employee engagement and participation in EDI initiatives and in decision-making
  • Regular tracking and reporting of EDI progress, with clear metrics and accountability mechanisms to ensure continuous improvement
  • Availability of support systems such as employee resource groups, mentoring programmes, and accessible resources to promote EDI.