What we do
Disability, Mental Health and Wellbeing Voluntary Reporting Framework
At Awen, our goal is to create places and experiences that give people a sense of purpose, identity, expression and most of all a sense of belonging.
This starts with our workforce and our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and creating a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve.
We are passionate about providing equality of opportunity and being an employer that has a fair and equitable approach. We want Awen to be an organisation that everyone feels they can be part of, want to work for and where people feel safe to be themselves.
As a Disability Confident Leading organisation, we aim to ensure that we are inclusive in our practices and are an employer of choice for disabled people. Outlined below is the progress we have made as well as our future aspirations.
| AREA | PROGRESS MADE | THE FUTURE |
|---|---|---|
| Recruitment and Retention |
Clearly display the Disability Confident Logo on our website and adverts reassures candidates that we are welcoming of and wish to encourage disabled applicants. Our Awen website and recruitment site outline further detail on our commitment to being a Disability Confident Employer. Trialled using disability and diversity specific advertising websites. Candidates have the opportunity throughout the recruitment process to identify as disabled and adjustments are offered at all stages of the process. We are committed to offering an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role. We have introduced the opportunity for candidates to have the interview questions 48 hours prior to the interview, which assists people who are neurodivergent. Managers have completed unconscious bias training through our e-learning platform and through face-to-face recruitment training. Used workplace trials as an alternative to interviews as a reasonable adjustment. Worked with the local college to provide a pathway into employment for people with a disability. |
Consider a more formal way of using workplace trials as an alternative to interviews. Consider fully anonymised shortlisting process Analyse response rate when advertising on specific disability websites and consider how to improve reach of adverts. Provide training for managers on dispelling the myths of employing people with a disability. Publish accessibility audits and details of our venues for candidates to have full information prior to attending interviews and starting their role. Publish guidance on our website on how to complete application forms, what to expect from the process and an explanation of reasonable adjustments. Add an accessibility page to our website. |
| Culture |
Set up a Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Steering Group with a diversity of representation including people with lived experience. Developed an EDI Action Plan and progressed actions. Every year we take part in the ‘Time to Talk’ national campaign and colleagues tell their stories in relation to mental health and challenges they have experienced. Joined the Public Service Board (PBS) Wellbeing Steering Group to share best practice, initiatives and knowledge to improve colleague support for mental health and wellbeing across public services in our area. Sit on the Public Service Board Neurodiversity Sub-Group to develop and implement support, information, training for the workforce. Welcomed speakers to our all staff Inspired Together Events on topics such as Disability, Trauma, Mental Health, ADHD. Provided training for staff on dealing with burn out, stress and anxiety. Signed the Time to Change Wales Pledge. Undertaken the MIND Wellbeing Index for 3 years before moving onto Investors in Wellbeing in 2024. All colleagues are required to complete EDI training through our eLearning platform. Introduced a Wellbeing Together Group which is a cross section of colleagues who create and implement, and action plan aligned to our Wellbeing Strategy. |
The new Strategy for 2025 – 2030 has EDI and belonging entwined throughout, and this will be filtered through to the new People Strategy. Introduce an EDI Strategy. Consult and engage on the development of the People and EDI Strategies. Gain approval and implement the revised Absence Management Policy and Procedures, which will become the Attendance Management Policy and Procedure and focused on support, adjustments and improvement. From 2025 the Annual and Mid-Year Review will include a question regarding any barriers to attending or completing agreed training, and whether any reasonable adjustments are required. Learn more about the social model of disability and what this means for Awen. |
| Data |
Colleagues have self service to their records to update personal data throughout the course of their employment. Colleague Surveys are undertaken annually and include questions on engagement and EDI. We are proud of our 2024 figures where 98% of colleagues feel that Awen is an inclusive employer and welcomes diversity and 92% feel comfortable being themselves at work. Participated in the MIND Wellbeing Survey between 2020 – 2023 achieving Gold status, and in 2024 we achieved Investors in Wellbeing (IIW) Gold Standard. These processes have provided us with an insight into how colleagues are feeling and helped inform our initiatives, policy and process. Introduced the eNPS in October 2024 and also measure happiness. Our first eNPS was 41 which was a favourable starting position. Started collecting anonymous equality data for volunteers, customers, freelancers and trustees. Customers are asked a number of questions about accessibility after attending one of our events and this allows us to monitor any themes and make adjustments as appropriate. Case Studies are collated regularly and form part of our reporting to local government partners and funders. |
Undertake an anonymous survey with questions on disability, mental health and neurodiversity. Use data to inform review of Wellbeing Strategy and new People Strategy. Achieve Investors in Wellbeing Platinum by 2030. |
Disability Reporting
Since becoming a Disability Confident Leading Organisation the percentage of disabled people working at Awen has increase from 4.8% to 6.45%.
We collect equalities data as part of the new starter process which also includes an explanation to the new starter why we collect their data and what it is used for. It is through the collection of this data that we are able to identify areas for improvement and celebrate our success. Candidates are asked to complete an equality data collection form to enable us to monitor the diversity of our applicant pool and provide a guaranteed interview where applicable.
Due to the nature of our business cases studies are a crucial part of telling the story and demonstrating the impact our services have. These are included on a quarterly basis in reports to our local government partners and publicised on our website.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Reporting
Supporting mental health and wellbeing is a well-established part of our culture, our Wellbeing Strategy has been in place for 5 years and after achieving Gold in the MIND Wellbeing Index we decided to align our Wellbeing review with our Investors in People and underwent the Investors in Wellbeing Assessment in 2024 and achieved Gold in our first year, also being shortlisted at the IIP awards, which firmly puts us on the map as an organisation with a positive and proactive approach fostering a caring and supportive culture and one that is free of stigma and where colleagues feel they belong.
The four years of assessments which include colleague surveys with a return rate of over 60% each time, provide us with an insight into how our workforce is feeling, understanding if we are on the right path and helps set the direction going forward. As part of the time to talk campaign each year, colleagues tell their stories and challenges with mental health and wellbeing, and this has had a huge impact on removing the stigma and helping colleagues to trust that they will be supported. In 2025 it will be our 7th year of sharing stories with over 15 colleagues including the Head of People putting their stories on record to demonstrate that mental health does not discriminate.
We have led a comprehensive campaign over the past 7 years, including many initiatives, training, speakers and inclusive practices and processes. As an organisation, being able to demonstrate our people-centric approach and our commitment to health and wellbeing, supports attraction, recruitment and retention. We will continue on our journey and encourage an open, trusting, fair and empowering culture so that colleagues can be themselves and feel confident that they belong at Awen.
We recognise that this is journey, and we will need to adjust and react to internal and external influences to ensure colleagues remain a priority, can bring their whole selves to work and be the best they can be part of an organisation with a culture where they feel they belong.
