A blueprint for disability and neuro-inclusion

Reviewing our progress against our 2023 commitments: what have we achieved so far? 

We are recognised as a leading employer for people with disabilities by the Business Disability Forum and were awarded their Gold Standard Benchmark in 2023.

We were also re-awarded our Disability Confident Leader status with the Department for Work and Pensions in 2023. But whilst these are useful benchmarks for us, we continue to strive for excellence and to listen to our colleagues with lived experience to help inform our strategic plans.

Understanding our colleagues and representing the customers and communities we serve

As of the end of 2023, 12.4% of our senior management colleagues shared with us that they had a disability, meaning we’ve exceeded our original target earlier than anticipated. We continue to encourage our colleagues to share their disability data with us, to build a true picture of the diversity within our organisation as we continue to strive for greater representation. 

An estimated 24% of the UK population have a disability, so it’s important that as an organisation we ensure that our products and services are tailored and inclusive of the needs of all our customers.

Since launching our goal, we’ve had a significant uplift in colleagues sharing their disability data with us. This has increased from 24.7% in March 2023 to 55.4% as of August 2024. 

Our aspiration is to reach 60% data sharing by the end of 2024, and 80% by the end of 2025. 

Upskilling our colleagues

We know there is more to do to improve the experience of our colleagues with disabilities and neurodivergent conditions in order to create an environment in which we can all thrive.

This is why in September 2024 we launched our first ever upskill training programme focused on disability and neurodiversity. This includes an interactive e-module for our colleagues and line managers and a supporting toolkit, and optional facilitated workshop for our line managers delivered in partnership with the Business Disability Forum.  I'm pleased to say that we have pushed the boundaries when it comes to the accessibility and inclusivity of this programme. 

Our colleagues with lived experience of disability and neurodiversity have played a key role by providing input on design, content and functionality. For the first time, we have included an inbuilt text reader, zoom functionality, a British Sign Language interpreter and audio narration as part of an e-module. And we hope this will pave the way for future design at the Group.

This programme is built on the feedback we received from our colleagues, and will give our colleagues, line managers, and leaders the skills and confidence to have open conversations about disability and neurodiversity. Ensuring that disability and neuro-inclusion are core tenants of our culture.

But our ambition doesn't end there. We are committing to driving disability and neuro-inclusion beyond our organisation in order to ultimately help Britain prosper. That’s why later this year we will also be launching a public facing version of the module which any individual, business owner, or organisation can access. 

Helping our colleagues and future talent to thrive

In 2023, we launched a specific career development programme for colleagues with disabilities in partnership with APS Intelligence Leadership Consultancy. 

This nine-month programme was designed to provide colleagues with the tools, resources and support to achieve their career aspirations. 

Creating accessible buildings and workplaces 

A hugely important step on the way to an inclusive workplace is ensuring all our buildings are fit for purpose and are spaces where colleagues feel welcomed, valued and able to thrive. 

To that end, we recently opened three more Changing Places facilities in our Bristol, Andover and Leeds offices. Larger than standard toilet facilities, a Changing Places Toilet provides a hygienic place for colleagues with disabilities and their carers. They are big enough for wheelchairs, include a height-adjustable changing bench and wash basin, ceiling track with hoist plus a privacy screen and shower. In fact, in 2022, we were the first bank to open an accessible Changing Places facility in our Old Broad Street office in London – available to colleagues, customers and the public.

And our design standards have been developed to ensure that our new workspaces are better suited to our colleagues with neurodivergent conditions. This includes providing a choice of workspaces to suit differing work styles, minimising ambient and visual noise, optimising natural light, and ensuring layout and sensory consistency across sites.  

Our employee resource group

Access is our network for colleagues with disabilities, long-term health conditions, neurodivergent conditions or allies. Access aims to raise awareness, upskill and support key populations as well as reduce stigma. Within Access we also have several specific communities to bring together colleagues and allies.  

We have an established neurodiversity community, with several colleague-led squads who have set up multiple regional neurodiversity hubs, dedicated resources to support parents of neurodivergent children, and delivered engagement initiatives, including Neurodiversity Celebration Week.  

We also have an established d/Deaf Culture Club to increase understanding and allyship and bring together d/Deaf colleagues across the Group. By sharing lived experiences and insight about d/Deaf culture, our colleagues are better able to understand and support our d/Deaf customers and design products and services for their needs. The d/Deaf Culture Club have also supported the design and delivery of a new training module by providing insights on incorporating BSL.