More action will be taken to help disabled staff succeed and progress at the Â鶹Éç.
A review involving staff and the Â鶹Éç’s Ability network, which supports disabled staff, has made a number of recommendations which will now be adopted.
It is the latest in a series of reviews aiming to make the Â鶹Éç the most supportive and inclusive organisation to work in. Deputy Director-General Anne Bulford said:
This project has given us a unique opportunity to hear from disabled colleagues across the Â鶹Éç, to understand their concerns, aspirations and how we can make the Â鶹Éç the best organisation for them.
The review recognised that the Â鶹Éç currently has an open culture in relation to disability, with 94.4% of Â鶹Éç employees having disclosed whether they have a disability or not. More than 2,000 Â鶹Éç employees, 10.4% of its workforce and 9.5% of its leaders, have disclosed a disability as defined by the UK Equality Act.
Initiatives including the Â鶹Éç’s Elev8 Programme and the new Â鶹Éç Writersroom initiative The Writers Access Group aim to successfully mentor and develop disabled people across the Â鶹Éç.
But the Â鶹Éç has been clear about wanting to go further. Earlier this year, Director General Tony Hall pledged to increase the numbers of disabled staff and freelancers on production teams, signing up to the Creative Diversity Network’s Doubling Disability initiative.
Disabled staff taking part in the review said they would benefit from hearing from disabled role models at senior level and more awareness among line managers about the diverse nature of disability.
Many of those who took part in the review also said it would be helpful to have a more detailed picture of the nature of the disabilities employees have disclosed and that co-ordination around disability initiatives could be improved.
The recommendations have been accepted by the Â鶹Éç’s Executive Board and include:
- Increasing the Â鶹Éç’s target for disability in its workforce from 8% in 2020 to 12% in 2022
- Gain a better understanding of our workforce through asking supplementary questions in our staff census
- Including disabled employees in all development and leadership programmes
- Ensuring recruitment processes and trainee and apprenticeship schemes provide specific support for disabled applicants, which is made clear when people apply for roles
- Introduce a centralised ‘Â鶹Éç Passport’ to inform managers about the support each person needs
- Mandatory disability awareness training for all team managers
Download the PDF
- Report on career progression and culture for disabled staff at the Â鶹Éç
Reports
- B.A.M.E. Terminology Review ReportB.A.M.E.: A report on the use of the term and responses to it. Terminology Review for the Â鶹Éç and Creative Industries
- Report on career progression and culture for disabled staff at the Â鶹ÉçA report on plans to help disabled staff succeed and progress at the Â鶹Éç, published in November 2018.
- LGBT culture and progression reportA report on plans to make the Â鶹Éç an even more inclusive workplace for LGBT staff, published in October 2018.
- Reflecting the socio-economic diversity of the UK within the Â鶹Éç workforceA report on the career progression of Â鶹Éç employees published in October 2018 setting out action the corporation is taking to help staff from lower socio-economic backgrounds to reach their full potential.
- Making the Â鶹Éç a great workplace for womenA report on career progression and culture for gender equality at the Â鶹Éç, published in October 2018, focusing on culture and progression for staff in the Â鶹Éç, with a particular focus on women.
- Equality Information Report 2017/18Our annual Equality Information Report provides an update on the progress in relation to equality, diversity and inclusion for our workforce.
- Statutory gender pay gap report 2018A report shows the Â鶹Éç’s gender pay gap has been reduced by nearly a fifth over the past year, as the Â鶹Éç sets out its commitment to leading the way on gender equality.
- Reflecting the ethnic diversity of the UK within the Â鶹Éç workforceA landmark report on career progression and culture for staff from a black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) background.
- Â鶹Éç Equality Information Report 2016/17The Â鶹Éç’s annual Equality Information Report is published in July each year.
- Previous Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2016-2020The Â鶹Éç's previous Diversity and Inclusion strategy for 2016-2020