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When it comes to employment, diversity is an important topic and one that, while talked about a lot and outlined in the Social Value Model, is not always an easy thing to deliver on. So, we want to delve into some key ways that organisations can access a more diverse pool of talent, deliver strong social value and promote productivity and innovation.
There are explicit references to improved workforce representation in the Social Value Model under the Tackling Economic Inequality theme and of course theme 4 - Equal Opportunity; for example, increasing the representation of and developing the skills of disabled people.
However, other forms of social value can be generated by supporting people who face barriers to employment such as:
Let’s zoom in on just one of those groups – prison leavers.
It’s not hard to see that businesses which support and employ ex-offenders help the community in straightforward, cash-quantifiable ways.
That’s saying nothing of the benefits that employment and education bring in terms of quality of life, wellbeing, mental health – all of which feature prominently in the SVM.
And yet there are many obstacles to prison leavers finding work on both sides of the equation.
Many employers continue to simply screen out all applicants with criminal records in their recruitment processes.
And former prisoners often report difficulties in knowing how to go about looking for work and upskilling, especially those who experience mental health problems as well.
So even businesses that are positive about ex-offenders can find it difficult to deliver on their aspirations to employ them.
It’s not enough to just publish inclusive job adverts and hope that qualified people from groups of this sort walk through your door. Commissioning authorities will be looking for much more proactive effort with detailed plans, evidence of success in similar attempts, and commitments to clear reporting of results when considering social value proposals.
Usually, that means engaging with advocacy groups. For example:
These bodies can help your business to understand the challenges involved in building awareness and relationships of trust with the people they represent.
One such person helped by a specialised recruitment agency is Release On Temporary License candidate, Sarah (not actual name of candidate for confidentiality reasons). Starting off as a cleaner, within a period of 6 months she got her CSCS card, SMSTS and Fire Marshall certification and was also promoted to Assistant Site Engineer.
As she puts it herself:
“For my personal journey, it’s helped me re-settle back into normal life but not only that it’s also given me a new career. Just because someone’s made a mistake, doesn’t mean they are a bad person. I’ve made a mistake and proven myself by putting it all back into my work”
There are thousands of potential employees, trainees, and skilled operatives ready to follow Sarah’s path.
There is also an opportunity to help “displaced talent” – that is, skilled refugees who have been forced to flee their homes and are often living in low-income countries where they do not have access to safe and legal pathways to travel and practice their trades. Working here means they can resume their careers and rebuild their lives all over again. To do this you can use a specialist recruitment agency as mentioned earlier.
Take the example of Syrian refugee Nariman Al Kaddour
Nariman says:
“When refugees leave behind their homes, they don’t leave behind their skills or qualifications. I am talented and educated and there are many others like me. Being part of the displaced talent program and coming to the UK has changed my life, given me the chance to build my career and most importantly given my children a future. I don’t have to worry about them anymore.”
Commissioning authorities and bid managers are looking for more than just anecdotes. They want strategies that relate to their own desired outcomes as well as quantifiable results. This can only come if you are recording your social value accurately through a reporting system and using a consistent and government approved measurement framework such as the Impact Evaluation Standard which is used by HMRC.
We hope this has given you some useful information that you can take and apply to your own organisation. Lead the way; show other organisations in your industry that addressing the equality gap is a win-win for all.
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Head of Central Government Programme, techUK
Heather is Head of Central Government Programme at techUK, working to represent the supplier community of tech products and services to Central Government.
Prior to joining techUK in April 2022, Heather worked in the Economic Policy and Small States Section at the Commonwealth Secretariat. She led the organisation’s FinTech programme and worked to create an enabling environment for developing countries to take advantage of the socio-economic benefits of FinTech.
Before moving to the UK, Heather worked at the Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas and the Central Bank of The Bahamas.
Heather holds a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP, a Masters in Public Administration (MPA) from LSE, and a BA in Economics and Sociology from Macalester College.
Programme Manager, Central Government, techUK
Ellie joined techUK in March 2018 as a Programme Assistant to the Public Sector team and now works as a Programme Manager for the Central Government Programme.
The programme represents the supplier community of technology products and services in Central Government – in summary working to make Government a more informed buyer, increasing supplier visibility in order to improve their chances of supplying to Government Departments, and fostering better engagement between the public sector and industry. To find out more about what we do, how we do this and how you can get involved – make sure to get in touch!
Prior to joining techUK, Ellie completed Sixth Form in June 2015 and went on to work in Waitrose, moved on swiftly to walking dogs and finally, got an office job working for a small local business in North London, where she lives with her family and their two Bengal cats Kai and Nova.
When she isn’t working Ellie likes to spend time with her family and friends, her cats, and enjoys volunteering for diabetes charities. She has a keen interest in writing, escaping with a good book and expanding her knowledge watching far too many quiz shows!
Programme Manager, Cyber Security and Central Government, techUK
Annie joined techUK as the Programme Manager for Cyber Security and Central Government in September 2023. In this role, she supports the Cyber Security SME Forum, engaging regularly with key government and industry stakeholders to advance the growth and development of SMEs in the cyber sector.
Before joining techUK, Annie was an Account Manager at a specialist healthcare agency, where she provided public affairs support to a wide range of medical technology clients. She also gained experience as an intern in both an MP’s constituency office and with the Association of Independent Professionals and the Self-Employed. Annie holds a degree in International Relations from Nottingham Trent University.
Team Assistant, Markets, techUK
Ella joined techUK in November 2023 as a Markets Team Assistant, supporting the Justice and Emergency Services, Central Government and Financial Services Programmes.
Before joining the team, she was working at the Magistrates' Courts in legal administration and graduated from the University of Liverpool in 2022. Ella attained an undergraduate degree in History and Politics, and a master's degree in International Relations and Security Studies, with a particular interest in studying asylum rights and gendered violence.
In her spare time she enjoys going to the gym, watching true crime documentaries, travelling, and making her best attempts to become a better cook.
CEO, Thrive – Social Impact Platform