National Inclusion Week 2022 – The Power of Recognition

The Council is celebrating National Inclusion week, which runs until Sunday.

Each year seven days are dedicated to celebrating inclusion and taking action to create inclusive workplaces. Founded by Inclusive Employers, National Inclusion Week is now in its tenth year.

This year’s theme is ‘Time to Act: The Power is Now’.

The aim for the Council is to inspire a focus on actions and help make this an inclusive place to work. We want to work together to seize #ThePowerOfNow to overcome challenges and build a more inclusive culture in the workplace and beyond.

Throughout the week, a different article relating to National Inclusion Week will be shared on Staffnet each day.

Today’s is about the Power of Recognition

The Power of Recognition: Empower your colleagues

Think of a time when someone has recognised something you have done and acknowledged it - it feels amazing doesn’t it? Even small acts of recognition can give people a lift and empower them in that moment. Today is about recognising your colleagues. From small everyday acts of kindness that may have previously not been acknowledged to bigger actions like those in formal roles such as Inclusion Champions, or staff networks. Today, we encourage you to identify and empower those people around you that are contributing to creating inclusive cultures in workplaces every day.

Diverse

The Diverse staff network was established during 2020 and formally launched in 2021. It aims to raise awareness, provide a social and supportive environment, and have a positive impact for colleagues from ethnic minorities in the workplace.

The Diverse network works with different Council departments in relation to the implementation of the race equality action plan and to improve employment and service delivery for ethnic minority employees and communities. The Diverse network also supports mandatory race awareness and unconscious bias training for staff as well as supporting anti-racism workshops in schools.

All staff are welcome to join the network and support their mission in helping the Council become an employer of choice for people from diverse communities.

As part of this mission, the group aims to:

• Have a positive impact for colleagues from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities in the workplace.
• Raise overall awareness and visibility of its work.
• Provide a social and supportive environment.

Establishing the network is a stride toward starting the conversation about race equality in the Council in a constructive and open way and demonstrating that uncomfortable conversations can lead to real change.

The Diverse Staff Network is a positive step for our organisation in promoting an inclusive workplace that actively celebrates its diverse community and workforce. 

Trailblazer status

The Council has been awarded Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status in recognition of its work to address racial inequality through the creation of Safe Spaces.

Safe Space is a Race Equality Matters innovation, co-created with those who have experienced racism, that provides protected environment in which people who might otherwise be too uncomfortable can have frank conversations on this subject.

Designed to recognise organisations driving meaningful change in the race equality sphere, REM Trailblazer status has been determined by an independent panel of experts, all with lived experience of race inequality in the workplace.

Becoming a Trailblazer means the work the Council has done has resulted in change and made an impact across the breadth of the entire organisation, addressing racial inequality to become a more diverse, inclusive and equal organisation.

The panel deemed that the Council’s work to ensure that ethnic minority voices are heard in Safe Space meetings was “clear and substantial” and gave the highest score possible for making sure that improvement suggestions were implemented.

With only 64 per cent of applicants achieving Trailblazer status, this demonstrates how serious the judges took this decision and the level of achievement attained by the Council.

#MyNameIs

#MyNameIs is a solutions-focused campaign by Race Equality Matters which encourages the use of phonetic spellings on email signatures and name badges, to help tackle race inequality. #MyNameIs is a simple but highly impactful solution to ensure everyone pronounces people’s names correctly.

Here’s what you can do

• Add a phonetic pronunciation of your name to your email signature - follow the instructions and add #MyNameIs / #FyEnwYw + the phonetic spelling. Find your phonetic name using the #MyNameIs digital tool.
• Check you are saying other people’s names correctly and encourage colleagues, employees, and your networks to do the same.

You can read the original article on posted on Staffnet during Race Equality Week 2022 here

Harness the Power of Recognition – acknowledge work done by your colleagues and organisation.