“Our focus on EDI recognises and values the differences in each of our employees. We believe that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect. We want to create an inclusive culture that nurtures talent and allows every individual regardless of disability, gender, ethnicity or nationality, the opportunity to flourish and reach their potential.”
Equality, diversity and inclusion are central to how we work. We want our people to be as diverse as those we support, and we work hard to ensure everyone has the opportunity to reach their potential.
At Sense we are diverse in age, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnicity and culture. We each have our own lived experience, we each bring unique qualities, and we each play our role in building an inclusive workplace, where everyone can thrive.
We’re proud of the work we do to make sure that people with complex disabilities are able to take part in life. And we want our organisation to be just as diverse as the people we support.
We aim to be a leader within our sector when it comes to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), and we have a clear EDI strategy outlining this.
We support and encourage all of our people to be themselves at work, and we both recognise and value our differences. Our employee networks, which champion and celebrate our diversity, are just one way we do this.
Our EDI Board is driven by our employees and employee network leads, and is championed by our Chief Executive and EDI lead. This helps us to ensure we have an open forum to discuss ways to better represent our people and the communities we support, to break down barriers, and to ensure all our people have equal and fair opportunities to thrive.
We’ve been on a journey to modernise pay at Sense, and we’re pleased and proud that in our latest Gender Pay Gap Report, our median pay gap is just 0.4%.
We’re part of a number of schemes that help us make sure everyone has an opportunity to achieve their potential at Sense.
We aim to recruit the best people, with a proactive approach to employing disabled people.
This includes guaranteeing an interview to disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for our jobs, and providing an inclusive, accessible interview process.
We’re dedicated to keeping and developing our people and are creating an inclusive workplace where we can all, regardless of disability, bring our talent, express our views and be ourselves in our workplace.
We’re members of the Business Disability Forum which exists to transform the life chances of disabled people, working through and with business to create a disability-smart world.
They provide evidence-based advice and support to businesses and connect us to a network of businesses, thought-leaders and disabled people that want to remove barriers and improve the life experiences of disabled people.
At Sense we have a diverse team of people, passionate about making a difference to people’s lives. Our employee networks are led by our people and ensure we can all feel connected, celebrate our differences, and have a voice in decisions.
“Watching the people we support grow alongside the staff has filled me with so much joy”
We spend a great deal of time at work, so we should all feel like it is a place we belong and can be ourselves. Our thriving employee networks are led by our people, ensuring that our diversity is celebrated, and that our different perspectives are represented.
These networks contribute to our learning programmes, policies and procedures. They ensure everyone can have a voice, and feel supported, connected and visible at Sense.
The Ethnic Diversity Network aims to foster and grow a strong Ethnic Minority base at Sense.
The group celebrates culture, embraces identity, starts courageous conversations and provides a voice to help bring understanding, change and inclusion.
The Disability Employee Network provides a forum for disabled and able-bodied employees to champion the inclusion of disabled people within the workplace.
They have been active in helping us understand how we can work better together in diverse teams.
“The Disability Employee Network has raised awareness around working with employees with hidden disabilities such as Autism, Tourette syndrome and hearing loss, to promote understanding and inclusion.”
The LGBTQ+ Network aims to create a safe and inclusive workplace, so everyone can bring their authentic self to work.
It’s a space for those in the LGBTQ+ community and allies to come together to champion issues in the wider community and promote more understanding.
“The LGBTQ+ network joined forces with the Learning & Development team to write new eLearning on Understanding Gender, Sexual Orientation and The History of Pride - we launched to all employees in Pride month and the feedback was excellent.”
The Wellbeing Network was set up by a group of like-minded individuals with the aim of driving change, reducing the stigma around mental health and promoting wellbeing.
The network provides a forum for sharing experiences, networking and discussing issues that affect us all.
