We recently conducted an analysis report of equal opportunities and inclusion in the workplace at Silver Birch Care. The report highlights a number of measures that we have implemented to uphold transparency and continuous improvement, while helping us to maintain a broad range of ethnic and gender diversity across our organisation, particularly at senior and management levels.

Although inclusion and managerial opportunity may be seen as being a moral issue, we also recognise that adopting this mindset and ethos provides significant other benefits to our organisation. Research consistently shows that the most diverse organisations, and those who make a concerted effort to break down systemic barriers by attracting, developing, and promoting individuals from the widest possible pool of talent, perform better than those who do not.

Here at Silver Birch Care, we have 130 employees and growing. From this report, we can outline in terms of ethnicity that our management team are 84% BAME and 16% White British and in terms of gender, and our management team are 40% female and 60% male.

Improving managerial diversity across our organisation was achieved in a number of ways, and one of these was by having aspirational targets which helped provide us with a framework catalyst for change. In order to achieve lasting results however, we recognised that standard operating practices also had to change. Female staff and those from BAME backgrounds were given a platform to voice concerns about situations and/or experiences they may have encountered as the subject of either direct or indirect discrimination or bias. This led to the implementation of formal mechanisms which now ensure the provision of equal career progression and managerial opportunity for all within our organisation.