inclusion

Equalities, Diversity & Inclusion

In 2021, we formally recognised our commitment to Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) by embedding it as one of the 10 goals in our Business Plan to 2030, with the ambition to be seen as a champion for EDI within the sustainability sector.

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Introduction

SWM has always recognised the importance of celebrating diversity in our approach, with ‘Respect’ forming one of our three core values, alongside ‘Business-like’ and ‘Creative’. These fundamental principles support our overall Vision to ensure:

“The West Midlands is leading in contributing to the national target of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 whilst addressing health inequality and driving inclusive growth”.

In 2021, we formally recognised our commitment to Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) by embedding it as one of the 10 goals in our Business Plan to 2030, with the ambition to be seen as a champion for EDI within the sustainability sector.

What have we done to address EDI?

With EDI, it is not enough to simply say it, you must do it. So, we acted.

  • We produced an EDI Action Plan which is regularly reviewed
  • We updated our Equal Opportunities Policy and review it regularly
  • We provide opportunities for young people through our extremely successful ‘Young Director’ position on our Board since 2014, and industrial placements from local universities
  • We aim for our Board to be representative of the diversity of the West Midlands. We have engaged with our Board to identify any gaps in diversity, and made adjustments to ensure Directors have no barriers to inclusion
  • We have an EDI champion on our Board
  • We have an open and easy application process when we recruit for new roles
  • We have re-designed our website to reflect our key areas of work and make navigation easier
  • We never ask for sensitive information that is not required for decision making
  • In-house EDI training was provided for all staff and ensured that they are kept up to date with new learning
  • We were shortlisted for the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Award for ‘Responsible Business’ due to our EDI refresh in 2021
  • ‘Accessibility’ is one of the four core pillars of our Communications Strategy
  • Our ‘External Advisory Committee’ acts as an independent sounding board for our activities and feeds into our EDI Plan
  • We have made our commitment to the Diverse Sustainability Initiative going public with our ambitions and learning from other partners

What are Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion?

EDI is about respecting other people’s differences and understanding that they can be a positive thing. ‘Diversity of thought’ alone catalyses vital collaboration and therefore, growth. More in-depth understanding of different community’s backgrounds and cultures will give us the tools to communicate our sustainability message more effectively, and this in-turn supports vital behaviour change.

Equalities:

Within an employment context, this usually refers to the Equalities Act 2010 and recognising the nine protected characteristics which are:

  • Age
  • Disability (including mental health and neuro divergence)
  • Gender reassignment
  • Marriage and civil partnership
  • Pregnancy and maternity
  • Race
  • Religion or belief
  • Sex (specifically ‘male’ and ‘female’ relational inequalities)
  • Sexual orientation

If you feel you are being harassed, victimised, directly, or indirectly discriminated against based on any of the protected characteristics above, you must report it to your organisation’s designated EDI lead or the senior management team. There should also be a robust reporting procedure within your organisation to address EDI-related complaints.

Diversity:

This means a ‘variety of things’, usually making the whole stronger in some way. In EDI terms, it relates to various protected characteristics and the potential need to be more inclusive through creating more equal opportunities.

Inclusivity:

Inclusivity brings together the awareness of Equalities and the planning of Diversity and, turns this into action for those affected groups, by removing barriers to inclusion.

Accessibility:

Accessibility plays a key part in ensuring that protected characteristic groups are engaged in your operations. Keeping language simple, content clear and quick to absorb will benefit a wider audience, as well as your current busy stakeholders.

In summary:

We understand that EDI must be relevant and responsive. Sharing key learning and developments within EDI and reflecting that in our approach is how SWM endeavour to work towards our ambition of being seen as a champion for EDI within the sustainability sector.