Page 23 - Federation magazine: October / November 2016

West Midlands Police
named among UK’s
most ‘inclusive’
employers
The Force has been named one of the
country’s most inclusive employers
and has been praised for its
“dedication to diversity and equality”
It is ranked seventh in the ‘Inclusive Top
50 UK Employers’ List - compiled by judges
from the Excellence in Diversity Awards -
which showcases organisations that have
demonstrated commitment to workplace
diversity. It is the highest ranked police
force in the list.
“This is great news not just for people
who work for the Force but also for the
communities we serve,” says Tom
Cuddeford, interim chairman of West
Midlands Police Federation, “It is essential
that police forces are fully representative of operate and its continuous dedication to
their communities and this shows that
West Midlands Police is doing much to
ensure this is the case.
“But we must ensure that this
continues, that we build on this and that
now our workforce is more representative
of our communities that we have policies in
place to retain the staff we have recruited.”
Judges consider each organisation’s
efforts to promote inclusivity across all
diversity strands - including age, disability, worship have been held to encourage
gender, race, LGBT and faith - with a focus
on recruitment, training and specific
initiatives aimed at attracting and
retaining a diverse workforce.
Chief Constable Dave Thompson, said:
“I’m extremely proud to be at the helm of
one of the most inclusive organisations in
the UK…and pleased our efforts have been
recognised. There is still more work to do
but this is great progress.
www.westmidspolfed.com
“Promoting diversity in the Force across
all protected characteristics is crucial in
order to accurately reflect the communities
we serve and to ensure we are effective in
preventing crime and protecting people.”
Paul Sesay, CEO of The Inclusive Top 50,
added: ‘’It’s crucial to highlight best
practices in workforce diversity. There is a
need to promote these practices and the
organisations carrying out pioneering work
in this arena to set an example to other
employers.
“The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List
has identified true leaders in this field - of
which West Midlands Police is one of the
frontrunners. The force’s position on the list
reflects the high standard to which they
diversity, equality and inclusion.”
Almost nine per cent of West Midlands
Police officers are from Black & Minority
Ethnic (BME) communities - the second
highest representation in UK policing - and
the Force has introduced a Positive Action
programme aimed at attracting, developing
and retaining BME staff.
‘Discovery Days’ at universities and
schools, community centres and places of
applications from BME communities - and
it has paid off as nearly a third of the Force’s are women.
latest PC recruits are from BME
communities.
Gary Stack, chairman of West Midlands
Police’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transsexual (LGBT) group, said: “WMP now
features in the Stonewall Top 100
employers as well as the Inclusive Top 50
federation October/November 2016 23
LGBT Network chairman PC Gary Stack, PCC
David Jamieson and LGBT Network
committee member Billy Corrigan launch
the Allies initiative last month - a scheme
to promote equality in the workplace.
which is something to be very proud of.
Ultimately, if we get it right for our people,
they will perform better and provide the
best possible service to the public who
deserve a well-rounded, representative
police service.
“By no means is this achievement an
excuse to sit back and relax: there’s still
much to do and there are so many
passionate and dedicated people within
WMP who work tirelessly to make the
organisation more representative and
diverse. This achievement is a nod to them
and the great work they do.”
West Midlands Police has also boosted
the number of women officers among its
ranks.
Female recruits made up more than a
third (36.4 per cent) of the most recent
intake of PCs with women now accounting
for more than four in 10 (41.5 per cent) of
all staff.
In addition, 30 per cent of the Force’s
superintendent ranks are filled by female
officers and two of the seven chief officers
West Midlands Police is the highest
ranked police force on the list ahead of
South Wales (14th), Lancashire (16th),
Surrey (28th), West Yorkshire (29th) and
Greater Manchester (38th).
Other organisations featuring on the
‘Inclusive Top 50 List’ - which was topped
by mental health charity Touchstone -
include British Airways, the Ministry of
Justice, The Open University, SKY, Age UK
and ASDA.