Implementing the results of the 2023 Staff EDI Survey into our 2024/25 work plan

This survey was circulated to all paid employees and had a 37% completion rate.

Overall, the findings from the survey were extremely positive. Some of the key data can be seen here:

• 85% of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that they feel included in their teams
• 83% of respondents either strongly disagreed or disagreed that they personally experience harassment, bullying or discrimination from other employees (6% improvement from the 2020 EDI survey)
• 81% of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that they are treated with dignity and respect at work
• 81% of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that the way they work with service users/customers demonstrates that we understand their different needs and expectations.
• 80% of respondents either strongly agreed or agreed that they can talk openly with their managers about concerns relating to diversity and inclusion.

Earlier in the year the EDI team analysed the responses and put together a set of actions that now form part of the 2024/2025 work plan for EDI, as well as other departmental plans. This includes improving and expanding our EDI learning and development for staff, ensuring that leaders are driving our EDI agenda, and embedding equity and inclusion into our Service Delivery. Since the start of this year, we have refreshed our EDI training for new starters, begun rolling out a new equality impact assessment process and established an EDI Board comprising of senior representatives across the organisation. The full plan outlines all of the changes made and the strategies in place for the future.

Ketiwe Anjorin, Head of Equality and Inclusion at Forward, had this to say:

“Gathering insight from staff is vitally important to Forward and we would like to thank everyone who took the time to provide their feedback. This has enabled us to start to build on the areas of good practice identified, such as our EDI lunch and learns, and to address the current gaps in our EDI strategy/initiatives, including increasing awareness and confidence in how concerns are raised and acted upon with the organisation. It’s essential that we keep listening and learning and are honest and transparent about our progress.”

At The Forward Trust, we believe that EDI is at the heart of everything we do. We are extremely grateful to the staff who took the time to complete the survey so that these changes to our strategies could be made to benefit the whole organisation.

Read our EDI strategy for 2024-2027 here.