Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Forward Trust

We are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and aim to ensure that these are maintained and embedded within all aspects of Forward. We aspire to be an organisation which celebrates diversity, delivers equality and allows everyone to access our services and ensures fairness to all of our employees.

Our commitment to EDI

Forward believes that everyone should be treated fairly and with compassion regardless of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion and belief, or age.

As an organisation, we have always been driven by the need for social justice, always looking to empower people from all backgrounds to achieve their potential, addressing inequality and discrimination in the process. However, even with these strong beliefs and foundations, we do not want to rest on our laurels and need to challenge ourselves further, especially as our organisation has grown and diversified, welcoming new staff and reaching new service users.

Over the last few years, Forward has developed an action plan to strengthen our work around equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), both as a service provider and as an employer. We aspire to be an organisation which celebrates diversity, delivers equality and allows everyone to access our services and ensures fairness to all of our employees. We are taking a pro-equality stance, to promote the best and fairest outcomes for trustees, staff, volunteers and service users. There can be no quality without equality.

Our vision is that anyone – however, marginalised and whatever their history or circumstances – gets the opportunity and support to live a positive life that fulfils their potential and inspires others to follow the same path.

EDI strategy

Emerging from the pressures of the Covid-19 pandemic, we find ourselves reviving and restating our priorities, including creating an EDI strategy, which will enable us to invest in equality, celebrate diversity and promote inclusion across Forward. We know we have much more to do to ensure an entirely fair and inclusive culture at our workplace, but we are committed to taking informed and decisive action to ensure we can provide equitable and effective support to our staff, our services and our clients.

EDI Champions

To enable us to promote equality, invest in diversity and celebrate inclusion in our organisation, we have established voluntary roles of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Champion (EDI Champion) to support our colleagues on EDI matters.

While we have developed our EDI strategy from an organisation-wide perspective and ensured senior oversight and ownership to deliver a consistent and thorough approach, we have also facilitated and encouraged local ‘bottom-up’ initiatives to promote EDI.

We will continue engaging with our staff to embed inclusion and diversity into our core business activities. We plan to progress this by ensuring these values are embedded throughout all aspects of our employee engagement.

Our Champions have been through training with an external consultancy, to ensure they have the tools and confidence to support their colleagues.

Employment Resource Groups

Forward is committed to operating in a safe environment that allows everyone equal access to services, opportunities and to learn and grow. Employee Resource Groups (ERGS) allow colleagues to discuss different lived experiences, provide insight into unseen barriers and support Forward to devise practical, creative and workable solutions to enable everyone to thrive and be their authentic selves.

During meetings, employees may discuss personal experiences, good or bad. These may at times get emotional and need managing carefully. It is important that people talking about their own experiences at meetings can be heard without interruption and are provided opportunities to stop or take a break.

Key duties of Forward’s ERGs are to:

• Enable all colleagues to feel that they are part of and have a vital role to play in Forward.
• Discuss issues affecting its members with key decision makers.
• Assist in formulating new and reviewing existing policies and procedures, where invited to do so.
• Assist Forward in meeting its statutory obligations regarding the public sector Equality Duty under the Equality Act 2010 to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination; advance equality of opportunity; and foster good relations between different people when carrying out their activities.
• Review, consult and make suggestions on Forward’s employee survey results that relate to equality, diversity and inclusion matters (when invited to do so).
• Review, consult and make suggestions on action plans relating to equality, diversity and inclusion matters (when invited to do so).
• Support Forward in developing a positive workplace environment that celebrates the contribution of all colleagues, and is free from bullying, discrimination and harassment by supporting the relevant action plans.

We now have five Employment Resource Groups across Forward for all staff, led by our EDI Champions:

Embrace (disability)

Embrace provide a voice for disabled employees and/or experience differences in terms of their mental health. We will encourage colleagues to understand the needs of disabled people within the community so that Forward’s vision, values and objectives are fulfilled. It is also to encourage all colleagues within Forward to celebrate diversity.

RACE Forward (race and ethnicity)

Race Forward is a staff network within the Forward Trust which is a safe space for staff of different racial and cultural differences. We are a members group who voice concerns, champion achievements and share lived experiences with others within the organisation.

Proud (LGBTQ+)

Proud is the Forward Trust’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (LGBTQ+ ERG); an employee-led group championing an inclusive and participatory culture. The ERG will be an environment where members are connected by their passion for LGBT+

rights and always feel safe. This group aims to provide a safe space and foster a workplace culture that values the diverse ideas, experience, and background of every individual. It also aims to empower an innovative, flexible, and resilient group of people to engage with the opportunities and challenges of the future.

ForWomen (Women)

Provide a voice for women (and those who identify as women) and encourage colleagues to understand the needs of women within our workforce and our service user community, so that Forward’s vision, values and objectives are fulfilled. It is also to encourage all colleagues within Forward to celebrate diversity.

Belonging (Allyship, Culture & Inclusion)

We are people who advocate for a culture of openly engaging employees who perpetuate oppressive norms and debunk stereotypes – we talk and take action on all things allyship, culture and inclusion. We want to provide a voice for BELONGING and encourage colleagues to understand every individual’s needs and culture within our workplace so that Forward’s vision, values and objectives are fulfilled. Belonging is a place for everyone and encourages colleagues of all levels to show up as allies at work and drive positive change within Forward by celebrating diversity and inclusion.

EDI Leadership

We will have an EDI Leadership group meeting every six weeks to ensure that our EDI work is on track, which will be attended by our two Trustee EDI Leads, CEO, the Director of HR and Head of EDI.

We have appointed two trustees to be our EDI leads to ensure accountability at the highest level of the organisation.

Joyce Adu

Joyce is highly committed to improving access to social housing and improving quality, professionalism and service delivery in housing services. Prior to her career in social housing, she worked in the private sector as a data analyst and market research expert. Joyce recently transitioned to health service regulation and joined the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in 2022 as Head of Investigations.

Joyce quote: “To reap the benefits of EDI, it’s about creating working environments and cultures where every individual can feel safe, a sense of belonging and is empowered to achieve their full potential so we can be the best employee to continue supporting our clients.

A true commitment to EDI is sustained by actions much more than words. And the driving of those actions by dedicated and committed personnel passionate about achieving successful outcomes for everybody involved is why I was happy to become one of Forward’s Trustee EDI Lead.

Isabelle Laurent

Isabelle is a founding trustee of Forward Trust and has been involved with several charities focusing on the criminal justice system, mental health, addiction, and education for over 35 years. She has worked in finance since 1984, including at European Bank for Reconstruction and Development where she has been employed since 1997.

Isabelle said: “Our Board of Trustees regularly draws on the charity’s history for putting people first so that we can commit to being at the forefront for greater equality within our sector, always holding ourselves accountable for our progress.

Our work already brings positive changes to so many, but we must continue improving. Lots have changed in the years since the Trust was first founded, and it is there for important that we as a charity commit to doing more to break down barriers and create opportunities for all.

There is no finishing line here. We have committed to an ongoing journey of inclusive development, and we are proud to have set out ambitious milestones.”

LGBTQ+ training

To ensure that every Forward service is a safe space for everyone, we have an LGBTQ+ add-on section to the current Stepping Stones programme.

We have a dedicated service geared towards the LGBTQ+ community, including a weekly Zoom meeting where everyone within the community is welcome and will find an inclusive, non-judgemental space.

All client-facing staff will be trained around LGBTQ+ communities and issues, to be able to provide a supportive environment for you to be yourself, find yourself and accept yourself.

We can direct you towards other LGBTQ+ organisations, sexual health clinics and other forms of support. We can also provide face-to-face sessions, over the phone or via Zoom/Teams.

For more information, please email: Darren.Lacey@forwardtrust.org.uk

Local initiatives

While we have developed our EDI strategy from an organisation-wide perspective and ensured senior oversight and ownership to deliver a consistent and thorough approach, we have also facilitated and encouraged local ‘bottom-up’ initiatives to promote EDI. For example, developed by Recovery Worker Darren Lacey, a former service user in our East Kent service, the LGBTQ+ group supports both staff and service users from the LGBTQ+ community.