Partner Article

Guidant awarded Level Three Disability Confident Leader Status

Guidant Group has become the first recruitment organisation to be awarded a Level Three Disability Confident Leader status by the Department for Work & Pensions. (DWP) – the highest accolade achievable in the new Disability Confident scheme, which now has three levels and replaces the two ticks accreditation.

The award recognises the fact that Guidant Group has acted as a champion with their business community and has engaged their supply chain and business networks to drive change within the recruitment sector.

The new scheme was officially launched yesterday (Wednesday) by the DWP and the Minister for Disabled People, Work & Health, Penny Mordaunt MP, at the offices of The Recruitment and Employment Confederation and is aimed at increasing the understanding of, and changing attitudes to, disability in the workplace as well as removing barriers to disabled people and giving them the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

Guidant was already the UK’s first Disability Confident MSP/RPO and had already gained ‘Clear Assured’ status, a nationally recognised standard in inclusive recruitment. The organisation is also a long-term partner of The Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI).

Congratulating Guidant Group on its status, Mourdaunt said, “Through Disability Confident we’re encouraging employers to see the value that disabled people bring to the workplace. It’s great to see businesses like yours supporting this initiative – which I hope will ultimately lead to thousands more disabled people enjoying the benefits of employment and playing a greater role in our economy and society.”

Speaking about the award, Melanie Forbes, chief executive of Guidant Group, commented, “I am incredibly proud that we have been recognised as a Disability Confident Leader for our commitment to improving the prospects of disabled job-seekers. We strive to take the lead and instigate change within the recruitment profession and beyond. Our Disability Confident Leader status, has given Guidant Group the platform to continue to influence positive change in the wider recruitment industry and we are taking significant steps to bring our suppliers on the journey with us. As an example, we recently hosted a workshop attended by a number of our recruitment suppliers and I am delighted to say that 13 of them have since become Disability Confident Stage 2 partners. We firmly believe that small changes in approach can make a huge difference – and there is lots of guidance and support out there for employers. We just need to help them to remove barriers. We remain committed to doing exactly that, both within our own organisation and by encouraging our clients and recruitment suppliers and the wider community to join us on our disability confident journey.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Guidant Group .