Panel members included:
- Deborah Lamb, Director of Policy & Communications, English Heritage
- Judy Ling Wong, Director, Black Environment Network
- Paul Boniface, Director of Human Resources & Legal, The National Trust
- Rob Sutton, Diversity Manager, The Environment Agency
- Phillip Hedley CBE, Director Emeritus, Theatre Royal Stratford East
‘How can organisations shift their corporate thinking to embed access and diversity into all working practices?’
Ling Wong’s opinion was that organisations, as part of society, still don’t often look into the intrinsic qualities of people that drive forward diversity change, and organisations need to shift their position and see themselves as part of the community, not outside of it.
Boniface stipulated that organisations should develop a shared understanding of what 
is meant by ‘access’ and ‘diversity’, then adopt strategies for change that are consistent with the culture they operate within. Senior management should be committed role models.
Sutton explained the challenges faced by The Environment Agency to encompass diversity, and claimed they were tough but necessary, involving a change of image and service delivery in order to attract a range of people.
Hedley felt the process of ensuring accessibility in organisations must run through 
every thread of action. He quoted Martin Luther King: “Shallow understanding from well-intentioned people is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill-will.”
Audience Q & A insued. Delegates wanted more information on initiating cultural change and increasing diversity amongst the workforce.
Sutton gave examples of his organisation’s experience, such as examination and alteration of the qualification specifications for certain positions, and the re-wording of job adverts so as not to alienate certain groups of people.
One delegate raised the point that while change may be necessary, people need to experience why it is important or it’s meaningless to them.
Click to download a soundbite from Judy Ling Wong or press play below:
Click to download a soundbite from Rob Sutton or press play below:
rob sutton’s point about re-wording job adverts, so as not to alienate groups……….. don’t we do that already? especially as concerns the perception of racism or sexism?
I really agree with Paul Boniface’s statement about developing a shared understanding of what diversity means. To me it’s a word that gets overused by people who merely pay lip service to it. When organisations adopt common standards and mean it could be when it becomes a reality. Richard Hedley’s quote from Martin Luther King is a good one.
You are a cynical man Richard. Shurely these things are done with societies best interests at heart? Not just an excercise.
With regards to Rob Sutton’s talk, working as part of a council funded residential area regeneration project, it is alarming to see how employment of deprived areas of our society is hindered by organisations that seem to have ‘not seen the light’ with regards to how diversified recruitment strategies benefit the communities they operate within and the organisation themselves . Many seem not to realise the value of people who may simply have not had the chance to gain the formal qualifications, but have many other qualities and skills to offer. It all seems far to easy to categorise potential employees into geographical areas of society.
Within my role I meet people with a whole range of skills, which have seemingly be camouflaged by the fact that they live in a tower block, or are of a certain ethnic background.
Sutton speaks of how his company has re-examined it’s approach to their recruitment process and many organisations, I believe should take note, as it could hugely benefit the societies of which they are apart and improved performance across the organisation.
Hardi Darweish Thornhill (Southampton) New Development for Communities