Palladium was recently reaccredited as a Disability Confident Leader, a testament to the company’s ongoing efforts to create an inclusive and supportive environment for all employees, particularly those with disabilities. This reaccreditation highlights the company’s achievements in advancing accessibility and equity, as well as its vision for a more inclusive future.

The Disability Confident scheme, led by the UK government, helps encourage organisations to recruit and retain disabled people and to challenge attitudes and increase awareness of disability. The highest level of this accreditation, “Disability Confident Leader,” means that those who earn it not only take proactive measures to ensure an inclusive workplace, but also champion disability confidence among partners and suppliers.

According to Emma Catterall, Palladium VP of Human Resources for UKEA, the reaccreditation process involved an extensive review of the company’s practices. “Disability consultancy Leonard Cheshire thoroughly examined every aspect of our provisions for disabled employees,” she explains.

Catterall says that among the key measures that earned Palladium this recognition is its recruitment policy guaranteeing an interview for any disabled candidate who meets the minimum job criteria. “This commitment ensures that we’re opening our doors to a talented and often overlooked pool of candidates. We’ve also made strides in targeted advertising, listing job openings on targeted disability platforms to reach a wider range of potential applicants.”

But the team’s efforts go beyond recruitment. Catterall explains that in recent years, Palladium has updated its onboarding process and regularly provided training on disability awareness and unconscious bias for managers. New tools and guidelines have been developed to guide Managers and their teams through supporting different aspects of disability. “Our focus has been on equipping our line managers with the right tools and ensuring every employee can thrive, no matter their visible or invisible needs,” she says. “Disability is now a key metric in our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) performance indicators, which helps us remain focused and accountable.”

In addition to internal policies, Palladium has long extended its inclusivity focus externally. This includes raising disability awareness among suppliers and encouraging them to adopt similar standards. “We’re trying to influence the entire ecosystem, broadening the impact of our disability inclusion efforts,” she notes.

Both Catterall and senior leaders acknowledge the importance of continuous improvement and see this reaccreditation as both a milestone and a springboard for further action. “When you look back at everything we’ve accomplished, it’s inspiring. But it also shows there’s so much more potential. We’re laying a foundation to engage even more meaningfully with disabled communities and harness a vast, often untapped talent pool,” adds Sinéad Magill, Palladium co-CEO.

One of Palladium’s overarching goals is to ensure all colleagues, whether they have a disability, feel welcome and empowered to do their best work. “It’s about creating an environment where everyone can thrive, and if someone needs extra support, we’re here for them,” says Magill. “We want every employee to know they’re no different from anyone else in terms of the opportunities available to them.”

But this inclusivity agenda isn’t limited to the UK. “Even though this is a UK-based accreditation, our commitment is global,” Catterall adds. During the last annual strategic goals review, Palladium’s senior executive team identified that transformative change required stronger communication and engagement skills around inclusion. To help address the gap, Palladium’s Access and Inclusion Support Team facilitated training for 30 senior leaders with a focus on disability awareness and reasonable adjustments to support people with disability to participate in employment on the same basis as others.

Catterall says that this is just the beginning. “Palladium aims to integrate these practices worldwide, adapting to local contexts where needed.”

Learn about our Access and Inclusion team and capabilities or contact info@thepalladiumgroup.com for more.