Acacia Training is a Disability Confident Leader

Acacia Training has been named as a Disability Confident Leader again, three years after being one of the first organisations in the UK to gain this status.

We have successfully renewed our accreditation at the highest level of the national scheme until 2023. Disability Confident is a government initiative designed to help recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions for their skills and talent. As a Leader, Acacia Training acts as a regional ambassador, sharing our expertise with local businesses and helping them to become disability confident too.

Clare Hancock, Partnership Manager at Acacia Training, says: “We were very proud to be one of the first organisations in the UK to gain Disability Confident Leader status in 2017 and we are thrilled to have had our accreditation renewed for another three years.

“We’ve seen many benefits to joining the scheme. Not only does it encourage applications from people with disabilities, enabling us to draw from a wider pool of talent, it improves morale and commitment by demonstrating that we treat all our employees fairly. Many disabilities are hidden and since becoming a Disability Confident Leader our staff say they feel more confident speaking up because they know they’ll be supported.” 

In 2019, we were shortlisted in the Disability Confident category of the Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) Awards and featured on the gov.uk website. We currently work with a number of local business to help them become disability confident and our staff regularly speak at events and conferences. We hope our experience will encourage others to join the scheme.

Clare says: “Given the impact of Covid-19 on the economy, schemes like Disability Confident are more important than ever. With so many candidates out there looking and applying for roles, some people with disabilities will feel that they don’t even have a chance. People need to know now, more than ever, that potential employers will treat them equally and support them in the workplace.”

Clare adds: “Many employers feel that they are a million miles away from achieving Disability Confident status so it’s not worth applying. However, often that’s not the case. Take a step back, review your processes, and you’ll probably find that you’re already doing much of what is required. There is plenty of support out there too.”   

If you’re a local business interested in joining the Disability Confident Scheme and would like to speak to us, please call 01782 646346.