Background
St Oswald’s Hospice wanted to ensure they were doing everything possible to attract disabled candidates for both volunteering and staff roles. We developed a detailed and bespoke training programme to help managers of both charity shops and hospice staff improve the employment and retention of disabled employees. Our training provided concrete steps the charity could take to enhance access to employment opportunities and retention initiatives.
About the Organisation
St Oswald’s, based in Newcastle, is one of the largest hospices in the North East. In addition to providing residential palliative care, they offer a range of community services, supported by several charity shops.
The Challenge
St Oswald’s aimed to improve the accessibility of their recruitment and employment support services. They wanted to ensure their HR practices were as inclusive as possible.
How We Helped
After listening closely to the challenges they were facing, we designed bespoke training incorporating elements of disability equality, etiquette, and inclusive recruitment and HR practices. This helped strengthen their equality, diversity, and inclusion policies and improve their working practices.
The Results
The training was enthusiastically received, and the team now feels much more confident in delivering inclusive recruitment and support services. They shared the following feedback:
“Difference Northeast’s disability awareness training is delivered by people with lived experience of disability and a commitment to improving the lives of disabled people, which was reflected in the quality of the training. The course was enjoyable, informative, engaging, and very ‘real’—lots of food for thought.”