Top Employer: Victim Support
Victim Support, the national charity supporting people affected by crime and traumatic events, has been the top-performing third sector organisation in the Workplace Equality Index for several years.
They are committed to creating a culture where equality, diversity, inclusion and respect are at the centre of all they do.
Their policies and practices are regularly reviewed to ensure they meet the needs of LGBTQ+ staff – whether that’s communicating clear protections against discrimination, LGBTQ+ inclusive family related leave, or ensuring that mental health support is LGBTQ+ inclusive.
They’ve also embedded inclusion in key processes like recruitment, sharing information about their commitment with prospective staff and developing an inclusive recruitment toolkit for recruiting managers. Data from monitoring exercises is regularly analysed to understand how initiatives like this are impacting staff representation, engagement and satisfaction.
Victim Support have a well-established LGBT+ Network Group, with strong support from senior leaders. The group provides peer support for LGBTQ+ staff and is regularly consulted on internal developments. The network group and organisation provide a wide range of opportunities to learn about LGBTQ+ experiences and how to support equality.
As well as supporting their staff, Victim Support are focused on ensuring that LGBTQ+ victims feel confident to access their services. They provide training for public-facing staff on delivering inclusive services and clearly communicate their commitment online, as well as through community engagement. They have also spoken out about rises in LGBTQ-related hate crime, most recently collaborating with the Welsh Government on the ‘Hate Hurts Wales’ campaign.