After facilitating initial conversations on the topic of Diversity and Inclusion, London Borough of Enfield Council wanted to capitalise on the momentum they had built by engaging in more initiatives that would lead to creating an inclusive culture.

Motivated by the idea of implementing meaningful change, their main goal was to make people aware of, and reduce the barriers to inclusion in the workplace

Solution

Our research demonstrates that ultimately, it is the leaders’ responsibility to develop and maintain mechanisms that ensure people feel safe, valued, and empowered in their organisation. Pearn Kandola designed a workshop for the Council’s senior leaders to address this which involved:

• raising awareness of what those from minority groups suffering from micro-incivilities may be going through
• discussions on any barriers to inclusion they may be facing
• recommending practical techniques to enable the creation of an inclusive culture, which ranged from making themselves aware of their own biases and how to mitigate these, to how to create psychological safety and psychological standing (a culture where people can voice ideas and questions without fear of exclusion or judgement, and also feel entitled to act) within their teams.

Outcome

Pearn Kandola worked with Heads of Services across the Council, which offered the best opportunity to set the tone from the top. The participants created action plans in order to deliver changes such as:

• facilitating open spaces for sharing and collaboration
• seeking out development opportunities for their staff
• ensuring staff can challenge them
• role modelling the right behaviours.

Impact

• Our team was rated 9/10 for our knowledge and expertise.
• Our team was rated 8/10 for understanding the client’s needs.
• Our work was rated 8/10 for achieving the client’s objectives.
• This work impacted 60-80% of the organisation.
• This client is likely (8/10) to recommend Pearn Kandola to a friend or colleague.

“The sessions were well received”

– Andi Frangeskou, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant