This year is the 10th anniversary of the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Awards.
I want this year’s awards to be the biggest and best yet, identifying and recognising as many of you as possible, and showcasing the great work that is underway across the Civil Service.
In my role as Chief People Officer, I am accountable for the diversity and inclusion agenda within the Civil Service. I am proud of this responsibility and passionate about championing and driving further improvements in this area, so we can be the most inclusive employer in the country.
The Diversity & Inclusion Awards were established to celebrate and showcase the commitment and exceptional achievements of individual civil servants and teams across the country, building an inclusive and modern Civil Service reflective of the society we serve.
Six categories
Time passes quickly, and we are already two weeks into the period allocated for nominations, which will close on 27 May 2016. The award categories for this year are:
- Employee Network Excellence Award
- Championing Disabled People Award
- Championing Gender Award
- Championing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender, Intersex People Award
- Championing Minority Ethnic People Award
- Championing Inclusion Award
The winners of these six categories will form the shortlist for the overarching Diversity & Inclusion category in the Civil Service Awards.
Last year, we received 186 nominations across all categories. From what I’ve already heard in my conversations and meetings throughout the Civil Service, I know that there are hundreds of examples of excellence and achievement that could be considered. Let’s use the special circumstance of this year’s 10th anniversary to make sure that we celebrate as many of these as we possibly can.
You can find more about the nominations process, as well as information on previous years’ nominees and winners, on the awards’ website.
Good luck to all nominees!
You can follow the diversity and inclusion conversation on Twitter #championdifference and by following @CivilServiceDI
You can follow Rupert McNeil on Twitter: @CivilServiceCPO
3 comments
Comment by another Terry posted on
LOL,
I wouldn't put any differences I might have with any fully able-bodied, part-time working , Northern, lesbian , non-Christian women down to skin colour.
If there are people ready to step up and demystify policy, or dispel myths, and it seems it's needed, all the better I say.
One point to make to the organisers, I find the title "Championing Minority Ethnic" not at all inclusive. An all encompassing word such as "Race" would be much better, in my view.
Comment by Lol posted on
May I be completely honest. It's a bad idea. Equality means you treat people the same (broadly speaking) and don't make assumptions about them.
Diversity means you assume that someone is different just because their skin colour is different.
Comment by Charlotte Smith posted on
FAO LOL
Your description of diversity is misleading. Diversity is more than "skin colour" being different. Diversity is about supporting people in all situations, disabled, different religious beliefs, different ethnic backgrounds, different sexual orientations etc. The list goes on. These people are under represented in our workplace. Mainly because of bullying in the workplace and the appallying PDS system. They face extra barriers that a lot of people dont face or realise there are in place.
I can only use myself as an example. Because of my own disabilities, i have always felt i have had to work harder than everyone else. Ever since childhood really. It is the same in the workplace. I am sure i am viewed by many as being thick or not quite all there. Why? For the simple fact that i am unable to hear as well and often miss out on things. I do fight for assistive technology and have a few things in place to support me.
The Diversity Awards are a celebration of those who have gone the very extra mile in the face of the barriers in place. There are of course awards for other people in other categories. So you see it is a fair event. I will conceed howeve that much more needs to be done to stamp out bullying and particurly with a much hated PDS system.