Equity, Diversity and Inclusion - Faster, Braver, Together
Building truly inclusive working environments
In October 2018 I was deeply honoured to be invited by the then Prime Minister Theresa May to attend Number 10 Downing Street to discuss equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and to be a founding signatory of the Business in the Community (BITC) Race at Work Charter.
However my passion and commitment to EDI has been central to both my personal and professional life from the beginning. At 18 I was the victim of a homophobic attack and lost my front teeth. So, from the start of my adult life I have been aware of the often-violent impact of bigotry, ignorance and misinformation. I am therefore an advocate, campaigner, leader and trainer in all aspects of EDI.
At David R. Blackburn Consulting we are committed to helping you build truly inclusive working environments where everyone can succeed in achieving their personal and professional goals, balance their work and home lives and feel that they truly belong. An inclusive workplace is an environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect, where the talents and skills of different groups are valued, and where productivity, customer and employee experience improve because the workplace is happier, more motivated, and fully aware of the benefits that EDI can bring.
Bringing both academic expertise and practical experience
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are important issues facing organisations of all sizes, across all industries and sectors. But what exactly do these terms mean and why are they important? Over the course of 2023 I completed the Cambridge Judge Business School Global Chief People Officer Programme and chose EDI as one of my specialist electives.
Within each module, I heard from researchers, experts and practitioners from a range of professional backgrounds. They provided insights, strategies and ‘lessons learned’ to help envision ways to implement best practices in EDI. By analysing real-world examples and case studies, I have a robust understanding of both the individual factors and the organisational practices that lead to discrimination and have learned tactics and methods for designing effective and equitable diversity policies and initiatives based on the very latest research and academic thinking.
However, at David R. Blackburn Consulting we don't just bring academic expertise we bring hands on, multi-award winning practical experience of how to turn those ideas into action. During my decade at the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS), we were recognised as a UK Top 50 Most Inclusive Employer, a Times Top 50 Employer for Women and a Working Families Top 30 Employer. We reversed our gender pay gap from 18% in favour of males to 1.4% in favour of females , delivered a 24% increase in overall employee engagement and 91% of colleagues believed that FSCS is a caring and inclusive organisation. Most recently I have helped Mencap to co-create a new Vision and Strategy for EDI - so please reach out to see how I could help your organisation.
