Diversity award for borough team

The borough's Ways into Work team has scooped a prestigious award in a national competition celebrating excellence in local government.

Manager Laura Davis and team accepted the Diversity Achievement of the Year trophy in the MJ 2010 Achievement Awards from politician-turned-broadcaster Michael Portillo in a gala evening at London's Hilton Hotel, Park Lane, on Thursday last week (24 June).

The award was presented for the team's work in finding paid employment opportunities for people with a learning disability.

Success was particularly significant as the Royal Borough was competing against larger and more diverse boroughs - the London Boroughs of Bexley, Lambeth and Tower Hamlets, Fenland District Council, Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council.

The judges praised the Royal Borough for displaying 'real community leadership' by ensuring that during the recent jobs downturn local people with learning difficulties were 'not frozen out of' employment opportunities.

Cllr Simon Dudley, lead member for adult and community services, said: "This is excellent news - hearty congratulations to everyone involved in achieving the award.

"It is exciting to see the Royal Borough gaining national recognition in this area and a great opportunity to highlight the issues as well as employment opportunities for residents with learning disabilities.

"People with a learning disability remain the group most excluded from the work force with only 10% accessing any type of paid employment."

Ways into Work and the borough's human resources team identified where tasks could be separated to create opportunities for people with a learning disability and at the same time help the borough run more efficiently by freeing up officers' time to concentrate on specialist tasks.

People with a learning disability now work in a range of council departments, including legal services, electoral services, parks, facilities, customer services and adult social care.

Cllr Dudley added: "Ways into Work demonstrates how a simple model can have such a positive outcome, changing the lives of adults with a learning disability and making the Royal Borough a better place to work."

The Mayor, Cllr Catherine Bursnall, will congratulate the team when she meets with them and Ways into Work employees on 4 August.

How do you rate this information/service?