Derwent London has taken steps to inform and educate staff so that those with chronic health conditions, or disability or accessiblity needs are fully supported.
Katy Levine, head of HR at the property investment and development business, says: “When we talk about chronic long-term conditions, it is such a wide subject. There is not a lot of in-depth knowledge around. Plus, people believe that if they open up and talk about something, they might be judged or seen as a weak link. That is what we wanted to change.”
Levine and her colleagues achieved the National Equality Standard (NES), the UK’s diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) assessment, in 2021. “We had lots of great initiatives, but there was nothing that pulled it all together,” explains Levine.
The team’s work to achieve the rigorous standard was rewarded when Derwent became the first business to achieve 35/35 on the NES’s scoresheet.
To further deepen Derwent’s focus on disability, long-term conditions and accessibility, the organisation decided to join the Business Disability Forum (BDF) a year and a half ago. Before Derwent joined the BDF, it conducted a self-assessment with employees, says Levine. “The BDF helped us structure it to make sure we were asking the right questions.”
Levine and her colleagues kept the questionnaire short and sweet, aiming to find out what long-term conditions and disabilities the organisation’s 200 employees had. Giving people the option to respond anonymously, they also asked an open-ended question: ‘what can we do to support you?’, and received many helpful replies which have informed their strategy.
Derwent’s D&I working group publishes newsletters where people discuss their conditions: how these affect the way they work and how others can support them, plus any resources which readers can access if they want to learn more. After some conversations, three people shared their stories. More are in the pipeline. “It was amazing, and a massive step forward for us,” says Levine.
Many other practical forms of support are available at Derwent. Levine and her colleagues run a health and wellbeing programme, including regular lunch-and-learns with guest speakers on a variety of topics, from invisible conditions to the menopause. “When we address taboo subjects, it becomes much more normal to talk about them,” says Levine.
Unusually, Derwent offers private medical insurance which covers pre-existing conditions, which is particularly beneficial to people with long-term health conditions. “We pay a higher premium for it due to the likelihood of higher claims, but at the end of the day, if [we] can get someone support quickly, it will benefit their overall wellbeing in turn supporting loyalty and engagement,” explains Levine.
Derwent’s employees can claim back the £200 insurance excess through a health cash plan. Via the cash plan, people can also access help with everyday costs for services like specialist consultations and health screening.
Manager training is also key at Derwent. There is lots of guidance on the BDF’s website, and Levine encourages managers to attend lunch-and-learn sessions, as well as keeping them up to date by sharing articles or new guidance on the BDF’s knowledge hub. Line managers also receive training. “If someone comes to talk to their manager, I want them to feel safe and listened to,” says Levine.
As a result of Derwent’s comprehensive strategy, absence levels are very low, employee satisfaction levels are high year on year, and referrals to occupational health are minimal.
Levine concludes: “In the current climate, there is financial pressure and multi-generational workforces who have different wants and expectations. If you want to attract top talent to your business and keep them, you’re going to have to look after them.”
