embracing diversity

Embracing Diversity Represented at Personnel Conference
The Embracing Diversity project celebrated success at the Annual Conference of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) in Harrogate , October 2004. Representatives from Bury EST and Stockport Employment Services attended over the three days together with employer representatives from Marks & Spencer, Greater Manchester Police, Stockport NHS and Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council who lent a hand on our stand. Personnel Managers sharing their experiences of the project with exhibition delegates included Stephen Mason (Greater Manchester Police), Carmel McKeogh (Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council), Liz Dickenson and Luci Foster (M&S) and Vicky Stewart (NHS). Tracey Pennant , Employment Officer represented ethnicity and mental health, “the event was worth attending and promoted the service well. It gave a good insight into other peoples’ views of what diversity actually is. We were also able to network with other organisations such as Jobcentre Plus over the three days.” Huw Davies, Service Manager at Bury EST thought the event was, “a huge success. We had delegates from all over the country and every conceivable business background. It was great to share our views and experiences with such a large audience”. The Annual Conference attracted over 7000 delegates over the three days and we gave out information packs to 1350 people during the exhibition which really isn’t bad going. There were over 350 exhibitors for delegates to visit spread over 5 halls and 50 seminars presented by 110 guest speakers for delegates to attend. All in all a jam-packed event with plenty of interest in our stand and one that was definitely a great experience to be involved in. The CIPD is the professional body for personnel managers in the UK and we have developed close links with the regional association. Our stand was often crowded with managers from different companies discussing diversity in the workplace and we’ve got some leads to follow up. This was the first CIPD conference that Supported Employment service providers had been represented at. The event provided a perfect opportunity to talk to personnel managers representing a wide range of public and private sector employers. Sharing experiences and presenting case studies on a regional and national basis is a key element to the future success of organisations in responding to the current agenda of managing and valuing the diversity of their workforces. This is especially poignant with recent changes to the Disability Discrimination Act which mean employers have to be even more circumspect with their recruitment policies and practises. Several specialist training organisations also exhibiting at the CIPD conference came to discuss diversity issues with us and became aware of the potential of supported employment. One company, Diverse Culture, invited us to speak at a conference in Leeds attended by Home Office Minister, Fiona MacTaggart. Bury EST’s Tracey Pennant gave a well received presentation at the event which focussed on employment and minority ethnic communities. Our future plans include working with the regional CIPD branch on events and presentations to student groups and to strengthen the links we already have with local forums.
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