Everyone at Evenbreak lives with disability, so flexibility is key. All employees are able to work the number of hours that suit them, at times which suit them. Tasks are divided by preference and strengths rather than fixed job roles. The organisation has a learning culture, so everyone is encouraged to learn new skills, whether for current or future roles, or outside of work. The business plan is co-produced with the whole team, so it is owned by them rather than imposed on them. The lived experience of disability of the team informs all decisions, whether internal or external, and means that inclusion and accessibility is built into everything from the start. As well as having a range of disabilities, the team is also diverse in other ways – race, gender, age, culture – and these differences are valued and embraced.

Recruitment is a formidable challenge across various sectors currently, exacerbated by widespread skill shortages. The key to addressing this issue lies in actively seeking out more diverse candidates and fostering an inclusive environment where they can not only succeed but thrive.

The team all work remotely from home (to enable us to attract talent from the widest geographical area, and for employees to work in an environment that works for them), so teamwork is a priority. We use technology (Teams, Zoom, etc) for team meetings, cross-team project meetings, and socially for morning coffee and afternoon tea. We look for opportunities to get together in small groups in person – this might be an awards dinner, an exhibition, an event or just a social – and ensure that everyone’s access needs in terms of travel and accommodation are met. We have ‘away days’ (usually two days with an overnight stay) for all of our people two or three times a year and engage in team building activities as well as work-based or project activities. Team members are encouraged to work across different teams on various projects. Team members may lead ‘lunch and learn’ sessions on things they have learned about. Business planning is an annual event which involves all team members.

The Best Places to Work certification was a fantastic opportunity for us to receive anonymous feedback from team members about their experiences of working for Evenbreak. This could have been daunting, but we are always open to suggestions for improvement. As we have an open culture at Evenbreak, people tend to feel safe to air their views openly, so the certification process brought no nasty shocks with it. However, it was great to have confirmation that our efforts to include and engage the team appear to be working.

Anyone considering the certification process should encourage their staff to be open and honest in their feedback. The more honest the feedback, the more opportunities there are to improve. And just going through the certification process demonstrates a desire to engage with employees and make the workplace as inclusive and open as it can be.