The Supply Chain Sustainability School (the School) has partnered with major construction clients and contractors, to develop and launch the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Growth Assessment. This freely available web-based tool has been specifically designed for the construction industry and allows organisations, large and small, to benchmark their Fairness, Inclusion & Respect knowledge. The Assessment helps leaders and managers to recognise their best practice and highlights areas for improvement. On completion of the Assessment, a tailored learning plan is automatically created for companies, providing direct free access to the best-in-class learning resources of the FIR Programme, helping them to further develop and improve their business.
The Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Growth Assessment tool is endorsed by the CLC (Construction Leadership Council) as part of their Skills Plan objective of developing a more diverse & innovative industry that is better for all. Use of the tool will help organisations to accelerate the process of embedding a culture change and will help deliver CLC’s commitment to support 3,000 construction companies in developing a culture of Fairness, Inclusion and Respect by 2025.
Organisations are becoming more conscious of Fairness, Inclusion & Respect and its benefits to people, profit and enabling a sustainable business model. In a survey of 811 people who have participated in the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect programme, 55% said it helped them win new business, 58% said it improved productivity and 62% said it helped them to retain talent. But more needs to be done and the launch of this Assessment is the latest tool to help the industry create an industry that is better for all.
Belinda Blake, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Manager at National Highways, said: “We are delighted to be working closely with the FIR Programme to grow our supply chains’ Equality, Diversity & Inclusion capability and resilience. We are committed to this agenda and are looking to bring positive and lasting change through this work.”
Jo Mercer, Head of Organisational Development at VINCI, said: “The thing I like about the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Growth Assessment is its simplicity and practical approach, with a framework to help businesses proactively embed inclusive ways of working. It helps you to understand and celebrate the great stuff already happening along with highlighting areas to focus on to support recruitment & retention and productivity.”
Ian Heptonstall, Director at the Supply Chain Sustainability School, said: “We are thrilled that the School is hosting the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Growth Assessment. It’s a very valuable tool that provides free access for all to an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion assessment process that is designed by industry to provide valuable benchmarks of an organisation’s current Equality, Diversity & Inclusion practice and a roadmap for continuous improvement. The launch of the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Growth Assessment is a result of a collaboration between major transport clients such as National Highways, HS2 and Network Rail along with leading contractors such as Graham, Skanska and Vinci. It’s great to see so many companies working together to further develop a culture of Fairness, Inclusion & Respect.”
Briony Wickenden, Training & Development Consultant at CECA, said: “In developing this tool, our intention is to help businesses to recognise their current good practice and see where they can make improvements. Many SMEs in construction are already leading the way on Fairness, Inclusion & Respect particularly in areas such as family friendly practices, team working and leadership, this tool will help them to demonstrate that. Larger businesses often have the tools and policies to progress Fairness, Inclusion & Respect but need to fully embed those processes and the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Growth Assessment will help them target their efforts and resources. No matter why a business chooses to use the tool, we believe the process will help them to understand the benefits of becoming more diverse and inclusive and, as a result, more productive and profitable.”
Kevin McLoughlin, Managing Director at McLoughlin Group, said: “A very worthwhile tool, it really highlights that no matter how well you think you are doing, there’s so much more to do. The action plan you receive isn’t at all daunting.”
In partnership with SEE Things and CHAS, Supply Chain Sustainability School members can also get accredited for taking the Fairness, Inclusion & Respect Growth Assessment and embedding practices within their company. Accreditation is valid for two years and gives members access to ongoing support and the assurance that they are continuing to practice Fairness, Inclusion & Respect to current standards and guidelines. NOCN will be the Quality Assurance of the training provided by the Supply Chain School to the Licensed Assessors.
With over fifty thousand registered users, the School provides free practical learning and support for the UK built environment, through sustainability training, networking, e-learning modules, tailored assessments, and online resources. The Fairness, Inclusion & Respect resources are becoming increasingly popular as diversity and inclusion issues become increasingly important for many organisations in the industry.
