Disability

Lloyds Banking Group is committed to being a “disability smart” organisation that gives our colleagues with disabilities the grounds to succeed and realise their full potential.

Having an inclusive workplace enables us to recruit from the broadest talent pool and retain that talent in the organisation should a colleague become disabled.

It also helps us reflect the communities we serve and fosters a deeper understanding of the needs of disabled customers and the barriers that they can face.

We are proud to work with external organisations such as the Business Disability Forum and Disability Rights UK on influencing thinking on disability in the UK.

Our approach
Our approach to being “disability smart” is based on the Business Disability Forum’s Business Disability Standard which provides a framework for ensuring that the needs of disabled people are proactively considered across the entire organisation.

When it comes to creating an inclusive workplace for colleagues who are or become disabled we have taken a holistic approach:

• Workplace adjustments to create a level playing field.
• Personal and Career Development Programmes to help develop talent.
• A mature and active colleague network “Access” to act as the voice of colleagues with disabilities.

Workplace adjustments
We recognise that colleagues with disabilities or long term health conditions might need adjustments to their working environment or role in order to minimize the impact of their disability and perform on an equivalent basis to non-disabled colleagues.

Our award winning Workplace Adjustments process ensures that colleagues receive the adjustments they need quickly and with minimal fuss.

As of the start of 2013 over 11,000 colleagues have used the process and 97% are very pleased with the process and the adjustments they have received.

The success of the process is such that it is has been shared with and implemented by a number of other organisations in the public and private sectors.

Development programmes
Our unique Personal and Career Development programmes are designed to help disabled colleagues build confidence and then build their careers.

Lead by Dr Phil Friend OBE, chair of Disability Rights UK, these courses are described by delegates as “inspirational” and “life changing”.

Equally impressive are the results of the courses which demonstrate that colleagues who attend them are more likely to stay working for Lloyds Banking Group for longer and achieve promotion.

Access network

The Access network is the voice of disabled colleagues in Lloyds Banking Group.
Open to all colleagues (disabled, non-disabled and carers), membership in 2013 has exceeded 1,100 members and plays a role in helping Lloyds Banking Group shape its policies and activities around disability.

It also manages initiatives such as:

• A very successful and active mentoring scheme with disabled colleagues acting both as mentors and mentees.
• Colleague Support Networks to provide support around specific disabilities and conditions.
• Assistive Technology User Group to provide both mutual support for colleagues using assistive technology and feedback to colleagues in IT or elsewhere on the accessibility of our systems and services.
• Ensure we meet our commitments to the Time To Change pledge that Lloyds Banking Group signed up to in 2012 as part of an overall campaign to support colleagues with mental health conditions.

External Activities
As a major UK employer and service provider we have a duty to demonstrate leadership on matters that impact society such as the inclusion of disabled people.

We are therefore pleased that Lloyds Banking Group has developed an excellent reputation for its work on disability and we want to maintain and build on this reputation.

For example:

• In 2009 we co-managed and sponsored RADAR’s Doing Seniority Differently, the first ever UK research into the career experiences of senior managers who have a disability or long-term health condition. This led to the formation of the Radiate Network, the first network for disabled leaders which we were proud to sponsor over the first 3 years of its existence.
• We are Gold members of the Business Disability Forum, a non-for-profit organisation that makes it easier and more rewarding to do business with and employ disabled people. Through our membership we helped create the Technology Taskforce, the world’s first accessibility focus group for IT Directors.

Recognition
We are proud that our commitments to being a better employer for disabled people and better service provider for disabled customers have been recognised through awards.

These include: