Our colleagues, customers, and communities come from an incredibly diverse array of backgrounds. However, we’re united by one shared belief: that everyone deserves to feel safe, accepted and included.
We want our homes and services to reflect this, meeting the unique needs and aspirations of each individual.
Our hardworking teams are always looking for new ways to support one another and the customers they serve.
We know our differences make us stronger. We put people first. So whether you’re a customer or a colleague, Accent is a place you can belong.
How we’re becoming more inclusive
Equality, diversity and inclusion are a priority for us, and we make sure our staff demonstrate this all the time, from suppliers and contractors to colleagues and board members.
We want people to feel they belong, which is why our team are dedicated to finding more, better ways for colleagues and customers to thrive through accessible opportunities and resources.
In 2020, we publicly announced that we were actively working to become more inclusive. By 2024, this had evolved into our core strategy.
By 2027, we’ll have introduced new initiatives linked to our customer engagement and people strategies. This might look like using data to understand our customers better, specialised learning and development opportunities or running special interest events for colleagues.
New initiatives we’ve introduced
As well as building inclusivity into our core strategy and our goals for 2027, we’ve also introduced a number of people-led initiatives:
- webinars hosted by colleagues on issues like LGBTQ+ children, dementia, care work, neurodiversity in the workplace, Black Lives Matter, domestic abuse, and disability confidence
- informal cafés to chat about topics like menopause, care work, dementia and cancer
- an internal resource hub with content to support colleagues on a range of topics
- external speakers and training
- customised online learning about interesting topics
- employee resource groups
How we’re fighting discrimination
Accent has a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, and we’re actively working to build a culture around inclusivity. Accent:
- supports individuals in describing their disabilities
- is trans-inclusive and affirms self-identification
- is continuously improving on how we can be more inclusive of neurodivergent people
- is an age-friendly employer
- regularly reflects and takes action on what it means to be anti-racist
- believes that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work
How we’re addressing the gender pay gap
Addressing the gender pay gap is a crucial part of our commitment to equality, which is why we regularly review our data and how we operate to see if we can improve things.