It’s our pleasure to announce that Town Hall Group is a registered Disability Confident employer. Disability Confident is a government scheme which aims to encourage employers to shift their mindset around hiring disabled individuals. People with disabilities have unique perspectives and skills that can help a business thrive, and we at Town Hall Group have always conducted business with that principle in mind. Many of the most integral members of our team have disabilities, and our focus has always been on what a person can do, rather than what they can’t. We are honoured to have received this recognition for all the work we have done in this regard.
Chief Operating Officer Rachel Dilley has been a longtime advocate of hiring people of all abilities at Town Hall Group. As the mother of a son with autism, she passionately believes that those with different capabilities can thrive if given the support to do so. Rachel Dilley is also an employment advisor for Leeds Enterprise Partnership. She works with Woodley School, a specialist school for children with learning disabilities, to provide education and resources through our charity the Town Hall Foundation.
Rachel and the team have crafted a robust policy of diversity and accessibility, which is the driving force behind Town Hall Group’s company culture and hiring practices. We are proud to say that several members of our team have some form of disability. Our full-time employees have disabilities including autism, dyslexia, ADHD, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS).
For those individuals with severe physical disabilities, we have incorporated policies such as flexible working, which helps employees stay as productive as possible without impacting their health. We also offer a disability mentoring service. One example of this is a Town Hall Group team member with autism, who helps teach essential written and numeracy skills to an employee with dyslexia. This approach not only supports the individual with dyslexia, but gives an opportunity for the both employees to learn from each other, practice new skills, and develop camaraderie.
In addition, we have an in-house mental health counselling service, which is available to all our staff. We understand how important it is to offer resources to those who struggle with mental health challenges or illnesses, and have consistently prioritised doing so.
This approach to bringing in talented staff members regardless of ability, as well as continually investing in their skills, has paid significant dividends for the business. We continue to grow as a group due to the exceptional treatments and patient care provided by our team. We do not believe that disabilities are an obstacle, but rather a new and exciting opportunity to excel.
