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The equality and diversity charity, Liberate, are launching their new Channel Islands employer accreditation programme in Guernsey on Friday 29th September following an extremely successful launch in Jersey. DIFERA is the first accreditation in the Channel Islands to award organisations with a quality mark that demonstrates to employees (past, present and future), clients and suppliers that an organisation places Diversity, Inclusion, Fairness, Equality, Respect and Acceptance at the heart of what they do.
The DIFERA accreditation is a natural development from the Channel Islands Equality and Diversity Awards that Liberate launched in September 2016. Liberate hope that several of the early adopters of the DIFERA programme will also be nominees when the awards are next held in March 2018.
Ellie Jones, Vice Chair of Liberate (Guernsey) said “The DIFERA programme launched earlier this year in Jersey and has already seen some fantasic organisations sign up including – Channel Islands Co-Operative Society, BCR Law, Standard Bank, States of Jersey Police, Systematica Investments and Jersey Hospice Care. Here in Guersney we are extremely pleased to have Northern Trust, along with the Youth Commission for Guernsey and Aldney, and BWCI all already pledging to be DIFERA early adpotors.”
Vic Tanner Davy, CEO of Liberate (Jersey) said: “The arguments for employers embracing diversity and inclusion are well-rehearsed: diverse organisations are better able to serve a diverse clientele; a diverse workforce is more likely to produce a wider range of solutions to business problems and be more creative; and, an organisation that acknowledges its employees as individuals and works to include them will get a reputation as a good organisation to work for, will be able to choose from a wider talent pool when recruiting and be more likely to retain staff who feel their individual needs are met.”
The DIFERA programme aims to assist organisations with implementing or improving their diversity and inclusion programs. Organisations joining the programme undertake an initial audit of their workforce and policies; Liberate then facilitates the formation of a diversity champions group within the organisation, who are provided with the tools to deliver induction training, provided as a part of the membership, to their colleagues; and, finally the organisation is awarded membership of the DIFERA accreditation, which includes a number of benefits that support the organisation in its diversity and inclusion initiatives. Liberate will also be working with many other local charities including MIND, the Guernsey Disability Alliance and the Youth Commission to provide a range of addition training opportunities for originations to embrace.
Ellie Jones, Vice Chair of Liberate, said: “It is extremely important that, as a charity, Liberate’s work is sustainable. The DIFERA programme is a means for Liberate to achieve this and to generate sufficient income to support its other charitable work-streams that benefit the Channel Islands’ communities.”
