Last call for Yorkshire SMEs to take advantage of EU funded inclusive workplace support

Yorkshire-based non-profit, Better Connect, are making a final call to SMEs in York, North Yorkshire and East Riding, to take advantage of their EU funded inclusive workplace support, before funding closes on 31 March this year.

Thriving at Work, is a comprehensive, 100% tailored, package of inclusive workplace support, designed to help businesses realise the benefits of creating an inclusive workplace where all members of staff are supported to thrive.

With a particular focus on supporting workplaces to unlock the potential of staff who are neurodiverse, disabled, or experiencing mental health challenges, the Thriving at Work support programme helps organisations to weave essential inclusivity principles into their practices and policies, achieve Disability Confident and Mindful Employer quality marks and certifications, and more.

As a tailored support programme, each business can access the inclusive workplace support most relevant to them. This has proven both highly appealing, and effective, for SMEs across the region, helping to make their businesses truly inclusive, powerfully impacting employee retention, support, and engagement, reducing absenteeism, and creating happier workforces in the process.

Bryony Boyle, strategy and partnerships manager at Selby District AVS, said: “Our work spans employability, well-being, and food insecurity, supporting more vulnerable individuals and families to thrive in this region. We are conscious that quality and diversity is at the centre of everything we do, including our positive, value-based business culture, and know that our procedures need to be as good and inclusive as possible.

We specifically focused on HR (Inclusive workplace support), and a number of training needs, such as the neurodiversity training Thriving at Work have arranged for our 25 employees to take next month.

Our new inclusive-ready HR programme is going to be amazing, we’re so excited about it. By completely streamlining our HR, bringing all our policies, procedures and handbooks in one place, and introducing automation, it’s going to have a huge impact on our operations.”

SMEs across York, North Yorkshire and East Riding can select from three categories of support, to access the support most relevant to their development, which will be delivered over a period of 3 months.

Better Connect’s Thriving at Work programme offers:

Inclusive Workplace Support: 1-2-1 business support to help create an inclusive workplace, covering Policies and Procedures, Recruitment, Culture and Values, Staff Training, Quality Marks and more.

Diversity Training: Webinars and training courses relevant to creating inclusive workplaces.

Workplace Support: 1-2-1 coaching and support for employees who identify as neurodiverse, disabled, or experienced mental health challenges.

As the UK is no longer a member of the European Union, businesses must sign up by 31 March 2023 to take advantage of Thriving at Work’s fully funded inclusive workplace support, which will be delivered by 30 June 2023.

Mike Sweeting, human resources officer at Aldwark Manor, said: “We’re very much on a journey of development, looking specifically at retaining our team, attracting the best new talent into the business, and ensuring we cultivate a great working environment where we show commitment to the development of our team.

One focus of our Thriving at Work support has been neurodiversity training. I’m a believer that everybody has a battle in their life, and so this training is incredibly important, as it covers a broad spectrum of mental health, and enables our teams to understand it, and helps us to have the right kind of conversations, to help people in the best way we can. What’s more, if we can showcase what we’re about, and create a vibe of positivity, we can attract and retain talent, create a happy workforce, and happy customers.

Better Connect have been brilliant to work with, really helpful, and very supportive. They joined us on the journey we were on at Aldwark Manor, and their support has added value to the team, and the business as a whole.”

Interested SMEs are urged to act quickly. The deadline, to take advantage of the fully funded Thriving at Work support programme, is 31 March 2023.