Get Out Get Active releases 10 ways to create an inclusive workforce
Disabled people are underrepresented among the people working in the sport and activity sector. In Activity Alliance’s Annual Disability and Activity Survey only 22% said they see ‘people like me’ working in sports and physical activity roles. Get Out Get Active's newly released inclusive workforce practices are a free resource to help organisations and activity providers address this imbalance.
‘Include me’, ‘reassure me’, and ‘welcome me’ are three of the key practices that will help organisations, providing physical activity, to encourage more disabled people into employment.
Through the findings in the ‘Developing inclusive leaders in Haringey’ research, and developed with disabled people, we created a resource to help organisations. The resource highlights ten ways providers and physical activity organisations can create an inclusive and supportive environment for leaders and deliverers.
The research, conducted by Activity Alliance in partnership with Haringey Council, looked at the key qualities and skills of deliverers and leaders in Haringey. It also examined barriers preventing disabled people taking on roles in the sport and physical activity delivery workforce, and what support will enable them to become part of the workforce.
Helen Newberry, Workforce Lead at Activity Alliance, said:
Our vision as an organisation is to achieve fairness for disabled people in sport and physical activity. With our new inclusive workforce practices, any organisation can use them to help in creating a supportive and inclusive environment. An environment that encourages more disabled people into physical activity roles. Conducting the research with Haringey Council gave us the opportunity to develop these practices with disabled people and create something that can support organisations in other areas.
Through the GOGA programme Haringey Council are working with local delivery providers to engage young people in the most deprived parts of the Borough, including those affected by violence or crime. The research behind the new practices looked to understand the qualities, behaviours, and attitudes of deliverers and leaders in Haringey. It explored how these, and other factors, can create an inclusive environment for disabled participants and deliverers.
The inclusive workforce practices aim to support any organisation looking to create a more inclusive environment. Guidance includes making sure providers work with disabled people and deliverers to co-produce job roles, activities, and projects. It also highlights the need to ‘create a culture of inclusion’ and ‘challenge negative attitudes and prejudice about disability across your organisation’.
The need to build partnerships with local organisations to engage with and learn from others, such as schools and community organisations is also highlighted.
You can find the inclusive workforce practices here.
Photo credit: Haringey Shed.
About Get Out Get Active
Get Out Get Active (GOGA) is a programme that supports disabled and non-disabled people to enjoy being active together. Activity Alliance is the creator and lead partner. The programme is funded by Spirit of 2012, Sport England and London Marathon Foundation.
