Day: April 1, 2015

Core Assets, the children’s services group, won the West Midlands Employer of the Year Award at the Midlands region 2015 Workplace Equality Index Awards, hosted by leading gay rights charity Stonewall, in Birmingham.

WITH headquarters in Bromsgrove, Core Assets beat 11 organisations from across the West Midlands that participated in this year’s awards. The win comes shortly after Core Assets were placed 32nd  in the Stonewall Top 100 Employers list out of an overall entry of 397 companies to Stonewall’s annual Workplace Equality Index, an annual audit of workplace culture for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) staff.

Steve Jacques, chief operating officer for non-UK services at Core Assets Group, said: “Inclusion and the valuing of diversity is embedded in our values and our culture. My fellow LGBT colleagues are represented throughout the organisation including representation at our most senior levels, including at board membership.

“We actively promote equality in the work place, have zero tolerance to homophobia and transphobia and work hard to ensure our most valued people, our children and young people can live within a community and be part of an organisation that celebrates their diversity.”

Executive director at Core Assets, Estella Abraham, added: “As an organisation committed to diversity and equality in the workplace, we are proud to be recognised by this award for championing the rights of the LGB community, at all levels of the business both nationally and internationally.

“From grass roots through to senior management, we have a long-standing culture of inclusiveness, ensuring that Core Assets is a great place to work, whatever your sexual orientation. We continue to drive initiatives to protect employees from discrimination and to promote a culture of equality and diversity throughout our 93 operations in the UK and overseas.”

Simon Feeke, Stonewall Director of Workplace Programmes, concluded: “Core Assets and every single employer who secured a position on the Stonewall Top 100 Employers 2015 list performed remarkably this year. Competition has never been fiercer and the new criteria this year has pushed all of the Top 100 to work harder than ever before.”