Construct - Issue 49

People

GIVING VOICE

FORUMS THATGIVE FM CONWAY’S PEOPLEAVOICE AREVITAL INACHIEVING ITS EQUITY, DIVERSITY& INCLUSIONSTRATEGY

One of the most successful outcomes of FM Conway’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) strategy has been its employee network forums, which are intended to support underrepresented groups in its workforce and the wider industry. “Our forums were created to give people a voice,” explains head of EDI Ella Cole. “How do we know what we could be doing better, if we don’t ask? As they are entirely employee-led, it is up to each forum to identify ideas for positive change.” The business currently has four active forums, focusing on individuals with disabilities, women in construction, the LGBTQIA+ community, and global majorities. A neurodiverse forum will start soon. “There is no fixed agenda, but it is important that people see actions coming out of the forums,” says recruitment manager Victoria Hillary, who currently leads the Disability Confident Forum. “By driving change through our own passionate people, we’ve already seen several initiatives delivered.” These include a new audit form to assess if more could be done to improve accessibility

at offices, plants and depots and input into adopting Transport for London’s 3-Tier Assessment process for all FM Conway's projects. Meanwhile, the Culture & Faith Community, led by civil engineering apprentice Tayabah Abdul-Qadir, has updated the company’s monitoring request form to make it more inclusive and is helping the business improve its support for people wishing to practice their faith. The Female Forum, led by business analyst Lauren Parsons, is well established as a networking community, delivering bi-annual women’s events and careers days, as well as ensuring female PPE, maternity PPE, and breathable vests for operatives going through the menopause are easily accessible. “Driving change is purely down to our people, as can be seen in our Disability Confident Leader and veteran Armed Forces Gold Covenant status,” explains diversity and inclusion manager Ellie Stevenson. “By giving people a voice, it ensures that every person who works for us feels valued and included.”

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