Herefordshire Council has been awarded for another year the prestigious 'two ticks' mark for being a positive employer of disabled people, committed to their employment, retention, training and career development.
The symbol is awarded by Jobcentre Plus to private and public sector organisations that agree to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum requirements for a vacancy, will work to develop and use the abilities of disabled employees to the full, and help staff who become disabled to stay in work. Herefordshire Council, which was first awarded the 'two ticks' symbol in 2002, is assessed each year by Jobcentre Plus to ensure its commitment to employing and retaining disabled people remains strong.
Councillor June French, cabinet member with responsibility for human resources, said: "Of course the council, like every other employer, has a legal obligation to ensure equality of opportunity for disabled people. But we feel it is important to go much beyond that to challenge discrimination and take account of the needs of disabled people in everything we do, whether we are providing services for the community or employing people".
Herefordshire Council also ensures that all employees are trained to be aware of the requirements of disabled customers and colleagues, and regularly reviews ways in that it can improve as an employer of disabled people.