At Places for People, we’ve been on a powerful journey to embed equity, diversity, and inclusion across every part of our organisation. As the UK’s largest social enterprise spanning over 20 businesses with more than 12,000 colleagues we recognised the need to create a unified and inclusive culture that reflects the People in our workplace and the Communities we serve.
Over the past three years, our six Inclusion & Belonging (I&B) communities have become a driving force for cultural change across our organisation. What began as a colleague-led initiative has evolved into a strategically aligned movement, championed by senior leaders and embedded into the fabric of our business. We are proud to be entering our I&B communities for the Inclusive Awards, recognising the breadth and depth of what we’ve achieved together.
Each community plays a unique role in amplifying underrepresented voices, raising awareness, and ensuring our people feel heard, valued, and supported. From building safe spaces for honest conversations to influencing policy and practice, these communities have had a tangible impact on both colleague experience and business outcomes.
Some of our most significant strategic achievements include:
Development of a Carers Policy – Led by our Parents & Carers community, we launched our first-ever Carers Policy, ensuring colleagues with caring responsibilities have the flexibility, understanding, and support they need to thrive in their roles. This policy was created through lived experience insights and has directly improved wellbeing for carers.
Participation in our First Pride March – Our LGBTQ+ community proudly represented us at our first Pride event, marking a milestone moment in our public commitment to inclusion. This visibility has strengthened trust and allyship internally and externally.
Reverse Mentoring Programme – Championed by our Cultural Diversity community, we piloted a reverse mentoring initiative connecting senior leaders with colleagues from ethnically diverse backgrounds. This has helped shift perspectives at the top, challenged bias, and informed more inclusive leadership practices.
Confidence Club Launch – Recognising that systemic barriers often erode self-belief, the Confidence Club is a safe, supportive space to help colleagues build confidence, resilience, and navigate career progression. Early feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with participants reporting renewed motivation and increased aspirations.
Inclusive Policy Review – All communities have contributed to reviewing core people policies, ensuring they reflect inclusive language, are more accessible, and affirm the identities of our diverse workforce. This included reviewing parental leave, sickness absence, and workplace adjustments policies, all now updated with clearer, more inclusive language and guidance.
Wellbeing Intranet Hub – A dedicated wellbeing site a one-stop shop for all mental health and wellbeing support. It includes resources, guidance, and signposting tailored to different needs, and has become a vital tool for colleagues seeking help or information.
What makes our I&B communities exceptional is that they are more than forums they are action-oriented, impact-driven, and aligned to business priorities. Their work has not only strengthened our internal culture but has helped shape inclusive systems, structures, and leadership behaviours across the board.
We believe these achievements are just the beginning, and we’re proud to enter all six communities into the Inclusive Awards to honour their vision, courage, and relentless drive for equity.
