On the audit trail – It’s all about Inclusion!
This week (23-29 September 2024) marks National Inclusion Week, founded by Inclusive Employers in 2011. It’s an initiative celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion in workplaces and communities across the UK.
Trust in us – Including all
One of the ways we ensure this is through our internal audit process – which is supported by our Board of Trustees. Here you can see Trustee Derek Ridgeway on a visit on Friday just gone to our CQC Registered Care Home in Kendal.
Inclusive photo bombers!
Derek was accompanied by HR Manager, Helen Shaw.
“We carried out the site visit as part of the internal quality audit, which went really well. In the photo you can see Alan supported by Poppy, Ann and Natalie telling us all about the day they had planned on Friday to visit Orton and a chocolate factory. Derek and Alex (South Lakes Registered Manager) also decided to jump into the photo.” Helen Shaw
Experience of being inclusive – Derek’s been doing it for years!
Derek joined the Oaklea Board as a Volunteer Trustee in September 2022 and this has enabled him to share his previous experiences working with charities since he was 16 years old. In Derek’s own words….
“I spent my working life as a Police Officer for 30 years followed by 10 years with the Probation Service. Over the years I have been engaged with numerous charities across the West Midlands, as a Trustee, Treasurer or Chair. I moved to Cumbria in 2021 and I was looking to share my charity knowledge with Oaklea.”
Trustees spread the inclusivity far & wide across Oaklealand
Meanwhile, Oaklea Trustee Robin Talbot has been on an audit visit to Foundry Street in Barrow.
As well as accompanying Finance Supremo Charles Holdsworth, Robin took time out between catching up with those we support to say a bit about the role of a Trustee.
“I first became a Trustee in 2022 after a career working in Education and the Health Service across Lancashire and Cumbria. Whilst living in Lancaster I became part of a team that monitored the community houses that residents moved to as the old Royal Albert Hospital closed in the1990s. Through later work at Morecambe Primary Care Trust and the Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust I was been keen to ensure that services for people are of the highest possible standard within the available resources. Given that experience I am very keen to ensure our customers have first-class support and can lead full independent lives. As a Board Trustee it is good to add value to the Board and keen that they have a major focus on the quality of the Charity’s services.” Robin Talbot
Robin sits this one out – after a day auditing!
A bit about Inclusion
This year, National Inclusion Week theme for 2024 is ‘Impact Matters’ (#ImpactMatters) – a call-to-action to everyone in an organisation, from leaders through to teams and individuals. This is encapsulated by the powerful message that
“Each one of us holds the potential to make a profound and positive impact’ and centres around understanding, identifying and measuring impact on marginalised groups and taking actions that make for genuine, sustainable change that matters.” NIW
Find out more here https://www.inclusiveemployers.co.uk/national-inclusion-week/ Plus find out more about our Trustees here https://www.oakleatrust.co.uk/become-a-trustee/