Corporate report

DCMS Voluntary Reporting on Disability, Mental Health & Wellbeing

Published 26 November 2020

1. DCMS Voluntary Reporting on Disability, Mental Health & Wellbeing

1.1 Foreword: Kate Caulkin

In 2018, the government launched a new voluntary framework, in partnership with employers and charities, to encourage businesses to report on the health and wellbeing of their staff, and how many of their staff have a disability or health condition. As Director of People and Workplace I am a strong advocate of the importance of individual wellbeing both in and out of the workplace. I am extremely proud, therefore, to share with you the progress DCMS has made, and detailed in this report.

We continuously strive to make DCMS a more diverse and inclusive place to work and to support the health and wellbeing of our staff. To achieve this we have created a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best. Our Diversity and Inclusion strategy sets out our ambition to be the most diverse and inclusive department by 2025.

I look forward to building on this in future years and welcome your thoughts and ideas as to how we can make DCMS a place where everyone feels included and supported.

1.2 Disability

2019 DCMS People Survey findings

The 2019 People Survey in DCMS (with a 97% response rate) found that 86% answered positively to the statement ‘I am treated fairly at work’, up 1% from the 2018 findings and 5% higher than the Civil Service average response.

What we’ve done so far

• In December 2017, we proudly became a Disability Confident Leader, the scheme’s top level, for best practice in attracting, recruiting and developing employees with disabilities and acting as a champion within our supply chains and networks.
• The ‘Becoming Disability Confident’ training is mandatory for all DCMS staff. The training is designed to raise awareness of disabilities in the workplace and the challenges faced. This ensures that we remain compliant and up to date in our skills and knowledge, supporting our values for an inclusive and safe workplace.
• The Ability Staff Network offers a safe environment to discuss and learn about different abilities & health conditions.
• In September 2019 we celebrated National Inclusion Week by focusing on sharing personal stories promoting open and honest conversations about disability in the workplace to encourage active listening.
• We actively promote the Future Leaders and Senior Leaders Scheme to networks to increase participation of under-represented groups including disabled employees.
• A Fair Treatment Ambassador Group launched in 2018 to help address any issues related to bullying, harassment and discrimination (BHD) in the workpalce, providing support and confidential advice. We have 26 ACAS trained Ambassadors with representation across every DCMS directorate.
• Our Line Manager contract includes a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion throughout the Department.
• The Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) is a key part of our recruitment process to ensure those who meet the minimum required standard progress for interview.
• A Diversity and Inclusion Ambassador group launched in September 2019 which aims to have representation across all areas of the business.
• The BAME and Ability networks piloted a reverse mentoring workshop series in late 2019, with the aim to encourage active listening activities amongst senior leadership. 32 Senior Civil Servants participated in this pilot.

Next steps

• Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy which we are launching in July sets out a number of actions for improving our representation of people with disabilities across our workforce.
• A 6 month pilot of the reverse mentoring programme is underway - group sessions were completed earlier in the year (January 2020) and now one on one pairings are being launched. These will look to pair people of a BAME background, persons declaring a disability or both, with an SCS or Grade A(U) colleague.
• The 2019/2020 Intersectionality project commissioned by the Permanent Secretary used existing datasets, a DCMS wide survey, focus groups and interviews to understand the representation and experiences of those with overlapping identities in DCMS. This research has been used to inform recommendations and embed intersectionality into our Diversity and Inclusion strategy. There will also be a comms plan for how to communicate this across DCMS.
• We are committed to building a diverse talent pipeline with particular focus on diversifying our talent scheme offer.

1.3 Mental Health and Wellbeing

2019 DCMS People Survey findings

The 2019 People Survey in DCMS (with a 97% response rate) recorded a PERMA Index score of 74% for staff wellbeing, with 75% in the 2018 survey (with a response rate of 91%). The PERMA index measures the extent to which employees are ‘flourishing’ in the workplace around the 5 dimensions: Positive emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning and Accomplishment.

What we’ve done so far

• There are 20 staff networks across the Department, including the Mental Health and Wellbeing Network, all of whom provide outlets for staff to explore interests to them.
• The Mental Health and Wellbeing Network organises events and provides practical support for all staff, including line managers. The network is supported by 2 Senior Civil Servant Champions who work collaboratively to support their cause.
• Currently there are over 60 Mental Health Champions across DCMS including 10 Senior Civil Servants which represent all areas of the business. The Mental Health Champions provide staff with confidential support for their wellbeing and mental health, and have branded lanyards making them identifiable - encouraging impromptu conversations around wellbeing.
• DCMS launched a Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy setting out how we can do even better, and make us a leader across government on mental health. The strategy was produced in collaboration between the Mental Health and Wellbeing Network, People and Workplace and the Mental Health Champions.
• We have a Line Manager Mental Health Toolkit to help managers prepare for conversations with team members around mental health and better signpost the available support services.
• Mental health and wellbeing items are regularly raised during monthly Permanent Secretary stand-ups and at the annual DCMS all staff conference, and have continued to be of focus during Permanent Secretary live-streams as the majority of our staff are currently working from home.
• The network have organised successful activities around existing national campaigns (e.g. Time to Talk Day, Mental Health Awareness Week), including chatty tables and Therapy Dogs sessions. Mental Health Awareness Week 2020 saw 1266 attendees from DCMS and across Government over 7 events.
• From April 2019- January 2020, each Deputy Directorate in DCMS hosted a PERMA session with their teams focused on wellbeing issues that may be experienced in periods of high pressure.
• Our Employee Assistance Programme is available for staff 24/7 and provides counselling services, support and information about health and financial wellbeing.
• We have a confidential Manager Advice Line (MAL) and an Early Resolution Helpline for managers and employees to access and talk to a Human Resources Caseworker about any work related concerns or issues. All access information is accessible on the DCMS internal intranet.
• We have launched a monthly Mental Health and Wellbeing Newsletter promoting available resources and forthcoming opportunities, and will monitor what content drives staff engagement.
• Our internal intranet is kept up to date and contains advice and links to external resources such as the Charity for Civil Servants, Samaritans and MIND. We have posted personal stories on our internal intranet page. Examples have included: Autism, Loneliness, Body Image and Anxiety.
• There is a health referral process in place for any concerns around absence, stress/mental health conditions or workplace adjustments which are accessible to all staff.
• Throughout January - March 2020, we ran a series of wellbeing events accompanied by an internal communications campaign. These included training on resilience and wellbeing for 120 staff, talks about wellbeing, and interactive events to encourage staff to think holistically about their wellbeing.
• During March 2020 - June 2020, we put in place a number of measures to support staff during the Covid-19 pandemic. This included sharing diverse and personal stories as blogs on the intranet, investing in bereavement training for our Mental Health First Aiders and setting up a Wellbeing & Inclusion working group with staff networks to collaborate on an inclusive wellbeing offer and provide feedback for the department.

Next steps

• The Permanent Secretary will re-sign the DCMS Time to Change pledge to reaffirm our commitment to lasting change by breaking down mental health stigma.
• Flexible working can promote work-life balance, improve productivity and reduce stress; managers will identify remote workers who might be vulnerable to loneliness and encourage inclusive ways of working.
• We will continue working with our staff networks to understand the mental health challenges faced by their members and develop proposals to address those