​Bury becomes first council in GM to win Disability Confident Leader status

Bury Council’s commitment to increasing disabled people’s job chances has been officially recognised by the Government.

The local authority has become the first council in Greater Manchester to win Disability Confident Leader accreditation, a ‘promotion’ from the Disability Confident Employer status it has enjoyed since 2016.

Councillor Jane Black, cabinet member for corporate affairs and HR, said: “I am delighted that we have been accredited as a Disability Confident Leader, recognising that we are ‘going the extra mile’ to make sure disabled people get a fair chance within the workplace.

“This shows our commitment to ensuring equality in the workplace by recruiting and retaining from the widest possible pool of talent. This also helps to save recruitment and training costs, reduces sickness absence and improves employee morale.

“We are working hard to build a more open environment where disabled people are included and valued. As a leader, we recognise the valuable role disabled staff play in our success and we encourage businesses across Bury to become disability confident too.”

Employers can find out more about the accreditation at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/disability-confident-how-to-sign-up-to-the-employer-scheme.

ENDS

Press release issued: 18 July 2019.

Picture: With the Disability Confident Leader certification are (left) Cllr Jane Black, cabinet member for corporate affairs and HR, and Catherine King, the council’s principal workforce strategy adviser.