Benenden Health boasts 31% increase in employee awareness of DE&I in two-year period
99% of employees at the private healthcare provider recognised DE&I practices in 2024.
12 January 2025, by Megan Anderson.
Affordable private healthcare provider Benenden Health has recorded a significant rise in employee awareness of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) practices, with a one-third increase since 2022.
In its annual employee survey, the healthcare provider asked employees if they understood what DE&I meant. An impressive 99% of employees who responded to the survey, responded affirmatively, compared to just 68% doing so in the 2022 survey.
Benenden Health attributes this rise to the launch of its DE&I strategy in 2022. This strategy began by inviting all employees to be part of the solution, encouraging them to share their concerns, knowledge gaps, and priorities related to DE&I practices. Employees highlighted education and an annual calendar of celebration events from various cultural, societal, and religious beliefs as top priorities.
Over the following two years, the accessible healthcare provider designed a program of initiatives to enhance education on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Workshops for the Board and people leaders on topics such as 'inclusive leadership', 'power and privilege', and 'neurodiversity' were conducted. Additionally, employee support groups for menopause and neurodiversity were established.
The Benenden Health People team also developed a series of ‘Let's Talk’ sessions, hosted by employees and external experts, exploring different aspects of diversity, including disability, ethnicity, transgender issues, carers, mothers, and sexuality. In 2023, the DE&I annual celebration calendar was launched, and DE&I was mandated in all continuous professional development (CPD).
Dr. Amy Pressland, Talent Development Manager, stated, “Aspiring to celebrate diversity, achieve equity and promote inclusion shouldn’t just be a bolt-on option for businesses, and it certainly doesn’t need to be the political football that it is. Equally, it should not be the sole responsibility of the People team to work on embedding DE&I values.
“Our approach of involving all employees from the outset has led to higher engagement in DE&I across all business functions. However, we recognize that it's a journey of learning and maturity as an organization, and we are excited about how we can continue to grow and develop our DE&I knowledge, proficiency, and impact.
“There is no singular magic ingredient here. Passion, consistency, and inclusive communication have led to DE&I alchemy at Benenden Health.”
Benenden Health’s growth in DE&I awareness has also supported consumer duty practices for its 880,000+ members, expanding employee perspectives and understanding of members' diverse needs. As a member-focused organisation, this is a major advantage.
Speaking on the impact of DE&I on consumer duty, Benenden Health’s Chief People Officer, Mike Hay, added, “Positive adoption of DE&I practices not only benefits employees’ experiences in their own workplace but also fosters meaningful and effective customer experiences. It educates member-facing teams on a variety of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds outside of their own.
“From our dedicated training, workshops, and ‘Let’s Talk’ rollout, member-facing employees are more aware of behavioural biases, protected characteristics, and characteristics of vulnerability. Employees also understand how these factors affect members' experiences, their understanding of our services, and the value they place on their health.
“Even though we are by no means ‘finished’ with this strategy, it’s worth taking stock of how well this has resonated internally and with our member base in such a short time and using it to motivate us to progress in the future.”