Fife Business Diversity Awards - Winners Announced

The winners of this year's Fife Business Diversity Awards were announced last night at a ceremony at Balbirnie House Hotel.  The Fife Business Awards are designed to recognise companies in Fife who are doing the most to promote inclusion and equality for employees with a disability.  This is the 5^th year of the Awards which were attended by over 100 people. 

WINNERS OF THE TOP THREE AWARDS - OPTOS, DUNFERMLINE, ABBEYFORD CARAVAN PARK, SHELL BAY, AND PREMIER ENGRAVING AND SIGNS, GLENROTHES,  WILL NOW GO FORWARD TO THE SCOTTISH BUSINESS DIVERSITY AWARDS, TO BE HELD AT THE  SCOTTISH UNION OF SUPPORTED EMPLOYMENT ANNUAL CONFERENCE, AT THE WESTIN HOTEL, TURNBERRY, IN NOVEMBER.

Company	Award
Abbeyford Caravan Park, Shell Bay	OVERALL WINNER (Recruitment & Retention)
Premier Engraving and Signs, Glenrothes	WINNER - Retention
Optos, Dunfermline	WINNER - Recruitment
Lundin Links Hotel	COMMENDED - Recruitment
Bandrum Nursing Home, Saline	HIGHLY COMMENDED - Recruitment
Newlands Resedential Home, Dunfermline	RUNNER UP - Recruitment
D&S Services, Methil	RUNNER UP - Retention
Ideal Images (D/Line & D/Bay)	HIGHLY COMMENDED - Retention
Raith Fruit and Flowers, Kirkaldy	COMMENDED - Retention
Rejects Dept Store, Kirkaldy	COMMENDED - Retention

 

Abbeyford Caravan Company employs 20 people, and of those 20 - 4 have a disability.  The recruitment process has been adapted to accommodate applicants requiring additional support, and the company has gone to great lengths to retain employees.  Support has included providing transport for several months for an employee who had great difficulty getting to work and providing a mentor within the workplace to work alongside one employee, enabling him to carry out his duties to the highest standard.

The business has gained a vast amount of experience in supporting employees with a disability and have done their utmost to accommodate the needs of every employee.

Manager Kate Forbes stated “Fife EmployAbility Team have helped me to realise that we can employ disabled people.  We have time to train people at the beginning of the season and then we see what their capabilities are.”

Optos  recruit with an open, fair and inclusive approach and always consider what adaptations or changes can be made to accommodate potential employees.  Disabled applicants are given more time to complete a manual dexterity test and are paired with another trainee in a 'buddy' system in the first few months of work, for additional support. 

When asked what benefits the business has gained as a result of it’s recruitment practice, employee Craig Beveridge stated "They employed a keen and dedicated member of staff ….me!" Human Resources Manager Judith Adamson stated “We’ve been so impressed with the results we’ve had—the more we’ve put in the more we’ve got out.  We have a more open and flexible view of taking on anybody with disabilities because it’s been so successful.”

Premier Engraving & Signs have shown strong dedication to retaining staff with disabilities.  They offer attendance management, have made adjustments to the workplace and provide a flexible return to work. Employing someone with a hearing impairment has added a new dimension to their existing services as he brought skills no-one else in their firm had. Manager John Young stated “Employing Stuart has added an extra part to our business and allowed us to expand, as he’s the only hand-engraver in Fife.  He’s now one of our top performers."

The Awards are sponsored by Fife Chamber of Commerce & Enterprise, Jobcentre Plus, Scottish Enterprise Fife, Careers Scotland, Fife Employability Network and Fife Council's Fife EmployAbility Team.