Leeds Inclusive Employer Network
The Leeds Inclusive Employer Network (LIEN) was launched in June 2023, as a means of providing information and support to employers about all aspects of inclusive employment, from recruitment through to retention and all stages in between.
Membership of the network is free of charge with meetings being held quarterly, hosted by different employers. Each event has a mixture of speakers: experts speaking about specific topics; employers sharing what they are doing; and people with lived experience of a range of disabilities sharing their views. Topics to date have included: inclusive recruitment; reasonable adjustments; how to run inclusive interviews; and creating an inclusive culture. Members are also provided with written guides about specific topics, as well as being signposted to other resources.
The network is co-ordinated free-of-charge by Lighthouse Futures Trust, as part of its work as the lead for employer engagement for the Leeds Autism & Learning Disability Employment Task Group. The aim of the task group is to develop and deliver a citywide strategy to help Leeds be the best city in the UK with regards diversity in employment, with an initial focus on people who are autistic or have learning disabilities.
The network is likely to be of interest to employees with responsibility for recruitment, HR, diversity and inclusion, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) or ESG (Environment, Social & Governance).