We've achieved Disability Confident Leader status

We have been officially recognised as a Disability Confident Leader, the highest level of accreditation in the Government’s Disability Confident scheme, marking a significant milestone in our commitment to disability inclusion.  

The Level 3 status – awarded earlier this month and in place until January 2029 – positions us as a role model in the housing sector, demonstrating our commitment to not only inclusive employment practices but also leading and inspiring change across the wider community.  

The Disability Confident Leader status follows a rigorous and independently validated self assessment process.  We chose to partner with Midland Heart, a fellow housing association and accredited Disability Confident Leader, to ensure external challenge and accountability.  

Tom Piotrowski, our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager said: “We’ve worked hard to ensure disability inclusion is embedded into our culture, not just our policies.  Achieving Leader status is a milestone that reflects the insight and lived experiences of disabled colleagues and customers who have helped shape our approach.  We’re proud to have created inclusive spaces, such as our ‘Access Matters’ virtual peer network, and to be actively supporting other organisations on their journey.”  

Our approach goes beyond compliance, focusing on practical, everyday support that makes a difference, from accessible recruitment and tailored adjustments, to inclusive leadership, data transparency and continuous improvement.  

We hold a weekly disability inclusion action meeting, providing a dedicated forum to drive progress.  Alongside this, we are finalising targeted training around neurodiversity and are currently reviewing our processes for reasonable adjustments, to ensure accessibility for all.  

Whilst these actions reflect the progress already made, we are clear that Disability Confident Leader status marks the beginning of a renewed focus on continuous improvement.  We are committed to building on existing foundations, strengthening inclusive leadership and ensuring that disabled colleagues feel supported, valued and able to strive at every stage of their career.  Importantly, this achievement not only reinforces our commitment to inclusion for existing colleagues, but also sends a clear message to disabled talent that we are a place where they will be valued, supported and able to thrive.  

Clare Durnin, our Chief People and Excellence Officer said: “This is a fantastic achievement and I’m incredibly proud of the work that’s gone into making Platform an accessible and inclusive place where everyone can thrive.  Our people are our strength and we’ll continue to listen, adapt and lead the way to ensure inclusion remains at the heart of what we do.”  

We are now committed to further aligning our work with the Government’s Disability Confident Reform Delivery Plan (2025-2026) and continue to share best practice with sector partners.  

To learn more about the Disability Confident scheme, visit www.gov.uk/disability-confident.  

Photo caption : Platform Housing Group has been officially recognised as a Disability Confident Leader,  marking a significant milestone in its commitment to disability inclusion.