Diversity Diversity Diversity Diversity Diversity Diversity Inclusion Inclusion Inclusion Inclusion Inclusion Inclusion

The aim is for our team and others we work with, to be truly representative of all sections of society. We make that commitment because:

• It is fair and just.
• Diverse talents and opinions provide new and more varied solutions to clients of our business.
• We can do a better job for our clients if the people we engage are more representative of the diverse population we are communicating our clients’ messages to.

We acknowledge the lack of diversity and inclusion on set and we want this to change.

We are committed to combatting unlawful discrimination and with the help of the APA’s Commercials Production Diversity Plan we have put guidelines in place for each production to ensure success. 

To attract and retain underrepresented and disadvantaged talent we are committed to providing a collaborative, accepting and supportive environment for all people. 

We will create both short and long term targets to improve diversity among our workforce and crew. 

Measurement and data are critical in judging the success of our diversity and inclusivity actions and those of the industry as a whole. So we will collect data recording the make-up of our staff and crews and use it in two ways:

• We will give it to the APA so that they can use that data in their annual survey of diversity and inclusion (for which purpose the APA will anonymise our answers by using them as part of the total aggregate responses from APA members only).
• We will analyse the data we collect for that survey each year ourselves too and assess the effectiveness of the measures that we employ to increase diversity and inclusion. We will reconsider those measures and change or supplement them with new ones if the existing ones have been ineffective against the targets we have set.

When we recruit we will focus on reaching underrepresented and disadvantaged groups and making them aware of every opportunity. We will do that in two ways:

• When recruiting for jobs we will ensure that the language used is neutral in terms of who it might appeal to and is inclusive of people in underrepresented and disadvantaged groups.
• We will do our best to reach underrepresented and disadvantaged groups with each job advert/notice, seeking out partnership organisations who are educating or seeking opportunities for such talent and building relationships with those organisations. The APA has a directory of such organisations, so that will be one of the resources we will use.

We will undertake training and provide it to our staff to better understand unconscious bias and promote among staff our objectives in respect of recruitment of staff and hiring of crew and our diversity and inclusion objectives generally as set out in this agreement. 

We will provide internships and work experience for people from underrepresented and disadvantaged groups. We may offer:

• One week’s experience of our working environment to someone who approaches us seeking experience of our business, comprising shadowing one or more of our employees and learning about our business but not undertaking any work. That could be paid or unpaid or be expenses only and we will make that decision based upon the needs of the applicant, in terms of enabling them to access the opportunity.
• A longer period of work experience or an internship for which they will be paid at least the minimum wage but ideally the living wage. This is important because people from underrepresented and disadvantaged groups are less likely to be able to afford to undertake unpaid work experience for any significant period of time and thus are less likely to be able to enter the industry if that is all that is on offer.

We will encourage our staff to become part of a mentorship programme and help them support their mentees.

We will create a safe and inclusive working environment: 

• We will continue to provide a working environment free from bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, whilst promoting dignity and respect for all. We strive to be a space where individual differences and the contribution of all employees are recognised and valued.
• We will ensure there are clear, well-communicated procedures in place explaining how to raise concerns or complaints. All relevant issues will be taken seriously and investigated. They will be considered and acted upon with a focus on independence, timeliness and impartiality. We will ensure that appropriate support is in place for those who raise complaints. As an organisation, we will learn lessons from complaints, and encourage the individuals involved to do so too.

We will raise awareness of our equality duties specifically around protected characteristics and our wider commitment to equality and inclusion; ensuring that all employees are aware of their responsibilities and the behaviours we expect.

Our ongoing commitment is to ensure the implementation of the plan and for Holly Arnold, Sustainability Manager, and Dan Keefe, Executive Producer, to review it’s progress and success at least quarterly intervals. All diversity material and actions are approved by our internal #diversity group, including our CEO, before being shared or acted upon.