Inclusion and Diversity
We believe that developing personal and collaborative relationships is what makes us different. Surveys amongst our team and our clients endorse this. It is a common thread, at the heart of our vision, our business plan and our values.
Our focus:
Developing a diverse leadership. We are working hard to improve the gender balance of our partnership and diversity in all aspects of our leadership.
Attracting a diverse workforce. This means adopting a truly personal approach when connecting with those interested in joining our team and throughout our processes.
Engaging with everyone to ensure they are heard, supported and understood. Encourage everyone to develop their own voice in shaping our culture, their future and our service to clients.
Helping all our people to achieve their full potential. We provide training, coaching, internal mentors and buddies, whatever works for each individual and their own personal development path.
We currently measure our success and progress in six key areas:
- Leadership: to increase diversity in our leadership and ensure our leaders are inclusive
- Recruitment and retention: to increase diversity across the firm
- Experience and progression: to ensure a fair experience across all key processes
- Culture: to embed our inclusive culture and drive positive change
- Wellbeing: to have happy and motivated people
- Networks: to be collaborative in achieving our strategy
Our Ideas in Action
Unify
As the I&D leader I want to build on the work already made by the firm to be friendly, open, supportive of each other and to value diversity. There is plenty to build on, reflected in the results of our recent staff survey - 89% of us agreed that we can be ourselves at work, and 86% believe that positive progress is being made in creating an inclusive, diverse place to work.
Our networks
Gender
Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme
Social Inclusion
Without Prejudice for our LGBTQ+ community and allies
Families and Carers networks
Enable
Gender
Our gender network works to improve the recruitment, retention, and development of our female talent to ensure that women at Fladgate thrive. As signatories to the Women in the Law pledge, we’re playing our part in transforming the business of law by improving gender balance at all levels of our firm. Events and seminars afford space for women to share their stories and successes and help them gain access to industries where they’re under-represented.
Our gender network also works with our menopause group, which involves both female and male colleagues in learning and supporting people affected by the menopause.
Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme
This programme, which includes Mental Health, Physical Health, Financial Wellbeing, Social and CSR, is designed to promote working practices that support mental health and wellbeing and make space for safe and open conversations.
The firm’s Mental Health First Aiders support any colleague experiencing mental ill-health or distress. Fladgate employees also benefit from a Virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme, and weekly personal training and yoga sessions. We offer online mortgage advice clinics and financial wellbeing webinars.
We hold training for employees and line managers and encourage a culture of positive mental wellbeing at Fladgate.
Social Inclusion
Listening to and engaging with team members from different socio economic backgrounds is just as important when it comes to building an inclusive culture. The focus is on ensuring everyone feels comfortable and can work well in Fladgate.
We’re also playing our part to widen the doors to the legal profession with placements and partnerships that offer school and university students an opportunity to experience our environment and develop lasting skills, wherever they take their career.
We introduced our Solicitor Apprenticeship programme in 2022 and support a range of alternative routes to qualification. We have introduced contextualised recruitment and Hemisphere racial literacy training to support our early careers recruitment to remove any potential unconscious biases.
As members of the PRIME fair access to legal work experience initiative, we commit to providing meaningful legal work experience to school-age students who might not have otherwise had the opportunity. We proudly partner with IntoUniversity to reach a diverse range of students from across London. We also select students to return for a week-long placement, for skills and employability exercises and the chance to attend court with our lawyers. Our staff, from partners to trainee solicitors, have mentored students from a range of schools and universities.
Without Prejudice for our LGBTQ+ community and allies
Our network is building a safe space for LGBTQ+ staff and cultivating understanding amongst all colleagues with talks and awareness days.
Our network has improved Fladgate’s working practices and nurtures our LGBTQ+ talent through mentoring, networking, professional advice, and career progression support. As a member of LeGal BesT, the network works collaboratively with other law firms to share best practice and drive change.
Families and Carers networks
We as a firm value, celebrate and support our working carers, parents and those with parental responsibility through a variety of policies. The networks host panel events and external speakers and support and advise on policy changes.
Enable
This network represents a crucial step towards creating an environment where individuals with disabilities, visible or not, can thrive. We will promote a more inclusive legal profession by fostering a culture of understanding, support, and equal opportunity. They host panel events and drop-in sessions, as well as highlighting barriers and providing lived experience and insight to ensure support, policies and processes are inclusive.
