Savills steps up commitment to supporting disability

Tuesday 10 December 2019

Savills has signed the Guernsey Employers Disability Charter, which coincided with International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December.

The charter, which is administered by the Guernsey Employment Trust, seeks to enable employers to demonstrate that they are working towards taking positive action and developing initiatives that will enable people with disabilities to access employment opportunities in Guernsey.

Tony Rowbotham, Head of Savills Commercial in the Channel Islands, said: “We are very proud to be the first property advisors in the Channel Islands to commit to the Guernsey Employers Disability Charter. It is vital that, as an industry, we continue to recognise the complexities surrounding disability within the workplace and address this in order to create a fully inclusive environment.“

Richard Fox, Head of Residential at Savills Guernsey, added: “This is a hugely significant and important commitment for Savills in the Channel Islands and we are looking forward to supporting the charter. 

The commitment to the Guernsey Employers Disability Charter comes as Savills also recently increased its dedication to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) by achieving Level 2 – Employer status of the UK government-led initiative. Having signed up to be a Level 1 committed member in January this year, Savills has strengthened its commitment to deliver and implement a relevant and considered DCS strategy across the firm by creating a more open environment where individuals are encouraged to feel confident and comfortable in coming forward if they need support. 

In line with this, the firm has also committed to being a Valuable 500 business, which is a pledge to encourage 500 companies across the globe to sign up and agree to be more inclusive in terms of disability. 

Richard Rees, Managing Director at Savills, added: “Creating a workplace where everyone can thrive and feel included is a vital part of our business. The commitments we have made in achieving level 2 as a Disability Confident Employer, the Valuable 500 pledge and signing the Guernsey Employers Disability Charter are not just a ‘tick box’ exercise but have seen us make fundamental changes to parts of our business to ensure we are providing staff with the best possible support.”

Pictured top: Tony Rowbotham.