Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

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Our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Mission Statement:
“We are striving to be an inclusive organisation by providing a welcoming, diverse, harassment- and discrimination-free culture for our colleagues and partners.”

Since 2020, we've embarked on a journey toward inclusion, raising awareness of our growing diversity and reinforcing our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment. With every step, we're building a culture where differences are celebrated, respected, and valued. Are we where we want to be yet? Not entirely, but we're making meaningful progress in the right direction.
By focusing on the following pillars - Disability & Neurodiversity, Ethnicity, Race & Religion, Gender & Sexuality and Generational Diversity – we will achieve our mission of creating an inclusive culture for all and not just some.

Disability and Neurodiversity

Everyone should reach their full potential which is why at Paragon we are changing attitudes towards disability and neurodiversity. With more awareness and education we want to celebrate differences and empower everyone.

Ethnicity, Race and Religion

At Paragon we celebrate different cultures and work together to find solutions and overcome challenges. By identifying any prejudices and inequalities we will create an inclusive and equitable culture where everyone can thrive.

Gender and Sexuality

At Paragon we are driving change to improve gender equality. We are working together to provide opportunities to nurture, mentor, develop and grow our people.

Generational Diversity

We have four generations across the organisation and believe we can learn from each other, whether you have just left high school/college or have decided to put off your retirement.

Reverse mentoring Programme

Reverse mentoring switches the roles of a traditional mentoring system, with board members and executive leaders being mentored by a colleague from a different background and level of seniority to themselves, helping them to gain fresh insight and share lived experiences. Our goals:

A six month programme – the second cohort started in June 2023 and ran until November 2023
Mentor/mentee have a one-hour meeting either face to face or virtually every month
This is a positive action inclusion programme
Aimed at developing employees representing or passionate about certain minority groups to act as mentors to those with influence
To break down systemic barriers to enable senior leaders to understand the challenges their teams face and learn from each other
Giving colleagues a chance to share their insights, stories and experiences with our senior leadership team, offering a fresh perspective on the business’ strategy and culture
Mentors to share experiences, stories and suggest recommendations for improvement
Cultivate a sense of empathy which guides understanding and actions

Paragons Women's Network

Paragon Women’s Network was launched in June 2023 because we want to celebrate all women across the business enabling them to be the best they can be, and our vision is:

To drive change and improve gender equality; resulting in statistical progress in this area.
Create spaces to talk openly about challenges with other women who have gone through the same or similar challenges
To encourage and celebrate the value and impact our women deliver in the workplace
To provide opportunities to nurture, mentor, develop and grow Paragon Women

The pillars of the Paragon Women's Network are Nurture, Inspire, Mentor and Lead. With these pillars in mind, we have introduced:

A mentoring programme which has been designed to provide support and guidance to women at various stages of their careers and lives from women - and men - who share their own experiences and provide advice on how to overcome obstacles and take on new opportunities
Inspirational talks from both internal and external women from across our business and industry
‘Realising Your Potential’ learning programme designed to help our women think about how they maximise and achieve their career potential.

Other employee programmes include

Diversity and Inclusion Forum

The Forum brings together a group of employees from various roles, departments, and sites. It is our next step in building a culture where everyone delivers the best experience to all of our people, clients, and communities.

The vision statement is therefore very simple:

• Creating an inclusive culture

• Everyone respected and valued

Be Well Programme

Support is available to every colleague through the Wellbeing Team, who are responsible for delivering the company-wide Be Well Programme. The three key aims of Be Well are to focus on improving colleagues’ working environments, encouraging physical and mental personal wellness, and promoting awareness of available health campaigns

Reverse Mentoring Programme

Reverese Mentoring Programme

Our Reverse Mentoring programme positions colleagues from minority groups to act as mentors to senior management teams from across the business.

The aim of the programme is to drive transformational change and enable a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion where the power of difference is respected.

Paragon Pride Network

At Paragon, fostering a fair and inclusive workplace means embracing and recognising all colours of the rainbow. The Paragon Pride Network is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and understanding, with the goal of reducing discrimination and challenging harmful stereotypes. By uniting LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies, the network serves as a vital advocate for inclusive policies and practices, helping to shape a culture of acceptance, equality, and true belonging across our organisation.

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