Previously named the UK’s most Inclusive Employer, it’s no surprise that mental health and wellbeing charity Touchstone are skilled in attracting and retaining diverse talent across all levels of employment.
The charity provides mental health and wellbeing services to over 10,000 people a year, whilst also working across communities to grow their confidence and capacity to demand the services and positive experiences they are entitled to.
An Investor in People Platinum employer, their diverse team is their greatest asset and Touchstone works incredibly hard to value and support staff to own and deliver their vision. Over a third of Touchstone staff come from BME backgrounds and over 30% of staff are LGBT. Half of Touchstone’s Senior Leadership Team are LGB, a third BME and a third are disabled. The involvement of service users as experts by experience is also a substantial part of what Touchstone does and co-production is an embedded feature in all their services.
Touchstone actively recruits service users and those who have come into support work from non-traditional routes, including those from institutionalised mental health and Criminal Justice Systems. During this session, Inclusive Companies CEO Paul Sesay will be joined by former Touchstone service user and now CEO, Arfan Hanif to delve into how the organisation attracts and retains diverse talent across all levels of employment.
About Arfan Hanif
Arfan is an experienced senior leader with 3 decades of leadership experience working in different parts of the country and covering a wide range of multi-disciplinary areas in both the public and charity sectors. Arfan is currently CEO of Touchstone which delivers several mental health and wellbeing services across the diverse communities of South and West Yorkshire. Arfan first made contact with Touchstone as a service user 10 years ago after travelling through the institutional mental health pathways of the Health system.
Arfan believes that all lived experience including adversities are powerful assets in an accepting, inclusive and compassionate environment. Arfan is a leader guided by lived experience and inclusiveness – putting the needs of people first.
