Throughout Disability History Month we want to raise awareness about the benefits of employing disabled people and highlight the support and resources available to employers: UK Disability History Month – 14 November – 20 December 2024
Ceri Jennings, Managing Director, Sparkles Cleaning Services shares her experience.
As a company, Sparkles is committed to being an ethical employer, this has had a positive impact on the business, as we’re celebrating our 21st anniversary this year in the commercial & office cleaning industry.
I founded Sparkles in 2003 because my mum and sister kept asking me, if I would clean for them, you can only imagine what my response was to that! But not many people actually then go on and start their own cleaning company.
It was just me at the start and now Sparkles employs 35 people.
It will be no surprise to you that staff retention and sickness absence are the biggest challenges in the cleaning industry. However, our cleaning staff turnover is just under 2% which is unheard of in the cleaning industry. Our sickness rates are under 3%.
We are proud to be a disability confident employer, we are currently working towards becoming a Disability Confident Leader! we are committed to continuously developing our workforce and working environments to ensure we are accessible and inclusive for all.
Why is being an ethical employer important to me?
Being dyslexic and having to overcome the barriers that this has caused me over my lifetime, having a daughter that has Cystic Fibrosis, and being diagnosed with life changing cancer at the age of 44, has given me a better understanding and knowledge of what people face in their everyday struggles.
Being Disability confident is about listening to what matters and overcoming the barriers that that person may face.
The Welsh Government offers a wide range of resources to support employers with recruiting and retaining disabled workers. To find out more, please select the following links:
- Disabled People’s Employment
- Social Model of Disability
- Disability Confident employer scheme
- Access to Work
Contact the Welsh Government Disabled People’s Employment Champions by e-mailing dpec@gov.wales or contact the Business Wales Disabled People’s Employment Advisers: Catherine.Rowland@BusinessWales.org and Lisa.James-Gillum@BusinessWales.org