The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has been ranked number 8th in the 2024/25 Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List (IT50) which was officially revealed at the Inclusive Awards on November 28, 2024.
Matthew Hartland, Chief Executive Officer of The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH), commented: “This is a fantastic achievement to be recognised in the Inclusive Companies Top 50 listings for another year. To be listed as the eighth most inclusive organisation in the UK is a great achievement and a testament to the work carried out across the Trust.”
Among the initiatives ROH was recognised for is its exhibition ‘Many Cultures, One ROH’, which showcases the rich mix of cultures and importance of bringing your authentic self to work. The project was led by the Birmingham hospital’s Multi Minority Ethnic Group, one of a number of staff networks that play a key role in building and sustaining an inclusive and wellbeing focused culture.
The ROH has also created an all-encompassing wellbeing programme for staff which includes flexible working arrangements, a purpose-built wellbeing room, and lots of initiatives to support with the cost of living. The Trust was also awarded Thrive at Work accreditation, a programme from the West Midlands Combined Authority focused on promoting employee health and wellbeing.
Jo Williams was also named CEO of the Year for her work as CEO of The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital (ROH) in Birmingham.
The ROH is one of the largest orthopaedic centres in Europe, offering planned specialist care to people locally, nationally and internationally. Jo manages to do what most leaders only aspire to do; transform an organisation by building an incredible culture which prioritises wellbeing while delivering tremendous value. She has done this by putting people first. Jo led the ROH on a journey of strategic transformation which has resulted in impressive achievements, awards, and outstanding staff experience results. Jo is currently Interim CEO of the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust.
Now in its ninth year, the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List is the definitive cross-industry index harnessing both best practice and innovation with the goal of driving inclusion for all. It comprises the 50 most inclusive companies in the UK as chosen by a dedicated panel of judges, based on each organisation’s performance across all strands of diversity - gender, disability, age, LGBTQ+, race, faith and religion.
Inclusive Companies said: “Each year we receive 100s of entries from organisations who submit a huge amount of evidence in respect of their inclusive practices, covering a wide range of areas and topics,” says Paul Sesay, Founder and CEO of Inclusive Companies. “The IT50 List recognises employers whose culture ensures diversity and inclusion are embedded into everything they practice with the judges looking for organisations which show consistent activity and evidence of sustainable change.”
Compiled by Inclusive Companies, the IT50 acknowledges and ranks organisations which are most consistent throughout the whole of their organisation and encompass all types of diversity. The full 2024 IT50 List can be seen here.
