Building a Stronger South Tyneside

Embrace Diversity, Drive Growth

There are today more people of working-age who are economically inactive for reasons of ill-health and disability than ever before.

Employers already have members of their workforce who are living and working with health conditions.

Health and disability are just as much an in-work issue as they are an economic inactivity issue.

By hiring and retaining individuals from underrepresented groups—including those with health-related conditions, disabilities, working carers, neurodiverse individuals, and older workers—employers can unlock significant benefits. These include enhanced innovation, increased productivity, stronger employee retention, expanded talent pools, and improved brand reputation.

1 in 8 employees across the UK have a health condition

One in seven people in the workplace in the UK are juggling work and care

Nearly one in four of the working-age population are classed as disabled

A third of the workforce in England are aged 50 or over

1 in 7 people (more than15% of people in the UK) are neurodivergent

Ready to Build a More Inclusive Future?

Let’s work together to unlock the full potential of your workforce and our community.

Drive Success in Your Business

Investing in diversity and inclusion is a sustainable strategy for business resilience, growth, and long-term profitability. By proactively embracing individuals from underrepresented groups and fostering inclusive, healthy workplaces, South Tyneside businesses can unlock significant advantages: from enhanced innovation and productivity to improved employee morale, higher retention, and a stronger brand reputation.

Fuel innovation – Unlock fresh thinking. Different perspectives contribute to creative solutions and innovative products or services.

Boost performance – Outperform competitors. Companies with diverse workforces are up to 35% more likely to see better financial returns.

Expand talent pool – Overcome skill shortages. By adopting diverse hiring practices, businesses gain a greater chance of attracting the “best and brightest” talent.

Enhance retention – Inclusive workplaces tend to have lower turnover rates, as employees feel valued and supported.

Deepen customer connection – A diverse workforce can better understand and cater to a wider customer base, improving market penetration.

Strengthen reputation – Attract top talent and build trust. Become an employer of choice in South Tyneside and beyond.

Working together for mutual benefit

The UK Government’s ‘Get Britain Working’ initiative plans to decrease economic inactivity by helping people with barriers to work to find and stay in employment. For this to work, local employers need to be involved. There needs to be a collective effort to boost local and national prosperity.

You can find information on some of the support schemes available to South Tyneside businesses below. Navigating support, and knowing where to look can be complex, and daunting. South Tyneside Council are committed to helping employers find the support they need, depending on the specific need or circumstance.