Our Culture

Culture, equalities and inclusion

Here at Croydon, our vision of the culture of the council is to “ create a collaborative, inclusive and creative environment which allows talent to flourish"

We nurture and develop our culture through:

• our core set of values - the foundation of our council
• running six staff network groups, offering members support and giving staff a voice when it comes to making the big decisions at Croydon
• driving our Culture Plan overseen by the Culture Board
• a group of engaged and passionate Culture Ambassadors

Culture Board

We have a culture board in place to help achieve our vision through the culture plan.

It recognises the contribution of the staff network groups who sit on the board and supports their work.

The board brings together all that the council does to make sure that we have the right people, with right skills doing the right jobs - so that we can deliver better outcomes for local people.

The board meets bimonthly for two hours, members include:

• Executive leadership team
• The chairs and sponsors of our six staff networks
• Representation from HR, organisation development and communications

Our Values

We are committed to excellence in all we do. Our values reflect the attitude and approach we take to working together to deliver services to our borough.

• One team - Crossing boundaries to work together towards shared goals with colleagues, partners and communities
• Proud to serve - Striving to always do our best for the community, getting the most from limited resources and using taxpayers’ money wisely
• Honest and open - Working hard to build trust by treating everyone with honesty and integrity
• Taking responsibility - Encouraging and supporting each other to take responsibility and show what we can do, learning together and recognising all of our contributions
• Valuing diversity - We make the most of the many perspectives that make Croydon distinctive.

Staff Network Groups

Our six staff networks are an integral part of Croydon Council's cultural landscape. They provide their members with personal and career support, run awareness-raising events, sit on the Culture Board and help shape the big decisions which affect everyone at Croydon. All our staff networks are sponsored by a member of our leadership team to ensure they’re represented at the highest level.

Race Equality staff network

Disability staff network

LGBT+allies staff network

Mental health and wellbeing staff network

Women’s staff network

Working carers’ staff network

Making an impact

From policy change and guidance to adjustments to building facilities and staff equipment, our staff network groups have a real impact and effect positive change throughout the organisation. The staff network groups annual report highlights several of the areas where staff networks are making a significant impact, and below are a couple of recent examples.

The work of the disability staff network, working together with our ICT partners and facilities management helped ensure accessibility was at the top of the agenda for starters and employees who have a disability and led to the introduction of Radar Key in accessible toilets, better room signage, lift lighting, door entry systems and pillar strips.

The LGBT+ allies staff network's campaigning and assistance in getting Croydon Council to participate in the Stonewall Workplace Equality survey 2018 resulted in Croydon Council jumping 95 places and being ranked just outside its top 100 employers to work for. A great achievement.

The Womens Network alongside the Mental Health and Wellbeing Network and Human Resources launched Menopause Guidance to support women in the workforce in 2017 (one of the first local authorities to provide this guidance). This was recognised by the council winning the REBA (Reward and Employee Benefits Asociation) award for Innovation in 2019. https://reba.global/content/reba-award-winner-croydon-council-innovation

Join in the fun, socialise and help raise awareness

The staff networks are also a great way to get to know other staff members. Individually and collectively, the staff networks put on a wide-range of informative and fun events.

From 2019 Don't Dis-Ability, a celebration event at Boxpark Croydon featuring live music, comedy and djs, to social meet-ups, support sessions, charity bike rides, discussions, film screenings and staff training, there are a number of events and activities to get involved in.

The Race Equality network holds regular awareness-raising events, some reoccurring annual events have included;

Windrush activities

Black History Month events

External Speakers

Marking celebrations for all cultures, including Eid and Diwali

The Womens network also celebrated International Womens Day 2021 with a range of special events and speakers.

Croydon was named overall winner (public sector) in July 2018 at the Employers Network for Equality & Inclusion Awards.