Hft | Careers | Working at Hft

Working at Hft


At Hft we’ve been providing person-centred support for learning disabled adults since the early 1960s. Our commitment goes beyond being a high quality support provider. We work in partnership with the people we support, their families and carers, and health professionals to develop effective services that will help people live the life they choose.

Investors in People Gold logoOur staff are central to this. We work hard to ensure they consider themselves partners too, and are treated fairly and with respect throughout their careers with Hft. The value we place on our staff is reflected in the Investors in People Gold accreditation we hold – an internationally recognised sign of a great employer and an outstanding place to work.

Diversity, Equal Opportunities and Inclusion

We’re committed to promoting diversity, welcoming applications from all areas of the community and valuing what everyone contributes. We treat people equally and without discrimination of gender, sexual orientation, age, race, beliefs, culture, chosen lifestyle, disability, or for any other reason. This approach applies to the people we support, their families, Hft staff, and others with whom we have contact. We recognise that sharing different perspectives, ideas and approaches leads to better decisions and a stronger, more representative organisation.

Our employee handbook spells out our five aims for ensuring we actively promote equality and diversity in our workplace: –

  • We will actively develop services that reflect and meet the diverse needs of the society in which we live.
  • We are committed to promoting equality and social inclusion throughout Hft. This is consistent with our vision, mission and values, and with our strategic plan, as endorsed by the Trustees.
  • We will further develop our networks and partnerships to achieve this.
  • We will extend and adapt the way we work to enable greater access by members of ethnic minority communities.
  • We will direct our approaches to the recruitment and management of staff to reflect the communities in which we deliver services.

Being inclusive in our approach helps us create an environment in which a diverse range of people can enjoy working together effectively.
Download a copy of our Diversity and Equality policy

This approach is also reflected in our commitment to the Government’s Disability Confident scheme, which demonstrates our willingness to go the extra mile to make sure disabled people get a fair chance at joining our team.

Support workers come from all walks of life

Our brilliant support workers enter their roles through different routes. Some come straight into support work after finishing education. Some have had several different careers before joining Hft.

Whether you were previously a plumber, nurse or accountant, there’s no set route to support work and no specific experience that you need. All we look for is a passion for supporting learning disabled adults to live with more independence and choice.

Find out more about some of our support worker’s career paths…

Training and development

Supporting our staff to develop within their roles and progress their careers is important to us. We combine a range of formal training programmes and experiences to enable people to grow. Every member of staff is given comprehensive induction training, and offered on-going training and support tailored to their needs to ensure we continue to offer excellent levels of service and standards.

In fact, Hft has achieved ‘Centre of Excellence’ status under the Skills for Care Endorsement Framework – a mark of quality that is awarded only to providers that deliver the best learning and development programmes in the adult social care sector.

Our Partnership Forum

In 2013, managers and employees within Hft launched the Partnership Forum to ensure the success of an agreed commitment to work together in partnership to achieve shared aims, objectives and outcomes for the benefit of Hft.

At Hft, staff vote-in Partnership Forum representatives who meet regularly with senior managers and act as the ‘voice’ of the teams they represent, providing views on strategic plans and consulting on potential changes.

Since 2013, our Partnership Forum has gone from strength to strength. It is now acknowledged as an essential part of the organisation’s decision making process. It is trusted by staff and respected by senior management.

Next steps

Join Team Hft

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