Boosting social mobility

Social mobility is an issue that is at the core of our values and mission here at Anthony Collins Solicitors (ACS), and the fight against socio-economic inequalities is now more important than ever.

We’re building a culture within ACS that is united, by ensuring that talented individuals are not being held back because of their socio-economic background and that those in leadership roles are understanding and reflective of the communities that they serve; bringing people together from all walks of life and ensuring their contribution is valued and recognised equally.

For many people from disadvantaged backgrounds, entering work can be difficult. They have no pre-existing networks, no paid internships and no mentors; thus in an effort to ensure that we at ACS are doing all we can to aid with social mobility within the firm, we focus our energy on:

• Asking key questions to gain a better understanding of the socio-economic diversity of our workforce.
• Recruitment with wide socio-economic reach, based on skills and potential.
• Work and career progression for all, with support available to those from a lower socio-economic background.
• Creating defined lists of skills required to progress and ensuring equal opportunities to promotions.
• Mentoring students through A-Level, degree and LPC from disadvantaged backgrounds.
• Employing trainees from non-red-brick universities and a variety of backgrounds.
• Being an accredited Living Wage employer.
• Ensuring that our gender, ethnicity and other pay gaps are reported transparently and regularly reviewed.

We treat social mobility and equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I) as more than just a strategy or a policy. It has helped to push us to be more proactive in addressing inequality by openly questioning our own biases, sharing personal experiences, and calling out inappropriate behaviour. By adopting this approach, we can create a workplace that is free from discrimination and unfair treatment.

When social mobility and ED&I are concerned, what does being a good employer mean at ACS?

• We encourage diversity and inclusivity and support our employees as individuals.
• We recognise and reward employees for the hard work that they do and the contribution they make to the business.
• And, we empower our employees to have a voice, to champion things that are going well and to provide challenge where improvement is needed.

Read our blog about Social mobility – there’s work to do!

I believe people who are in established professions should take the time to help those whose background means they might struggle to access the same opportunities.

Alice Kinder, Solicitor and Social Mobility Ambassador for The Law Society

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