Sonder is proud to launch a new Diversity Inclusion statement
As a part of Sonder’s commitment to supporting our diverse workforce, clients, and community, today we are announcing the launch of a new Diversity Inclusion statement.
The word ‘Sonder’ means, ‘the realisation that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own.’
A Diversity Inclusion statement provides the opportunity to embrace this realisation and illustrates Sonder’s commitment to fostering an environment that celebrates differences. It also plays a crucial role in expressing how the organisation intends to serve the community – with Trust, Honesty, Equity, Fairness and Respect.
Sonder strives to ensure that its services are inclusive and welcoming, and that everyone is treated with dignity, courtesy, and respect. A new Diversity Inclusion statement has been developed to support this commitment and a broader organisational strategy of driving inclusivity into all we do.
Consultation process
A co-design approach was adopted to form a new statement, enabling contributions to be made from a variety of voices across groups in Sonder’s community.
Jake, Work, Health and Safety Manager at Sonder, who led the project through to its fruition, said the approach “highlighted a willingness from teams across the organisation to ensure staff felt respected and valued. The buy-in and speed at which individuals were happy to provide feedback reaffirmed Sonder’s culture of caring and prioritising the wellbeing of others.”
Sonder is grateful for the support and guidance provided by the Marion Sexuality and Gender Alliance (SAGA) Group, as well as Sonder employees, during the review process.
The new Diversity Inclusion Statement reads,
Sonder welcomes people from all cultures, faiths, backgrounds, and experiences, and celebrates all identities, genders, sexes, orientations, and abilities. We embrace diverse voices in our decision-making to ensure we deliver inclusive services.
The new statement will be accompanied by the latest rendition of the Pride flag developed in 2021 (Intersex inclusion) and will be featured with the Acknowledgement of Country where appropriate.
Inclusivity at Sonder
While many people across Australia live happy and healthy lives, many individuals belonging to diverse communities risk experiencing poor social, physical, and mental health, and life-limiting illnesses, leading to poorer health outcomes.
Sonder aims to address these key barriers by offering person-centred, responsive, and trauma-informed care.
As a leader in the health and community services sector, Sonder strives to instil in its workforce the knowledge, skills and capacity needed to meet the needs of our diverse communities and provide culturally safe, high-quality, appropriate, and accessible services.
“Our ethos as an agency is to ensure our workforce mirrors the clients we serve,” says Kiara, Executive Manager, People and Culture at Sonder.
The majority of our workforce comes from a diverse background, whether it be cultural backgrounds, or faiths and religions; whether we identify as living with a disability, or as having lived experience of mental health challenges and recovery; even the range of our professional disciplines say a lot about our diversity.
Sonder already provides Aboriginal Cultural Respect and Sensitivity Training through Bookabee for all staff as well as a subsidised learning module of Trauma Informed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Capability via the Centre for Cultural Competency Australia.
In an ongoing effort to continuously improve the care provided and retain the friendly workplace culture at Sonder, further training for Sonder staff will become available in the near future.
For more information about Sonder, visit sonder.net.au or call (08) 8209 0700.