Why the Right Awareness Training and Workplace Needs Assessments are Crucial for Reducing Risk

by Dan Williams , Visualise Training and Consultancy Ltd

The recent LinkedIn discussions between Tanya de Grunwald and Neil Morrison have highlighted some critical issues surrounding the increasing number of DEI-related employment tribunal cases.

As someone specialising in disability awareness training and workplace needs assessments, I’ve seen first-hand how poor governance, lack of accountability, and inadequate training can lead to these high-profile legal defeats.

💡 Here’s why awareness training for teams and thorough training for workplace needs assessors are so important:

1️⃣ Failure of Governance: As Neil rightly pointed out, many large organisations – including government bodies – have strong policies in place but fail to enforce them. Without proper training, leaders often bypass these policies. It’s not just about having an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) strategy – it’s about ensuring every employee, particularly those in decision-making roles, understands and follows them. The lack of accountability, as seen in cases involving the DWP and Thames Valley Police, results in costly legal disputes and reputational damage.

2️⃣ Training Must Reflect the Law: Many organisations have excellent inclusivity policies but fall short in training their teams to adhere to them. The Equality Act 2010, which is central to many DEI-related tribunal cases, is often misunderstood or overlooked in training sessions.

If the training does not clearly reflect legal obligations, issues will arise. This is why it’s essential that assessors and DEI professionals are well-versed in legal compliance, particularly when conducting workplace needs assessments.

3️⃣ Avoiding Costly Mistakes: Why are these organisations fighting cases that should clearly be recognised as high-risk? As discussed, it often comes down to "groupthink" or a fundamental misunderstanding of legal requirements.

Our workplace needs assessments focus not only on physical accessibility but also on understanding how to manage risk. Failing to make reasonable adjustments, even unintentionally, is a fast track to an employment tribunal. Comprehensive training is vital to avoid these avoidable, costly errors.

4️⃣ A Return to Common Sense: As highlighted in Tanya’s interview, the rise of DEI ‘grifters’ and inadequately trained professionals has caused a disconnect between training and legal requirements. This is why at Visualise, we focus on delivering practical, legally sound training that empowers teams to implement policies effectively without overcomplicating DEI strategies. This common-sense approach helps businesses avoid the risks that so many large organisations seem to fall victim to.

The key takeaway? The right training is more than just a tick-box exercise—it’s about safeguarding your people and your business from unnecessary legal challenges. Ensuring your team and workplace assessors have the knowledge to implement policies correctly and in accordance with the law is crucial.

Let’s focus on reducing risk and increasing understanding!

For more information about why we do what we do and how we do it differently, please visit www.visualisetrainingandconsultancy.com

#DisabilityAwareness #WorkplaceNeedsAssessment #InclusiveTraining #DEI #Governance #EmploymentLaw #VisualiseTraining