We are proud to announce that XMA has officially been recognised as a Disability Confident Leader. 

This is the highest level of the government-backed scheme. For us, it is more than an accreditation; it is the external validation of a principle that sits at the core of our business: a diverse, inclusive workforce is fundamental to our success. This achievement comes after 15 months of dedicated work since we were awarded Disability Confident Employer status in April 2023, with a significant focus over the last seven months to reach this Leader level. 

Achieving this required a commitment to tangible action, not just words. Internally, we have focused on improving the physical accessibility of our sites, such as installing new and automatic doors at our Nottingham offices—an upgrade that benefits all our employees. We have delivered inclusive leadership training to our own advocates and have started a culture change by asking and embracing challenging questions about our own processes, ensuring we do not stand still on topics like recruitment. 

A key part of being a Disability Confident Leader is moving beyond our own business to champion inclusion in our wider community. Collaboration has been central to our approach. We have: 

• Attended several collaborative Employee Resource Group (ERG) events with HPE at their London offices, where we raised awareness for the Disability Confident scheme. 

• Worked with partners during these events to set SMART goals for disability-focused ERGs. 

• Opened our own Inclusive Leadership training to representatives from our partners, including HPE, Kocycle, and charities like Reach Learning Disability. 

• Worked with Reach Learning Disability’s ‘FlowerPod’ to create volunteering opportunities for our Nottingham-based staff, and in doing so, had the chance to promote XMA’s commitment to social value directly to the High Sheriff of Nottingham. Julia Sandhu from Reach Learning Disability had this to say:  

“When companies like XMA work with organisations like Reach and achieve Disability Confident Leader status, they’re not just improving how they work — they’re helping break down those barriers and driving real change. It has been inspiring to work with XMA and to be part of their journey.” 

This status is a direct result of the focused work of our people. Our Disability Confidence Ambassador Alison Warner, who has led this initiative, shared her personal motivation: 

“The world of disability and careers contains a lot of fear for both sides of the recruitment process. I built on my own experiences to get passionately involved in achieving Disability Confident Leader status with XMA so that through the ESG group, employees can make a difference. My aim going forward is not for XMA to stay still, but to achieve higher standards year on year, and for employees to feel confident in disclosing their disabilities.” 

Alison’s words capture our position perfectly. This is not an end-point. It is a milestone that strengthens our resolve to continue building a business where every individual is valued and has the support they need to succeed.