The Home Office has become the first organisation to achieve a new benchmark in good practice for employing disabled people.

The ‘ClearAssured’ kitemark will recognise employers who have achieved a high standard in the recruitment and retention of disabled talent. The assessment programme follows on from last year’s launch of the Disability Clearkit, a resource developed by leading public and private sector employers to promote good practice and remove barriers in employing disabled people.

The Clear Company – which runs the assessment programme - highlighted several areas of best practice in the Home Office, including the level of support for disabled candidates and using alternative assessment methods such as work trials or working interviews to help see past the disability to the ability that lies beyond.

Ravi Chand, head of equality and diversity at the Home Office, said: “I am delighted that the Home Office has become the first ever organisation to achieve ClearAssured status.

“Like all government departments, the Home Office is going through a lot of internal redeployment. That’s why it is vital to ensure that all our recruitment and retention processes are of the highest standard, and becoming ClearAssured further demonstrates our disability confidence.”

Equalities minister Lynne Featherstone said: “It is essential that the Home Office represents and understands the communities we serve and recruits the brightest talents to do so.

“For this government the equalities agenda is about fairness: that is equal treatment and equal opportunity. Becoming ClearAssured is further recognition that the Home Office is leading the way in ensuring equality is considered as a matter of course.”