Sue Saunders, Home Office: Staff networks

• Sue Saunders is Co-ordinator of the Home Office Disability Support Network (HODS). She has been in the Home Office since 1975, playing a key role in transforming the department's work on disability.
• Sue's tireless efforts have been instrumental in raising awareness of mental ill health across the department. For example, a buddy network for staff with mental health problems was so successful it expanded to form two North and South networks.

Throughout Sue's time in the Civil Service, she has shown her commitment to helping disabled people and customer service.  

She strives for fair treatment for disabled staff and is not afraid to challenge managers when there is an injustice.  During her time with HODS she has helped transform the department's work on disability through her tireless efforts in raising the confidence of disabled staff to request reasonable adjustments and identify work place solutions to individual needs. 

She was instrumental in the setting up of two mental health buddy networks, contributed to the Kate Nash Associate's publication Disabled Employee Networks a practical guide, and worked with managers to develop a model to engage disabled staff in reviewing the Disability Equality Scheme and staff survey results.