Equality and Diversity Strategy
2014 -2017
A Social Business Investing in
People and Communities
At Black Country Housing Group our Mission is to be a social business
investing in people and communities. Our mission and our values are at
the heart of what we do, the way we work and the way we treat people.
Our 2014-17 Strategic Plan sets out our ambitious plans to deliver
excellence to our customers, grow our business, continue to transform
our services, be an excellent service provider and employer and
ultimately make a difference.
Our communities, customers, colleagues and services are diverse
therefore we need to ensure that we create an inclusive and responsive
organisation in which everyone can participate regardless of age,
gender, transgender, disability, religion or beliefs, race, sexual
orientation, social background or family or caring responsibilities. In
2012 we were awarded Investor in Diversity status as a mark of our
commitment to being an inclusive, responsive and positive employer
and service provider.
Our 2014-17 Equality and Diversity Strategy outlines our commitment
to continually improving equality, diversity and inclusion in our service
provision and as an employer, eradicate barriers to inclusion and
promote awareness and tolerance in our community.
The following strategy and action plan was developed by our Equality
Diversity & Inclusion Champions, a group of staff representatives from
across our diverse services, in response to feedback from colleague and
customer surveys. It is their role to champion EDI across BCHG, ensure
our services are responsive and fair and deliver our Strategy. I’d like to
take the opportunity to thank our Champions for their commitment,
dedication and hard work.
Janette Beckett
Director of Care & Social Business
(Executive Lead on Diversity)
Our Mission and Values
A Social Business Investing in People and Communities
Our Mission for BCHG clearly sets out who we are and what we want
to achieve, we are a well run not for profit organisation, using our
resources to invest in our residents, customers, colleagues and local
area in order to deliver quality services that create social value and
wide ranging social impact.
BCHG provides an increasingly wide range of services to people from
diverse backgrounds. It is therefore important that BCHG responds to
the needs of its diverse customers and provides a work environment
which harnesses diversity and encourages employees to grow and
develop.
Integration of equality and diversity does not evolve naturally. It
requires specific steps to be taken. A mainstreaming approach is
needed so that equality and diversity considerations are built into
business planning and policy making rather than being seen as a bolton.
BCHG will continue embedding equality and diversity though our
values:
Integrity: ensuring that BCHG’s business activities are based round
strong moral principles.
Positivity: ensuring that employees display an optimistic and
constructive attitude to customers, particularly those who belong to
more marginalised groups.
Respect: treating all colleagues and customers with respect and
ensuring that they feel valued. Ensuring that all colleagues are judged
on merit and encouraged to reach their full potential.
Quality: ensuring that quality services are delivered by maximising the
potential of BCHG’s diverse workforce.
Our Strategic Priorities
Our Strategic Priorities for 2014-17:
Delivering Excellence: Developing meaningful customer involvement
so that services reflect the diverse needs of BCHG’s customers as closely
as possible.
Growing our Social Business: Embedding equality and diversity into
service delivery so that BCHG is well placed to identify gaps in provision
and put forward solutions within the diverse local communities in which
it operates.
Challenging the Status Quo: Empowering staff to suggest
improvements or challenge established working practices where
there are clear improvements in service delivery, particularly to more
marginalised groups
Why is Equality and Diversity important?
•
BCHG works in diverse communities, delivering a wide range of
services to marginalised groups of people so it is essential that it is
able to respond pro-actively to their needs.
•
BCHG’s ethos and values place a high emphasis on treating people
with dignity and respect so it is important that these values are
embedded into BCHG’s policies and working practices.
•
It is essential that BCHG’s employees are as representative as
possible of its customers in order to fully meet their needs.
•
BCHG needs to respond to changes in Government policy,
particularly how they affect the Third Sector. The 2010 Equality
Act harmonises previous legislation and sets out 9 protected
characteristics of diversity which must be addressed by BCHG.
•
There is a strong business case for mainstreaming equality and
diversity, particularly when BCHG is bidding for new business.
There is also a moral case, preventing discrimination and a legal
case ensuring that BCHG complies with legislation.
•
The strategy sets out a clear action plan for what BCHG wants to
achieve over the next 3 years.
•
It provides a method of measuring progress against clear targets.
•
The strategy should ensure that decisions are policy making and
business planning is based on evidence not anecdote.
•
The strategy should improve the experience of BCHG’s staff,
customers and stakeholders. This strategy provides a public
statement of BCHG’s commitment to equality and diversity
and sets out how it can act as a positive role model in the local
community.
Where are we now?
BCHG has been working in partnership with the National Centre for
Diversity to work through the following stages:
1.Awareness
2.Understanding
3.Application
4.Integration
5.Excellence
At the time of reviewing this strategy BCHG has:
•
Met the requirements of the national standards for Investors in
Diversity so that it is recognised at Stage 2. This demonstrates
that BCHG is committed to creating an inclusive organisation that
is proactive in developing and sustaining diversity through a range
of self-assessment measures.
•
Improved access to the reception area providing a more suitable
working environment for a disabled employee.
•
Launched the Flexible Working Policy in October 2013 to facilitate
personal requirements of employees as far as possible.
•
Successfully recruited 4 Apprentices in an effort to re-dress the
identified age imbalance in BCHG’s employees.
•
Launched ProjectQ at the 2013 Staff Conference to encourage
innovation from as wide a range of employees as possible ensuring
that the BCHG adapts to the constantly changing business
environment and needs of it’s diverse customer base.
•
Reviewed the team planning process to make it more inclusive and
make it a requirement to address equality and diversity issues.
•
Produced a new welcome pack for employees outlining BCHG’s
commitment to equality and diversity.
•
Appointed and trained a group of EDI Champions across the
business who now have a clear and wide ranging role with support
from the Leadership Team.
•
Established and EDI Extranet site to promote equality and
diversity issues and encourage feedback from employees.
•
Put a Diversity Calendar in place to celebrate special events and
ensure that all employees feel at home.
•
Promoted effective joint working between the Leadership Team
and the Staff Forum.
•
Facilitated a field visit by an EDI Champion to another Registered
Social Landlord to explore joint working on diversity issues.
•
Conducted 2 service user surveys to evaluate EDI in service
delivery.
Where does BCHG want to be?
The next Leaders in Diversity (IID) review is due to take place in May
2015 by which time it is anticipated that BCHG will have achieved the
‘Leaders in Diversity’ award. As well as being recognized as a leader
in its sector, this award will develop distributed leadership together
with trust and confidence in staff. It will also ensure that succession
planning is in place to carry the EDI agenda forward, regardless of
changes in personnel.
BCHG will be well placed to influence good practice with stakeholders
and suppliers and will be able to easily identify strengths and areas for
development. EDI will be embedded in strategic planning and viewed
as a core business driver and there should be a constant stream of
development in EDI at both a macro and a micro level.
How will the strategy be delivered?
We have an extensive plan of action to improve, they can be
summarised in the following statements
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
There is strong leadership from the top
We know, support and involve our customers and communities
Equality and Diversity Informs our Business Planning
Equality and Diversity Shapes our Culture
We support, train, develop and engage our staff team.
Equality and Diversity Action Plan
2014 - 2017
1. Strong Leadership:
Our Board and Executive Team will be representative of the
communities in which we serve. We will provide relevant, accurate
information about the organisation to support decision making. Our
policies and procedures will support our diverse range of customers,
colleagues and communities. We will actively challenge discrimination
across the organisation and work to understand the difference we make
as an organisation to individuals lives.
2. Knowing, supporting and involving our customers
We know that different people and groups have diverse and multiple
needs - we will work and engage with customers to shape our services
accordingly and support the design of future services and activities.
We will provide safe, accessible, flexible welcoming services.
3. Business Plan
We will make sure that equality and diversity is key and underpins
the development of business plans for the organisation and that
information about our customers shapes what we do and how we do
it. We will work to minimise negative impacts of legal requirements,
demands and/or policy changes on the equality and diversity in our
community.
4. Shaping our Culture
We will treat individuals with dignity and respect and provide an
environment that is free from prejudice, bullying, harassment and
unlawful discrimination. Our commitment to equality and diversity will
be open, clear and transparent. We have a zero tolerance approach to
discriminatory practices and promote our commitment both internally
and externally. We will create an inclusive culture and encourage
individuals to actively participate.
5. Training, developing and engaging our staff
BCHG are committed to making sure our staff are highly skilled,
experienced and fully understand their equality and diversity
responsibilities. We will take action to challenge inappropriate
behaviour and discriminatory practice. Our staff team will be
representative of the communities in which we serve and will celebrate
and showcase our diversity. We will work to understand and meet our
colleagues’ diverse needs as a great employer.
How will the strategy be monitored?
The strategy will be reviewed quarterly by the Exec Team and EDI
Champions against the Action Plan and agreed KPI’s. Heads of Service
will provide twice yearly progress reports to the EDI Champions who will
bring any relevant issues or recommendations to the Exec Team.
An annual progress report will be presented to the Board by the EDI
Champions.
In addition, the Champions will drive the strategy forward in their
individual areas of the business.
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, all of our of Offices
have hearing loops – please ask our receptionists.
These help you hear more clearly and reduce
background noise if you use a hearing aid or
loop listener. If you would like a hearing loop
for a meeting, let us know beforehand.
If you are blind or partially sighted we can give you
information in large print, on audio tape or in Braille.
Please phone 0121 561 1969 to
discuss your needs with us.
If your first language isn’t English, we
can provide an interpreter either to help
you over the phone or in person.
How to contact us:
T: 0121 561 1969
E: [email protected]
W: w ww.bchg.co.uk
Black Country Housing Group Ltd
134 High Street, Blackheath
West Midlands
B65 0EE
(You can also call in to our offices
at the same address)