Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

Transcription

1 Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Creative and inclusive services for residents delivered by a talented, diverse workforce 1

2 Contents 1. Introduction 2 2. Creative and inclusive services for residents delivered 4 by a talented, diverse workforce 3. Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 7 4. Implementing the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy Appendix 1 : Diversity profiles of staff and customers 20 2

3 1: Introduction Genesis prides itself on its commitment to diversity and inclusion for customers and staff. We do not tolerate any forms of discrimination or harassment. However at Genesis diversity is about much more than compliance with the law and policy implementation. For us it is about the culture and values of the organisation that attract people to the organisation and make them want to stay with us to deliver excellent services to customers. Genesis wants to attract the very best people from the widest talent pool and we will champion a range of initiatives to help us achieve this. We aim to create an inclusive environment where everyone can perform at their very best. We will work in partnership with our customers to create and deliver services that meet their needs and offer value for money. The Diversity and Inclusion Strategy supports the implementation of the Corporate Strategy. Our approach to Diversity and Inclusion will help Genesis deliver first class services tailored to customer needs and circumstances and being an organisation that people want to work for. It will help us to get our services right first time improving our efficiency and support our efforts to build safe, sustainable and inclusive communities through our re-generation work. The Executive Team and Board have approved the strategy and are fully supportive of and committed to the achievement of the objectives. Genesis is leading the Housing Association sector in diversity and inclusion issues. It was the first Housing Association to be placed in the Times Top 50 Places for Women to Work in 2011 and was successfully listed again in 2012 and This year Genesis was placed in Stonewalls Top 100 Workplace Equality Index for the second time and nominated for a National Business Award for its Leadership on Diversity. We were also delighted to have won the Home Office and Opportunity Now Award for Transparency on gender equality. We are proud of the hard work of our customers, partners and staff that has helped us to achieve external recognition. This has identified Genesis as a leading organisation that values and respects the diversity of its customers and staff. 3

4 2: Creative and inclusive services for residents delivered by a talented, diverse workforce At Genesis, our mission is: To provide quality homes and services to enable our customers to build better futures Our approach to diversity and inclusion helps us to fulfil our mission by providing housing services that are inclusive and accessible to all our customers and through our support services and regeneration activity enable our customers to build better futures. Our Diversity and Inclusion strategy is designed to support our Corporate Vision to be a Leading Property Based Service Provider and achieve our Corporate Objectives through enabling delivery of a number of Genesis strategies in particular the People and Customer strategies. It will also support organisational cultural change by promoting and embedding behaviours associated with our values into the fabric of the organisation. In everything we do, we put our values into action. Our values are: Customer focus putting customers at the heart of everything we do, involving them and being accessible treating people fairly, recognising, understanding and celebrating difference Partnership working working in partnership to deliver for our customers and communities Efficiency making efficient use of our resources and continuously improving the way we do things A good employer to be a good employer, valuing our staff and investing in them 4

5 What Diversity and Inclusion has done for the Genesis business so far Over the last three years the profile of diversity and inclusion issues at Genesis has risen internally and externally we have established a profile and reputation as an employer of choice and provider of services to diverse customers. In a recent staff survey 84% of staff said that Genesis is committed to the promotion of equality and diversity in employment and 77% said they feel they can be themselves at work. To help us achieve this we have put in place a number of initiatives: We run a number of high profile diversity events over the year, which help us to increase understanding and engage staff, including Black History Month, International Women s Day and taken part in Pride. Our staff network groups are the forefront of these activities. Our Women s network activities have led to the Kiran Project (domestic violence support project for Asian Women) becoming one of the charities that Genesis supports. We have an excellent diversity and inclusiontraining programme in place, which introduces staff to the value that good diversity practice brings to excellent customer service and a supportive and productive workplace culture. We have successfully established partnership working with our customers to improve services and communications related to diversity issues. In particular we have worked with our disability customer forum to improve communications with our Contact Centre and access to office premises. With our Lesbian, bi-sexual, gay and transgender (LGBT) customer forum we have increased understanding of staff of the impact of hate crime and improved our service in this area by working with external support agencies. We also continue to work with our Somali forums in particular to engage with young Somali people through the work of Genesis Community. Through a number of initiatives including mentoring and learning programmes we have managed to increase women in senior positions from 17% to 38% over a three-year period. What Does Diversity and Inclusion mean to Genesis? Genesis delivers services in some of the most diverse areas of the country. Understanding how diversity affects our customers means getting to know them in a way that will help us to get our services right first time and cost effectively. We provide public services which means we have legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that we do not discriminate against those protected under that legislation by making our services accessible and appropriate. The strands protected by the Equality Act 2010 are: Age Disability Gender re-assignment Marital and civil partnership status Pregnancy and maternity Race Religion Sex, and Sexual Orientation At Genesis we recognise that diversity and inclusion covers many additional issues other than those defined by legislation. We recognise that employment, income and education amongst other factors, will all play a part in how people s life chances are affected and in particular how they affect housing need and career opportunities. For Genesis the need to establish a culture that values diversity and inclusion is about more than meeting legal requirements and mitigating risk. For us it is about how we treat our customers and staff while delivering an excellent and efficient service. Through our strategy we aim to embed all Genesis values but in particular respect, customer focus and good employer and the behaviours associated with them into the culture of Genesis. 5

6 We have also established and support a number of staff diversity networks. Our networks work on workplace issues as well as closely with customers to implement good diversity practice. All these initiatives have contributed to our success in being listed in the: Times Top 50 Places for Women to Work for three years running Stonewall Workplace Equality Index Top 100 employers for the last two years Winner of the Opportunity Now and Home Office award 2013 for Transparency for our work on gender equality Finalists in a number of categories for our work with customers and staff including the National Business Award 2012, Inclusive Culture Award 2012 and European Diversity Team of the Year 2011 Our ambitions for the future Genesis is proud of the progress that it has made over the last few years however we know that there is still much work to be done to ensure that we deliver high quality services consistently to all our customers and that we co-create these with the diversity customer forums and staff networks. To help us to achieve our corporate vision and objectives the Diversity and Inclusion strategy has the following high-level objectives: 1. Understand our diverse customer needs and provide consistent, reliable and inclusive services that are tailored to our customer needs. 2. Work in partnership with our customers to co-create excellent customers services that meet diverse needs. 3. Recruit and retain a diverse workforce at all levels of the organisation to reflect the communities within which we work by nurturing a culture, which understands and respects diversity. 4. To be a leader on diversity and inclusion in the Social Housing sector. Opportunity Now Award 6

7 3: Diversity and Inclusion Strategy This section describes how the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy will help Genesis deliver the Corporate Strategy. Background information on the diversity profile of our customers and staff in detailed at appendix one, where we look at the key issues facing each of the diversity groups. Corporate Objective 1: To provide consistent and reliable services to all our customers We have a very diverse range of customers who want services delivered in variety of ways that best meet their needs. To achieve this the services need to be inclusive and non-discriminatory. We will achieve this by: Having 95% accurate, up to date and relevant diversity information on all customers including leaseholders helping us to understand and communicate more effectively with our customers and deliver tailored services. Working with our customer and staff disability forums to increase accessibility to our services including online communications helping Genesis to better meet the needs of customers with a disability. Working with our LGBT Customer Forum to improve service delivery to LGBT customers particularly in relation to hate crime and building safe communities and improving support to older and younger LGBT people in support and care. Ensuring all our staff will understand that diversity and inclusion is integral to delivering excellent customer service, our objective is that 100% of our staff will have attended the Diversity Workshop or completed the online programme within 3 months of joining the organisation by Evidencing to our external stakeholders that we understand and respond to diverse customer need in a respectful and professional way. Monitoring service uptake, customer satisfaction and carrying diversity impact assessments will let us evidence how we do this and put us in a favourable position when bidding to deliver public services. 7

8 Corporate Objective 1: To provide consistent and reliable services to all our customers Goals Business activity Outcomes Genesis Values Increased engagement with customers on scrutiny and design of services to create accessible services our customers want Test website accessibility in partnership with Business Disability Forum, implement recommendations Through resident involvement forums (LGBT, Disability, Youth and Somali and customer satisfaction surveys and diversity profiling information identify any areas where services need to be tailored/ delivered differently to meet customer need Improved accessibility of website providing more alternatives to customers for access to Genesis services & information Improved customer satisfaction (see service fairness below) and increased brand recognition as provider of services that are accessible and meet diverse customer need Customer Focus Partnership Working Service fairness Annual customer satisfaction analysis by diversity strand Diversity analysis of customer satisfaction to show ratings within ±5% of overall satisfaction rates for all strands Efficency Investigate differentials in customer satisfaction identified through customer satisfaction surveys e.g.. Muslim customers with a disability have indicated a lower satisfaction rate with repair services Diversity Impact analysis on all new or reviewed policy, procedure or service provision As above Avoid risk of inadvertently discriminating against any protected groups of people (as defined under Equality Act 2010) and other excluded groups Customer Focus Annual customer complaints analysis by diversity strand Evidence service fairness and test impact of services on different groups of customers 8

9 Corporate Objective 1: To provide consistent and reliable services to all our customers Goals Business activity Outcomes Genesis Values Improved understanding of our customers through segmentation & intelligence Improved data on customer profiles to be at 95% completion through CRM project Improve ability to identify and deliver tailored communications to customers Improve ability to understand and deliver services that meet different customer need Customer Focus Efficiency Ability to evidence accessibility of services to all sections of the communities within which we work Implement London Housing Design Guide Standards Inclusive designs in properties to meet diverse needs of existing and future customers Service choices Equip staff with skills and knowledge to meet specific needs of diverse customers through diversity training, provision of resources and briefings 100% of staff have attended diversity training within three months of joining resulting in increase in personalised services e.g. through care and support meeting needs of older LGBT customers, reflected in customer satisfaction across diversity strands to be within ±2% of overall customer satisfaction Customer Focus Work with Equality Accreditation Services Maintenance contractors who are accredited with understanding of diverse needs of customers and ability to deliver Genesis values especially respect Efficiency Contracts with suppliers specify targets related to meeting diversity needs of customers Suppliers understand and meet the diverse needs of residents, reflected in customer satisfaction across diversity strands to be within ±5% of overall customer satisfaction enabling value for money services to be delivered first time Partnership Working 9

10 Corporate Objective 2: To implement our organisational change proposals creating a modern streamlined, integrated and effective organisation The Genesis Way programme is a new way of operating, which includes the systems, processes, and culture of the organisation. We have run diversity right the way through the Genesis Way programme, and in particular the Culture and Behaviours Project with the aim of helping us to understand our customers better and provide excellent customer services. We want to nurture a culture that is inclusive and supportive of staff so that they can work at their very best. The Genesis Way Culture and Behaviours Project will be an important mechanism to establish behaviours and attitudes that encourage embed and champion diversity and inclusion across the organisation. Inclusive leadership behaviours are also essential to achieving the right culture and we will ensure that diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our leadership development programme. We will do this by: Ensuring that systems and processes put in place are inclusive and non-discriminatory for staff and customers by testing through diversity impact assessments. Implementing new ways of working promoting and embedding flexible working into the Genesis workplace culture. Embedding diversity and inclusion into Genesis culture and behaviours so that we: Treat others professionally at all times Are open and non-judgmental Act ethically and with integrity. Working with our leadership team to model and embed inclusive behaviours across the organisation. Corporate Objective 2: To implement our organisational change proposals creating a modern streamlined, integrated and effective organisation Goals Business activity Outcomes Genesis Values Integrate diversity into the Genesis Way Diversity Impact Assessments used to identify risks and opportunities throughout the Genesis Way Programme Staff restructures, systems and processes are inclusive and non-discriminatory for staff and customers A Good Employer Use staff survey to identify any adverse impact of Genesis culture, systems or processes on different groups of staff Increased engagement and productivity for all staff Efficiency Promote and embed new ways of working flexible working Increase retention, more efficient use of accommodation A leadership team which is inclusive in its approach to delivery of customer service and staff Through the leadership programme and diversity training support the leadership team to model and embed inclusive behaviours across the business An inclusive culture that attracts, retains and supports a productive and diverse workforce A Good Employer Efficiency 10

11 Corporate Objective 3: Maintain a healthy financial position comparable to other smaller sized organisations Genesis wants to maintain its reputation as leader on diversity issues and understands that this brings advantage in winning contracts to provide public services. To do this is must be able to evidence how it helps public bodies meet their obligations under Equality legislation. We will do this by: Continuing to carry out diversity impact assessments so that we can evidence how we meet legal obligations and meet the needs of a diverse customers. Evidencing how we equip our staff with the skills and knowledge to respond to diverse customer need. Making sure that social value is included as a consideration in our tender process particularly in our community and regeneration projects. We also want to ensure that diverse customer needs are met and that mechanisms are in place to test this. By becoming an employer of choice we attract the best staff and retain them by fostering an inclusive culture that values its entire staff. This will also help to cut down on recruitment costs, reduce the risk of Dignity at Work Incidents and support an engaged and productive workforce. A diverse workforce also brings with it greater knowledge, perspective and innovation supporting the efficiency objectives of the organisation. 11

12 Corporate Objective 3: Maintain a healthy financial position comparable to other smaller sized organisations Goals Business activity Outcomes Genesis Values Reputation as leader in the field of diversity brings advantage in winning contracts Promote & evidence Genesis as a leader in its field on diversity and inclusion E.g. Business in the Community (Opportunity Now, Race for Opportunity, Stonewall Top 100 Employers Equality Index, Investors in Diversity, Business Disability Forum, Times Top 50 Places for Women to Work) Place Genesis in advantageous position when bidding for contracts to deliver public housing and support services Partnership Working Deliver efficiency savings without any demonstrable negative impact on any of our staff and customers from the recognised diversity strands Carry out Diversity impact assessments for all Genesis Way projects including staffing structures Diversity impact assessments identify and evidence how we meet diverse customer need. If any negative impacts are identified we identify steps to be taken to mitigate risk of legal action and loss of reputation Efficiency Good Employer A more diverse and sustainable supplier base achieved through the re-procurement of our services to deliver services to a diverse customer base Encourage a diverse supplier base Contracts include performance targets related to meeting diverse customer need Evidence Genesis commitment to working with community based and SME organisations to help build communities and improve customer satisfaction Diversity Analysis of customer satisfaction to show ratings within ±5% of overall satisfaction rates for all strands Customer Focus Partnership Working 12

13 Corporate Objective 4: To invest in our workforce, equipping our staff and making Genesis a place where people want to work Genesis wants to attract and retain the best people because diverse teams are more productive and innovative, and when people can be themselves in the workplace they are 30% more productive. A diverse workforce will bring with it a wider range of skills and knowledge that will help Genesis to better serve our diverse customers. We have worked hard to increase the diversity of our senior management teams and have achieved a greater gender balance on our Boards, Executive Team and Senior Management Team. We want to see more visibility of other diversity groups such as Black and minority ethnic people and those with disabilities at senior levels of the organisation. We believe that diverse senior role models are important in encouraging others to develop careers and achieve their potential with Genesis. A culture, which values and supports a diverse workforce at all levels of the organisation to work productively, will help us to achieve our objectives. We will do this by: Supporting Staff Diversity Network groups to engage with customers and staff across the organisation raising the profile of, engagement with and embedding of diversity and inclusion as part of the culture of Genesis. Recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce at all levels of the organisation that reflects the communities where we work. Helping Genesis to have a workforce that understands and deploys skills and knowledge to meet diverse customer needs. Having a board and senior management team that champions inclusive behaviours helping to embed diversity and inclusion into the fabric of the organisation. The leadership programme and the Culture and Behaviours Project will help us to achieve this. Supporting a flexible and agile workforce through the implementation of flexible working policies to support work-life balance and new ways of working. This will encourage retention and continued career development for all our staff. We will continue to carry out diversity impact assessments and exit interviews to ensure we have in place robust systems, policies and processes to ensure they are inclusive to all our staff and non discriminatory. Having a zero tolerance approach to discrimination, harassment and bullying and promote a culture that helps to prevent such incidents from occurring and support staff when it is needed. Such incidents result in stress; absence and exiting from the organisation, taking a zero tolerance approach will help to reduce the cost of such outcomes. Working with Genesis Way projects that will help to deliver our Diversity and Inclusion objectives. These are Accommodation and New Ways of Working, Reward, Contracts and Role Profiles, Skills and Training, Performance Management Framework, Succession Planning and Culture and Behaviours Project. Evidencing to our stakeholders that we are an organisation that is ethical and fair, understands who our customers are and responds to their diverse needs. That we are an employer of choice with a workforce that is diverse, skilled and knowledgeable about the communities that they work with. We will do this through monitoring the outcome of the diversity strategy and benchmarking ourselves against our peers and building our reputation as leader in the field of diversity and inclusion. Where we contract services we will expect contractors to comply with our diversity and inclusion policies and evidence how they meet diverse customer need. 13

14 Corporate Objective 4: To invest in our workforce, equipping our staff and making Genesis a place where people want to work Goals Business activity Outcomes Genesis Values An identity & culture for Genesis based on our values Genesis Way Culture and Behaviour project To be seen as a leader on the diversity agenda & an ethical and inclusive organisation Increase profile & understanding of diversity as a business imperative in partnership with staff networks Staff feel diversity matters From 60% (2011/12) - 90% Good Employer Effective diversity training to raise awareness and increase engagement on diversity and inclusion issues As above plus continuous improvement evidenced through appraisal outcomes on respect and customer service Customer Focus Becoming an employer people want to work for Recruitment & retention processes that result in attracting diverse candidates Diverse workforce at all levels of the organisation Increased retention rates: Turnover rates to be within ±5% Attrition rates to be within ±5% Good Employer Increase awareness of bullying and harassment in the workplace to prevent incidents and promote a culture that lives Genesis values. Implement a central monitoring system. Exit outcomes do not show any disparity by diversity group. Benefits and opportunities are inclusive to all staff (monitored through take up by diversity strand) Reduction in sickness absence levels Reduction in employment tribunals Establish a Genesis Disability Forum and implement outcomes from Business Disability Forum benchmark outcomes. To include: A holistic approach to providing reasonable adjustments in the workplace Increase awareness and profile of disability issues as they affect staff and service delivery Work effectively with the Residents Disability Forum Disability champions in each area of the business Increased profile and understanding of disability and how it impacts the business of Genesis An overview of the reasonable adjustments that are made for staff and the benefits this brings to them and the business Training is provided to all staff who require ICT adjustments to support them in effective use to aid productivity Improved services to customers with a disability Efficiency Partnership Working 14

15 Corporate Objective 4: To invest in our workforce, equipping our staff and making Genesis a place where people want to work Goals Business activity Outcomes Genesis Values Becoming an employer people want to work for Establish a staff network which looks at issues of ethnicity, belief and culture and how it impacts on staff and Genesis culture and customer service An active and engaged network that is working towards improving the workplace for Genesis staff that allows people to be themselves in the workplace while respecting difference in others and supporting Genesis to improve service to a diverse customer base measured through customer satisfaction Good Employer All above actions will contribute to Genesis retaining or achieving the following and building on Genesis brand as being an employer of choice and provider of services to diverse customers Times Top 50 Places for Women to Work Stonewall Employers Top 100 Workplace Equality Index Increase Business Disability Forum benchmark outcome from 41% to 65%. Retain Gold standard for Opportunity Now Retain Silver standard for Race for Opportunity Attain Investors in Diversity Accreditation Efficiency Partnership Working A highly skilled and motivated workforce which focuses on continuous development and improvement and is attuned and skilled to deliver services appropriately to the diverse range of our customers Effective Diversity training delivered to all staff Ensure that training delivering key skills is effective at addressing diversity issues Deliver diversity and leadership training that supports an inclusive culture Appraisal outcomes on respect competency to show continuous improvement As above A leadership team that is confident and effective at demonstrating inclusive behaviours. To be measured through appraisal and staff surveys Customer Focus Good Employer 15

16 Corporate Objective 4: To invest in our workforce, equipping our staff and making Genesis a place where people want to work Goals Business activity Outcomes Genesis Values A reward system that recognises the values of respect and employer of choice Staff survey Increased staff engagement to be within ±5% across all strands for indicators: Staff feel proud to work for Genesis Staff understand our values Staff believe that Diversity matters to the organisation Outcomes of appraisals tested across diversity strands Good Employer Efficiency Encouraging innovation and providing opportunities for personal development and career progression for all staff Monitor diversity profile of staff and make interventions as necessary, such as Mentoring schemes (targeted as needed), Sponsorship, learning opportunities aimed at equipping staff with skills to overcome challenges and barriers Diverse profile of staff at levels of the organisation Targets: 50% women at all levels of the organisation 35% BME at senior levels of the organisation Opportunities for personal development and career progression to be accessible to all staff, monitor uptake by diversity strand Good Employer Senior managers to demonstrate inclusive leadership skills Diversity issues to be incorporated into Genesis Way Succession Planning workshop Appraisals and 360 degree feedback evidence inclusive leadership skills Senior managers to set targets to recruit diverse teams Efficiency A flexible and agile workforce Promote flexible working policy and guidance to managers on implementing it. Implement monitoring of flexible working take-up Increased take up of flexible and new ways of working Increased satisfaction with work-life balance Increased staff engagement Increased productivity Good Employer Efficiency 16

17 Corporate Objective 5: To optimise the value of our property portfolio Genesis needs to maximize its assets to provide better futures for the maximum number of people through its regeneration work and commercial activities. We want to ensure that wherever we build homes and communities that diversity and inclusion is an integral part of approach to shaping places. Regeneration implies a new life. By enabling residents to become economically active, by residents delivering neighbourhood services, reducing financial exclusion and focusing activities on improving neighbourhoods, Genesis gains value for money, which in turn improves the value of its assets and enables Genesis to extend its core mission as a provider of more good homes in great places. Economic wellbeing is at the heart of this, creating better opportunities for residents, enabling them to take control of their life chances and to meet their aspirations and their full potential. We will do this through: Initiatives that support residents to learn skills and gain employment. This approach to regeneration increases inclusion through participation in range of activities from education to employment. Actively making interventions that will help build sustainable communities such as dealing effectively with anti-social behaviour and hate crime by being proactive and putting in place prevention strategies. Our Development teams working with the London Standard to ensure that we build better neighbourhoods and homes that are accessible to those with disabilities. Consultation to ensure that we meet diverse needs of customers. We will use feedback and analysis to help us to identify where we need to plan and design differently to meet diverse customer needs. Using our revenue where we need to dispose of properties or introduce market rents to help us provide more homes and build futures for our customers 17

18 Corporate Objective 5: To optimise the value of our property portfolio Goals Business activity Outcomes Genesis Values Neighbourhood interventions that increase inclusion Increase awareness of hate crime and domestic violence for staff, customers and maintenance staff Genesis Community activities are accessible and meet the needs of diverse customer base Initial increase in reporting then to be decreased once intervention and preventative strategies are put in place. Diversity profiling shows that services are taken up across the communities within which we work. Other indicators could include: Improvement in property prices (as result of reduction in hate crime and ASB) Decrease in worklessness Increase in satisfaction with residential area Increase in community facilities Partnership Working Customer Focus Create value in our assets, through an intelligent and proactive optimization of the property portfolio Carry out diversity impact analysis and mitigate for any adverse impact where we: Want to generate financial capacity from portfolio churn to invest in building new and improving existing dwellings and/or reduce financial gearing Recycle latent value and resources where sustainability and value is currently low Use our revenues to build new homes and better neighbourhoods that increase inclusion and meet the needs of our diverse customer base Customer Focus Efficiency Create and deliver quality new homes, through new build or acquisition of dwellings suitable for the needs of our diverse customer base 18

19 4: Implementing the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy This strategy lays out key objectives, goals and expected outcomes that will support the achievement of the Corporate Vision and Objectives; an action plan will provide the details of day-to-day implementation and key milestones (see appendix 1). This is very much a living document and will be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure that current business priorities are reflected in the strategy and action plan. While the key principles of diversity and inclusion in relation to employees across the business are the same we expect practice to be shaped to serve the purpose of each business area. This will better enable us to meet the needs of customers to deliver real value. Leadership is critical in the development and mainstreaming of diversity and inclusion however we recognise that everyone at Genesis is accountable for implementing diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Responsibility for implementation and review The Board: has overall responsibility for the implementation of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. The Diversity Committee: Monitors implementation of the Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and makes recommendations for progress. Executive Director of Organisational Effectiveness: This role is the Executive team lead for diversity and inclusion Executive Directors: A number of our Executive Directors sponsor diversity network groups, championing and promoting issues at all levels of the organisation. The involvement of our Board and Executive Team visibly demonstrates leadership on diversity and inclusion emphasising the importance the organisation places on this agenda in creating a culture which is inclusive and where diversity is valued in all its forms. Benchmarking ourselves We are working with a number of external organisations that are supporting our efforts to develop and implement our approach to diverse customers and to promote diversity internally to our employees. We are working with: Opportunity Now (Gender Equality) Race for Opportunity (Race Equality) Business Disability Forum, Stonewall (LGB equality) Inclusive Employers Investors in Diversity At Genesis we are keen to be market leaders in all aspects of our business and we are currently very much in the forefront on diversity issues. We want to continue to be leaders and demonstrate how diversity initiatives deliver real value and business benefits. We have worked have considerable progress on gender and LGB issues. During the next phase we will build on this success by bringing focus to disability, race and inclusion issues. Of course we will continue to work across all strands of diversity but we acknowledge that there are certain areas where there maybe gaps in our practice. Benchmarking ourselves across the public and private sector brings with it wider recognition and adds value to our reputation and brand as an organisation that is committed to delivering first class customer service and being and being an employers of choice, helping to attract and retain the best talent. 19

20 Appendix 1: How does diversity and inclusion impact on Genesis? What are the key issues? Diversity can be visible and invisible but inevitably impacts on people in many different ways. Positively in many ways, such as the different knowledge and skills that different people bring with them to the benefit of communities and organisations. However for many people it can also impact negatively through experiences of harassment and barriers in accessing services and employment. Equality is then is about taking down the barriers and making changes in policy, practices and behaviours to ensure that customers can access services and fulfil their potential as citizens and developing a workplace culture that allows employees to work at their best in providing services to our customers. Inclusion is ensuring all of our employees feel engaged, motivated and valued and in the wider context we are referring to social inclusion for customers Age The increasing number of older people in the population of the UK will impact on our customer profile in a number of different ways, including an increase in the number of older customers. As people get older they are also more likely to develop a disability, to help us to understand these needs diversity profiling, customer segmentation and diversity impact assessments will be our key tools. The personalization agenda of care and support also means that we need to be increasingly aware and responsive to the needs of a very diverse older generation. Understanding cultural and religious needs of older people and those requiring care and support is an area of expertise for Genesis but to continue to improve our services in this area we want to understand how we can better support other needs such as older LGBT people, who are more likely of finding themselves isolated in older age than their heterosexual counterparts. In the current economic climate we are seeing increasing unemployment amongst young people making our community work and initiatives with young people and initiatives even more important in creating sustainable and inclusive communities. Our community-based initiatives with older people such as those supporting the development of IT skills are contributing to increasing inclusion through digital access. Age profile of our customers: 12% 17% Age profile of our staff: % 34.48% 44.48% 10% 7% Under % 29.35% 39.39% 33% 20% 46.15% Unknown % % 25.14% % 3.15% 3.85% Manager Other staff Senior managers 20

21 Disability Nearly a fifth of the UK population has some kind of disability, with those who are economically disadvantaged having higher rates of disability. As a social housing provider we expect to have a higher than national rate of disability amongst our customers (49% of social housing contains someone with a disability, English Housing Survey ), especially as we provide housing for older people, a group that will see an increase in the levels of disability with increasing age. Having accurate information on the disability needs of our customers will be critical to providing an excellent service that not only facilitates aids and adaptations in the home but also delivers services that are fully accessible. The Genesis Way project will be critical to delivering a more accurate understanding of customer needs through a number of projects. Understanding our customers and engaging with them on the best ways of developing and delivering services are the key to achieving customer satisfaction. Genesis over the last three years has successfully supported a Customer Disability Forum. Our Contact Centre staff have made significant achievements through their work with the Customer Disability Forum to increase staff understanding of communication needs for customers who have a disability. The forum has helped us to engage more effectively with customers who have a disability and plans are in hand for customers to be represented on design panels to work on inclusive designs for future homes. Customers have also been able to access IT training to increase their accessibility and inclusion. We are also using video conferencing to increase accessibility to meeting for residents. We are also aiming to ensure that our communications are easily accessible to all our customers both in our written communications and in the accessibility of our website, by using easy read and providing alternative formats. People with disabilities continue to find themselves victims of hate crime. The current climate and attitudes to those on benefits has seen an increase in people with disabilities reporting hate crime. Welfare reform is likely to disproportionally affect people with disabilities. Genesis has in place policies and procedures to ensure that we are sensitive to such occurrences and that we put in place appropriate support mechanisms. We are working with our staff and the Business Disability Forum to increase awareness of disability issues through the activities of Genesis Disability Forum. It is important that we provide employment and career opportunities to people with disabilities and to do this we must have a workplace that is accessible and provides solutions through IT and other equipment to enable people to work at their productive best. Disability profile of our customers: 98% 2% Disability profile of our staff: % 14.48% 80.34% 5.16% 3.85% 23.23% 71.61% 15.38% 80.77% Yes No Yes No Not known 0 Manager Other staff Senior managers 21

22 Ethnicity Ethnicity and race continues to influence life chances for people. The ethnic minority unemployment rate was 13% compared to 7.9% for people overall (ONS 2010) and only 1 in 15 ethnic minority people get into management positions. Over 20% of pupils in schools are from an ethnic minority background and mixed race or dual heritage people are one of the fastest growing groups. This has an impact on Genesis who operates in some of the most ethnically diverse communities in the country and we know that a significant proportion of our customers are of ethnic minority origin. Consultation with customers across the social housing sector has indicated consistently lower rates of satisfaction with services by ethnic minority customers, and this is especially true of customers in London (TSA consultation 2009). Through consultation with customers it is then critical that analysis by ethnic origin (and other factors) on all aspects of our service delivery is used to shape our services. Genesis has already started work on looking at how satisfaction with services is shaped by ethnicity and is working on understanding what other factors may be at play. We have a number of consultation forums with different ethnic minority groups including Turkish and Somalian customers. Genesis is working in partnership with Race for Opportunity and has carried out a gap analysis to compare itself to other organisations. This analysis will be used to guide our practice to improve access to services and career opportunities for ethnic minority people. Genesis was listed as one of the Top Ten Public Sector Organisations by Race for Opportunity in Ethnicity profile of our customers: 13% 39% 8% Ethnicity profile of our staff: 40% White BME Unknown Prefer not to say We offer a translating and interpreting service to help increase accessibility to our services and provide equality of opportunity. We also have a number of staff that between them are able to speak an impressively wide range of languages. We value this resource as it really helps our customers feel welcomed and valued % 64.14% 12.81% 45.98% 88.46% White BME Other Prefer not to say We also want to ensure that we have a diverse workforce because we know that diverse teams are more innovative and more productive. A more ethnically diverse a workforce there is the more knowledge and skills the organisation has at its disposal helping it to understand better the needs of its ethnically diverse customer base % 28.62% 3.15% 38.05% 11.54% Manager Other staff Senior managers 22

23 Religion Religious profile of our customers: Religion and belief is not only a big part of people s identities it also has a big influence in the way people live and this impacts from the design of homes to how and when services are delivered. Entwined quite often with religious observance are cultural practices that have grown alongside. With staff needing to go to people s homes to deliver services it is important that we are aware of cultural and religious practices within the home. Diversity training for our staff and diversity profiling information help us to be more aware of our customer needs and to get our service delivery right first time offering a better value for money service. 43% 0.5% 19% 19% 5% 10% 2% 1% 0.2% 0.1% Buddhist Christian Hindu Jewish Muslim Sikh No religion Other Prefer not to say Not known An important part of our customer engagement strategy is getting the timing of our customer and staff events right to ensure that as many people as possible have the opportunity to participate. Religious profile of our staff: Experience of discrimination and harassment because of religious beliefs is widely reported and recent years have seen some people experiencing an increase in the number of such crimes directed at them. We recognise this and have in place policies and procedures to support customers who experience such incidents. We recognise for our staff taking leave for religious and cultural events is important to work life balance and we advise that such events are taken into account when prioritising leave for staff. Through our diversity impact assessments we ensure that any new policies and practices are assessed for their impact on the religion and belief of customers or staff % 4.48% 2.41% 18.28% 3.79% 3.10% 54.14% 19.02% 5.74% 2.10% 12.52% 6.31% 3.82% 49.14% 3.85% 11.54% 26.92% 57.69% Manager Other staff Senior managers Buddhist Jewish Muslim Sikh No religion Other Prefer not to say Not known 23

24 Gender Gender profile of our customers: Women make up half of Genesis customers, they are more likely to be the primary carer both to children and dependent adults and more likely to be working in the public sector and therefore likely to be affected by cutbacks in the public services in terms of employment and benefits. Genesis is working with women in community projects to help capacity through projects that support small businesses and also by advising on money management and employment. 40% 60% Female Male Domestic violence is an issue that affects all kinds of people, however it tends to disproportionately affect women. We have in place policies and procedures to support customers who report incidents of domestic violence. These policies were developed in consultation with female customers and staff. Through the activities of the Women s Network the Kiran Project (a project set up to support Asian Women experiencing domestic violence). We will work with the Genesis Women s network to raise awareness of domestic violence and support for staff. Gender profile of our staff: % 37.19% 61.54% Female Male Over the last three years we have made considerable progress on gender equality in the workplace particularly in getting more women into senior management. We have seen a significant increase in the number of women on Genesis Board, Executive Team and Senior Management Team. However we want to ensure that we maintain a gender diverse senior management team and Board. We also have a very active women s network, which is providing a useful networking and learning forum for women across the organisation. We are proud to have become the first housing association to be listed in the Times Top 50 Places for Women to work and to have been finalists for our work on building diversity leadership and won the award for Transparency on gender issues. We continue to work in partnership with Opportunity Now to improve the workplace for women and to support them through their career journey though work life balance policies and career opportunities % 62.81% 38.46% Manager Other staff Senior managers 24

25 Sexual orientation Sexual orientation profile of our customers: There is little information on the economic situation for people who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB). The information that is available does not indicate any significant differences in income and employment levels. However this information is based on those have the confidence to be open about their sexual orientation. What is known is that LGB people do experience discrimination in the workplace, in accessing services and in society in general. We know for example that LGB people can be much more isolated in older age if in care and support and that they are more likely to suffer from depression and addiction. Young LGB people are also more likely to suffer from bullying and depression and make up a significant proportion of those who find themselves homeless. 1% 43% 35% 20% Sexual orientation profile of our staff: LGBT Heterosexual Prefer not to say Not known We are proud of the work we have done in partnership with LGBT customers and staff leading to more inclusive service. LGBT customers have worked with staff to review how we respond to hate crime, resulting in more robust policy and practice in how we support customers. We are also exploring more innovative ways of how we can support our LGBT customers by working with partner organisations. We have a high profile LGB staff network that has made huge contribution to raising the profile of LGB housing issues for customers and also our staff. For the first time this year Genesis staff and customers took part in the London Pride Walk to demonstrate our commitment to diversity for all. Our work with LGBT staff and customers has facilitated an improved workplace culture that has put Genesis in the top 30 of Stonewalls Top 100 Employers Workplace Equality Index % 7.24% 2.76% 76.55% 21.89% 7.36% 1.82% 68.93% 7.69% 3.85% 88.46% Manager Other staff Senior managers LGBT Heterosexual Prefer not to say Not known 25