Equality and Diversity Strategy 2016-19 Equality & Diversity Strategy 2016-2019 1 Verson 1.0
Equality and Diversity Strategy 2016 2019 1. Introduction North Star s Equality and Diversity Strategy has been developed to ensure that we not only meet our legal and social responsibilities, but to ensure we provide equal access to services and meet the needs of the communities in which we work. We recognise that the people who live in our homes have diverse backgrounds, circumstances and needs. This strategy outlines our vision, aims and targets. Our overarching statement is: North Star protects and promotes equal, real freedom and substantive opportunity to live in the ways people value and would choose, so that everyone can flourish. We recognise people s different needs, situations and goals and are committed to removing any barriers that limit what people can do and can be. North Star currently own and manage over 3500 properties across the Tees Valley and County Durham. Our properties are spread over 11 local authority areas and range from challenging town centres to rural villages. Our tenant profiling shows we have: 5% of tenants who consider themselves from a black minority ethnic (BME) background, 30% of our overall tenants over 60 years old, however, we have communities particularly in our rural locations where this rises to nearly 50% 26% of our tenants that consider themselves to have a disability We have 105 members of staff providing our front line and support functions. We work in partnership with three main contractors to deliver our repairs services. We are a not for profit organisation whose purpose is to provide affordable housing. We are also committed to investing in our communities and continuing to develop new homes to meet housing need. 2. Our Vision and Values Our vision - Creating homes, building futures Equality & Diversity Strategy 2016-2019 2 Verson 1.0
What We Value Collaboration We work hard at being a good partner, employer and landlord by involving and empowering people and working with one other. We listen, learn and reflect. We place people and communities at the centre of all we do and we welcome and encourage challenge. Flexibility We provide local, personal and responsive services and individual services where needed. We encourage people to think creatively and imaginatively. Integrity We never promise what we cannot deliver and we work in an open and transparent way. We are committed to providing an equality of opportunity, We treat everyone with respect and we value people s differences. We own up when things do not go right and work hard at finding solutions. Professionalism We aim to deliver excellence in all we do. We are committed to working ethically and do all we can to help with environmental issues. We deliver value for money and ensure staff are highly trained and developed. Ambition Known as an organisation that punches above its weight, we are courageous, enthusiastic and innovative. We are committed to growth and delivering bespoke solutions even when it s not the easy option. We are involved in challenging work that benefits communities. 3. Aims of the strategy Our approach to Equality and Diversity is consistent with and supports our Corporate Plan and our Leading and Growing North Star to 2018 strategy which states our corporate objectives around Culture, Customers, Growth, Resources and Identity and Communications. However it is also influenced by external legislation and regulatory requirements such as: Equality Act 2010, Human Rights Act (HRA) 1998 & Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Guidance & Code of practice Equality & Diversity Strategy 2016-2019 3 Verson 1.0
Regulatory Framework National Standards E&D Accreditation Frameworks Links with other Strategies 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 As a provider of social housing, North Star works in a regulated sector, our regulator, The Homes and Communities Agency, specifies the requirements on housing associations through its Standards framework. Under these standards, all housing associations must: treat their residents with fairness and respect demonstrate that they understand the different needs of their tenants, including in relation to the nine protected characteristics in the Equality Act 2010 and tenants with additional support needs. Our commitment to equality goes beyond our legal and regulatory duties and this strategy sets out what we have achieved to date and our plans to develop further over the next three years: Our commitment to equality and diversity: We will develop services that overcome discrimination and enable people to achieve their full potential. Our services will be accessible and fair to everyone. We will demonstrate equality in our day to day work. We will work in partnership with disadvantaged communities and individuals to ensure that their voices are heard, their rights respected and their needs reflected in our services. Our Board and workforce will reflect diversity and be representative of the communities in which we operate. We will ensure that there is no discrimination in our recruitment or selection of Board members, employees, contractors and external partners. Equality & Diversity Strategy 2016-2019 4 Verson 1.0
4. Governance North Star shows commitment towards equality and diversity through its governance structure. The Board are committed to our work in developing services equal to all and this is equally supported by the Group Senior Management Team (GSMT). GSMT will support our aims to monitor equality, diversity and inclusion issues at North Star. An annual report on Equality and Diversity is also presented to our Board. Our Equality and Diversity Policy sets out the individual roles and responsibilities for Equality and Diversity within the organisation. 5. Our progress so far Since we developed our Equality and Diversity Strategy in 2008, it has been reviewed regularly and we continually embed equality and diversity into our every day services for our tenants and communities. Some highlights of our achievements over the last couple of years by our Leading and Growing headings are: Culture North Star has had its achievement recognised through various accreditation and sector awards, for example: - Retained the Customer Service Excellence accreditation every year since commandment in 2009. This assesses the organisation on a wide range of customer services including meeting individual customer needs. - Achieved Gold level in Investors in People in 2014 - Achieved Investors in Diversity Level 2 in 2013 - We were ranked 14th in the country on the Best Not-for-Profit Organisations to Work For list of the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies Awards in 2015 and awarded Best Companies 3 Star Accreditation the highest accreditation level available. - In 2015, Adrian Hill won the Tenant Board member of the Year award for his outstanding contribution to the Board and the work he does for tenant involvement and in his community at the Chartered Institute of Housing North East Celebrating the Region awards. We were also shortlisted for our community investment work at the North East Business Awards. Our involved tenants were shortlisted for their innovative tenant scrutiny work, along with some tenants being shortlisted in Tenant of the Year categories at a couple of award ceremonies. All front line staff have received comprehensive Safeguarding training. Equality & Diversity Strategy 2016-2019 5 Verson 1.0
Supported Housing staff have undertaken a bespoke, enhanced level of safeguarding training related to the vulnerable client groups they work with. All front line staff have received training from HALO on Forced Marriages and Honour Based Violence. We have employed 7 young apprentices across the group and managers are working collaboratively to ensure comprehensive development opportunities and supports are provided to all apprentices to get them work ready. We have employed two graduates across the business. Mandatory training on Unconscious Bias has been delivered to all staff in 2015. Customers Since 2012 we have invested 181,683 into community projects, benefiting 18,721 people. In 2014/15 we invested 63,534 in 38 projects benefiting a total of 4202 people and attracting a further 88,626 in match funding to help our most disadvantaged communities. We are supporting Open Door North East to run their Sew 2 Work employability and learning sessions in the Gresham area of Middlesbrough. This project aims to provide women from diverse ethnic backgrounds with advice and support around employability issues. Our Welfare Benefits Officer has increased tenants income by 306,978.76 in 2014/15. Worked In partnership with the Big Lottery and Thirteen, delivering financial advice and budgeting services to young people in the Tees Valley through the Know Your Money project. Equality & Diversity Strategy 2016-2019 6 Verson 1.0
We have reviewed our approach to tackling Anti Social Behaviour including the introduction of a new system with increased emphasis on supporting vulnerable people through an improved risk assessment and vulnerability matrix. In 2015 our new approach to Customer insight was developed to obtain more qualitative and up to date feedback from our customers. It also introduced a quick change group to action service improvements in response to this feedback. Provided all new tenants under the age of 35 with targeted financial advice at the start of their tenancies. North Star allocates 10,000 per year into a hardship fund to support customers and households in crisis. We have provided financial support to HALO who support victims of Honour Based Violence and Forced Marriages. We continue to work alongside our local authority partners to provide support for people with learning disabilities we opened 2 new services in 2013/2014 (South Road and St Cuthberts warden house conversion) We have been successful in our application to join the Dementia Friendly Stockton Project committing to ensure that our business can meet the needs of people with dementia through staff training, awareness raising and consideration of the needs of people with dementia in all of our strategies and development. We have joined the governments campaign and signed up 100 staff as Dementia Friends Completed 182 aids and adaptations to help people stay in their homes during 2014/15. We have introduced a pilot handyperson s service to older and vulnerable tenants across the group, which is free of charge. Delivered Equality and Diversity training to involved tenants. The 4UTomorrow Group is a tenant led group championing the rights of older people and people with disabilities. This year we have contracted a consultant to Equality & Diversity Strategy 2016-2019 7 Verson 1.0
work with the group to develop personal skills in empowerment. We are working closely with the local authority to support a victim of hate crime at our Young Persons Service to provide advice, training and take action against the perpetrators. Parkfield (our young persons service) continues to provide and link in with a range of services for our young people including careers clubs and cooking clubs. All remedial works carried out at Teesdale Housing Office including adaptations to the reception area to improve accessibility as per the 2012 DDA audit. Growth Our development programme has delivered 16 bungalows in Hartlepool, including 2 specially adapted for wheelchair users and five bungalows for older people in Barnard Castle in 2015. 5 x 2 bed bungalows for older people and people with Learning Disabilities have been planned for 2016 as part of our development programme. All our properties that we build have level access from outside to inside. We are working in partnership with Middlesbrough Borough Council to bring empty houses back into use in Gresham, Middlesbrough through property transfers and management arrangements with private landlords and the Middlesbrough Community Land Trust. This is to help regeneration in the area. Resources Our contractors have offered an estimated 28,000 worth of additional social value to our communities, including: - Creation of a community garden in Teesdale - Twelve locally employed apprentices; - Nine work placements, including two for Princes Trust students Spend 2.1m in 2014/15 improving 452 homes for our tenants Equality & Diversity Strategy 2016-2019 8 Verson 1.0
Identity and Communication In 2015, we launched our North Star app, to enable tenants to access their rent account and report repairs on their mobile phones and tablets. We have translated three tenancy documents via language line, and continue to offer this translation / interpreter service free of charge. 6. The future picture Apart from continually striving to ensure our services are equally accessible to all, there are also a number of external influences such as Welfare Reform and increasing demand from diverse ethnic origins in our town centre properties. To focus our improvements we have developed a set of actions shaped around the Equality Act and the protected characteristics, and applies to all parts of our business: from customer services to staff recruitment and our Board and governance. Activity Link to Corporate Objective Time frame Develop annual training plan for E&D. Already Culture 2016/17 delivered training in unconscious bias in 2015 and protected characteristic training planned for 2016 Partner with other organisations to provide Culture 2016-18 mentoring and support to young people 16-29 to assist them into education, training and employment. Provide Mental Health awareness training to Culture 2016/17 front line staff Implement new Flexible Working Policy Culture 2016/17 Continue to implement the Documotive system Customers 2016/17 for improving customer profiling collection Review profiling reports and their use on Customers 2016/17 completion of the Documotive project Through Customer Insight, develop our Customers 2017/18 customer satisfaction survey results to include analysis against the protected characteristics, helping us to monitor that we are delivering accessible services to everyone. Use improved customer survey data to track progress against the baseline data on BME tenants satisfaction from the independent consultation in 2013 now action plan has been Customers 2017/18 Equality & Diversity Strategy 2016-2019 9 Verson 1.0
Activity completed Review/refresh our community/neighbourhood profiles and embed usage across the organisation Continue to target involved tenant recruitment to address known under-representation Our community investment activities will be focused on financial inclusion, health and wellbeing, employment and training, children and young people and community strengthening Include housing for older persons in our development programme Engage with contractors on equality and diversity and review how we share profiling information Create intranet page with actions and achievements on E&D Include articles on E&D and our achievements in Tenants Newsletter Link to Corporate Objective Time frame Customers 2016/17 Customers 2016-18 Customers 2016/17 Growth 2016-18 Resources 2017/18 Identity & communication Identity & communication 2016/17 2016/18 Equality & Diversity Strategy 2016-2019 10 Verson 1.0