About Yorkshire Housing Group
Equality & Diversity Strategy
Yorkshire Housing provides a service to a wide range of people including some of the most disadvantaged sections of the community. Our aim is to be responsive to the needs of all of these communities and the individuals that we serve. Equality and diversity are integral to all of our activities in every aspect of the work that we do. We have a moral duty to respond to the wide social diversity within our community and make sure that we reflect this in our policies and procedures and, in practice, through the day to day delivery of our services to customers.
Equality and diversity are at the core of Yorkshire Housing's vision and mission and a key strategic aim is that we are ‘iN Business for Diversity’. Excellent services and vibrant communities where everyone's quality of life is improved are dependent on Yorkshire Housing being an organisation where differences between individuals and communities are valued and everyone is treated with respect.
We consider that the business case for promoting equality and diversity is overwhelming. Discrimination, however it occurs, will damage the relationship between Yorkshire Housing and its customers, staff, partners and other stakeholders. The promotion and awareness of equality and diversity issues will allow us to improve access to our services which should, in turn, increase levels of customer satisfaction.
This Equality and Diversity Strategy which has been drawn up with the involvement of customers, staff, Board members and partners sets out our principles and provides a framework through which we will fulfil our obligations. It demonstrates our commitment to eliminating discrimination, providing real opportunities for our customers, staff and Board members, and ensuring that no one feels excluded or disadvantaged.
There are a number of other strategies which support this over-arching strategy and are a starting point in the development of this strategy. These relate to people with disabilities, sexual orientation, gender and people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Each of these strategies has an action plan and targets. Performance against these targets will be measured and reported regularly to the Board, staff and customers as part of our commitment to continuous improvement.
Purpose of the Strategy
This strategy has a number of functions:
- It is a clear and public statement of Yorkshire Housing’s commitment to equality and diversity.
- It sets out what Yorkshire Housing hopes to achieve and identifies a range of actions we will undertake in order to achieve these.
- It will focus our energy, attention and resources on the areas we have identified as our priorities.
Scope of the Strategy
This document is intended to address equality and diversity issues in their widest context. There are many communities, groups and individuals who may face disadvantage or discrimination, who may be unwilling or unable to access services or who receive services that fail to meet their needs and preferences. This may include:
- People from black and minority ethnic (BME) communities
- Lesbians, gay men, bisexual people and people who identify as transgender
- Households headed by women, especially lone parents
- People with disabilities
- Older people
- Young People
- People with HIV/Aids
- People with learning difficulties
- People with mental health issues
- People suffering from alcohol or substance abuse
- Ex-offenders
- People in contact with the criminal justice service
- People experiencing domestic violence or sexual abuse
The Strategy is intended to cover anyone who comes into contact with our organisation whether as a staff member, tenant, Board member, customer, stakeholder or partner and to ensure that all are treated with dignity and respect.
Current Position
Yorkshire Housing has produced more detailed strategies in relation to key areas such as disability, sexuality, gender and people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. We have made progress already and our Equality and Fairness Group are responsible for ensuring that our Equality and Diversity Plans are implemented and monitored on a regular basis.
- We have set up a disability forum to guide our work and services to disabled people. Some of our offices are wheelchair accessible and all have induction loops.
- The Boards and Committees receive regular reports on equality and diversity action plans. The Boards have been consulted widely on the strategies being developed and are becoming more engaged in monitoring service delivery by receiving reports on complaints, anti-social behaviour which include an analysis by the key diversity indicators. Each report that is presented (whatever the subject) states the impact on equality of opportunity of what is being proposed.
- We are developing good practice with regard to BME communities in Bradford and an outcome of this will be to ensure that the lessons learnt are shared throughout the organisation.
Whilst equality and diversity are part of the ethos of the organisation and most staff would acknowledge this, the messages that are contained within our existing strategies and polices are not fully disseminated, understood or ingrained throughout the organisation. Through this strategy we aim to address these issues and improve our services in this area of work.
Content of the Strategy
The strategy has been developed to meet the Housing Corporation's requirements as set out in Good Practice Note 4, Race Equality and Diversity.
The strategy therefore considers each of the following areas of our work:
- Corporate Commitment
- Governance
- Lettings
- Employment
- Tenant Involvement
- Tenant Satisfaction
- Service Delivery
- Dealing with incidents
- Contractors, Consultants & Suppliers
Within each area, we have identified our key aims and have then agreed a series of activities that we will undertake during the 3 years of this strategy to help deliver our objectives.
Over time we will further develop our strategies to more accurately reflect the wider equality and diversity agenda. We will keep this strategy and all associated documents under constant review.
Corporate Commitment
Our aims
Board members and staff at all levels of the organisation have a clear understanding of the principles of equality and diversity, the Association's commitments and approach and their own role in delivering strategic objectives. We will have in place an effective process for ensuring continuous improvement in relation to equality and diversity.
To achieve our aims we will:
- Actively promote our equality and diversity strategy, both internally and externally.
- Ensure that our commitment to equality and diversity is reflected in our key corporate documents.
- Consider equality and diversity issues as an integral part of our business planning and risk management processes and as part of our best value reviews.
- Set clear performance targets to drive improvement and regularly monitor performance against these measures.
- Develop the role and responsibilities of our Equality & Fairness Group to ensure that it operates effectively as a driver, facilitator, monitoring and review body.
Governance
Our aims:
Our Boards and Committees will be representative of the communities we serve, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, faith and age. The Board provides leadership and direction in relation to equality and diversity and drives ongoing improvement.
To achieve our aims we will:
- Work towards ensuring that our Board and Committee recruitment and selection processes are transparent, fair and equitable.
- Promote Board membership opportunities as widely as possible and in ways likely to attract interest from a diverse range of people.
- Provide regular, accurate and clear information to the Board on our performance in relation to equality and diversity.
- Provide training for Board members on equality and diversity.
- Address equality and diversity as part of the induction of new Board members and as part of training for Board Members.
- Ensure that all Board members are aware of the standard of behaviour expected of them and that any breaches, such as inappropriate remarks, are dealt with immediately and effectively.
Lettings 
Our aims:
To ensure that our application and allocation procedures are fair and transparent. To work towards achieving balanced and sustainable communities that are a true reflection of the diversity of the communities we serve.
To achieve our aims we will:
- Regularly review our application and allocation procedures.
- Actively promote our services to organisations representing or working with minority groups.
- Work co-operatively with our partners to ensure best use of homes where aids and adaptations have been carried out to our properties.
- Develop action plans to meet the needs of individual schemes and areas to ensure that they fully address equality and diversity issues.
Employment
Our aims:
Our staff teams at all levels will be representative of the communities we serve, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, disability, faith and age and this is reflected at all levels of the organisation. We want all our staff to play an active role in developing ideas and approaches to improve performance on equality and diversity. We want all our staff members feel valued and supported.
To achieve our aims we will:
- Regularly review our recruitment & selection processes to ensure that they are fair and transparent and reflect current best practice.
- Identify and test different approaches to increasing the diversity of our staff team.
- Provide training for all staff on equality and diversity.
- Introduce relevant training for all staff involved in recruitment and selection.
- Seek ways to develop cultural awareness within our organisation.
- Involve staff at all levels of the organisation in the development and review of the Association's approach in promoting equality and diversity.
- Have policies and practises which are inclusive and respectful of the needs and wishes of different groups
Tenant Involvement
Our aims:
Our formal tenant participation structures will be representative of the customers we serve, particularly in terms of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, faith and age. All customers are able to choose the level and type of involvement that best suits their needs and preferences. All customers who choose to be involved feel valued and supported.
To achieve our aims we will:
- Establish monitoring systems to allow us to profile the customers involved with formal structures.
- Seek ways to actively promote involvement in formal and informal structures to a diverse range of customers, particularly where we are aware of under-representation (e.g. from young people or people from BME communities).
- Offer a range of options for consultation and involvement that customers can choose from.
- Encourage customers involved in formal structures to complete training on equality and diversity.
- Be sensitive to the needs of different groups and individuals when planning and organising events.
- Work with tenant groups to ensure that they operate in an open and inclusive way.
Customer Satisfaction 
Our aim:
To ensure that all our customers are receiving the same high quality of services and that there is minimum disparity in satisfaction levels between different groups of customers and the majority.
To achieve our aim we will:
- Work towards establishing a comprehensive tenant profile.
- Carry out regular analysis of satisfaction levels between different groups of customers for key service areas including overall satisfaction with YH, satisfaction with opportunities for participation in management and decision-making and repairs satisfaction.
- Consult with residents to identify the reasons for any disparity in satisfaction levels between specific groups and the majority and seek to address identified problems.
Service delivery
Our aim:
To understand the wide range of needs and preferences of the diverse communities we serve and to develop and deliver appropriate services in response. To ensure that our buildings, our staff and our services are accessible to all our customers and potential customers.
To achieve our aims we will:
- Offer services and facilities aimed at increasing our accessibility (e.g. Language Line, Induction Loop etc).
- Build stronger links with local voluntary and community groups that work with or represent diverse communities or groups of people covered by this strategy.
- Look for opportunities to work in partnership with other organisations, including voluntary and community groups, local authorities in our areas of operation, and other housing organisations to improve outcomes for specific communities or groups.
- Carry out regular accessibility audits to ensure that our offices comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.
- Improve the range of documents that we offer in translation and in alternative formats and those that contain language/format flags.
- Regularly review our policy and processes for dealing with aids and adaptations to ensure the best possible outcome and service.
Dealing with Incidents
Our aim:
To ensure that all our residents can enjoy their homes without fear of harassment or abuse and that incidents when they do occur are dealt with efficiently and to the satisfaction of the victim.
To achieve our aim we will:
- Introduce Racial Harassment Policy and Procedures that comply with current best practice.
- Actively encourage reporting of racial, homophobic and other types of harassment by widely promoting the Association's policy.
- Work in partnership with other organisations and take part in multi-agency initiatives aimed at tackling hate crime.
- Establish links with other organisations that we can refer victims to for support appropriate to their needs and preferences.
- Provide appropriate training for staff so that they are confident and effective when dealing with cases.
Contractors, Consultants & Suppliers
Our aim:
To ensure that we only do business with companies actively working to promote equality and diversity in employment and in service delivery.
To achieve our aim we will:
- Work towards the establishment of clear standards and targets to be met by the contractors, consultants and suppliers we do business with.
- Develop systems for monitoring the performance of contractors, consultants and suppliers in this area.
- Identify opportunities for mutual learning.
- Expect companies who come into contact with our customers to offer the highest standards of service to everyone and deal effectively with any breach of these standards.
- Take part in any local, regional or national initiatives aimed at increasing the diversity of the construction industry.
Communication
It is essential to the success of this strategy that all staff aware of its contents and have a clear understanding of their role in delivering it. In addition, all departments and staff members will have a role to play in completing the tasks within the annual action plan.
The Board, our various staff teams and our YH Tenants Focus Group have all been consulted in the development of this strategy. The final document will be widely circulated to our partners and stakeholders and feedback throughout the year will be collated and used to inform the next update.
We are happy to provide the Strategy in other languages or in alternative formats, large print and audio tape on request.
Equality and diversity will be a regular theme at staff meetings and all staff will be consulted as part of the process of annually updating this strategy. In addition, all new staff members will be made aware of the strategy and annual action plan and their role in delivery as part of their induction.
We will ensure that customers are kept up to date with our progress of implementing the strategy through regular features in our newsletter.
Target Setting
We recognise the need to set a range of targets to identify gaps, drive performance improvement and measure our progress over time.
We already have a number of targets to meet the Housing Corporation's requirements as set out in Good Practice Notes 4 and 8 and these are set out in Appendix 1. Over time we will further develop our targets to more accurately reflect the wider equality and diversity agenda.
Performance against our annual targets will be reported to the Board twice a year.
Comments and Feedback
We welcome all comments and suggestions regarding this strategy and the associated targets and action plan.