Housing Associations and Diversity
What is the relevance of good diversity practice to Housing Associations? Well, some housing associations provide specialist services to specific groups, such as refuges from domestic violence, older people, BME tenants or disabled tenants. And mainstream associations will need to offer appropriate services to tenants from a wide range of different backgrounds and with different needs.
There are a number of compelling drivers for housing associations to genuinely address diversity issues, including:
The Business Case
• Attracting high calibre people - an organisation with a reputation for being an inclusive ‘employer of choice' will attract the best talent
• A diverse team of staff will make it easier to understand the needs of a diverse range of tenants
• Having the flexibility to accommodate a wider range of tenants
• Improving staff retention
• Having a wider range of skills and experience to draw on within the team to improve services
• Meeting tender requirements for public sector contracts
The Legal Case
• Avoiding unwitting discrimination and litigation
• Complying with existing and emerging legislation (the Equality Act 2010 is due to come into force in October, bringing many relevant changes with it)
The Professional Case
• The National Housing Federation states that equality and diversity are key issues for housing associations
• The Tenants Services Authority (which now regulates housing associations) has set out six national standards for social housing in England, including The Tenant Empowerment and Involvement Standard which is all about understanding and responding to the diverse needs of tenants
• The Audit Commission grade housing associations and give them star ratings - their inspection includes a focus on diversity practice.
We can help you achieve the business benefits and meet your legal and professional requirements. Call us on 0845 658 5717 to discuss this.
