Our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion (ED&I)
We value our people and both respect and celebrate our differences. We’re proud to say that we come from different backgrounds, with varied outlooks and are from all over the world.
We promise to always do our utmost to develop our inclusive culture where individuals, teams and the organisation overall are strengthened by this diversity. We work to an Executive Board sponsored annual equality, diversity and inclusion plan to keep us focused on what we can improve.
We have been honoured to receive a number of awards for our work on diversity. We were awarded Silver by Stonewall and ranked 58th in the UK for LGBTQ+ inclusion. At the G15 Ethnicity in Housing Awards we received special recognition for our work improving ethnic representation at senior levels and for our race allyship programme. We were also finalists in the CGI and GO awards for our work on diversity. A number of individuals within our organisation have also been recognised for their work in the ED&I space including Investors in People Young Person of the Year and CIO Top 100.
We are proud to challenge ourselves and have committed to the Change the Race Ratio campaign, being a Disability Confident employer, a Stonewall Diversity Champion and are signatories to several fantastic pledges including Firm Foundations, Pregnancy Loss, the G15 Diversity Pledge and Harrys Pledge.
Our commitment to inclusion is ongoing and we regularly review our policies to make sure they meet the needs of our colleagues. We've recently introduced policies covering fertility treatment, menopause and miscarriage and still birth. We've also updated our trans inclusion, parental leave and dependent care policies so all colleagues know they are formally supported.
We want to ensure diversity is recognised and celebrated both internally and in the communities we serve. We are thankful to have active resident voices groups such as our LGBTQ+ and disability forum. Working in partnership with our five staff networks and being part of initiatives such as HouseProud and Purple Space we continue to ensure our workplaces and communities are diverse and inclusive of all.
“Celebrating diversity is core to our mission of working better together for our residents and through initiatives like the G15 pledge we'll be in a better position to serve our communities and customers.”
Patrick Franco, NHG chief executive
Our staff networks
We support a range of active colleague groups (each with an Executive Board sponsor), events and initiatives to help us ensure we have a diverse representative body that supports our people.
Carers Network, our staff network for colleagues who have significant caring responsibilities. We ensure that carers within the organisation are supported and provided with a safe space to talk, share and discuss experiences. We aim to influence organisational processes and policy to ensure carers’ needs are heard and met.
Beehive, our women’s network, provides a platform to share experiences, start conversations and empower ourselves and one another. We aim to bolster strategies that support personal and professional development and wellbeing. Beehive is an inclusive network, which advocates for female staff on issues relating to health, wellbeing and career development.
Parallel, our staff network for colleagues with an interest in or personal experience of disability or long-term health issues. We draw on our personal knowledge and experience of disability and long-term health issues to improve the experience of colleagues. Recently we launched a highly successful British Sign Language and deaf awareness course.
PROUD@NHG is our staff network for LGBTQIA+ colleagues. We have run a variety of events over the last year from visits to the Queer Britain museum to film nights but the biggest achievement has been achieving Silver in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index and for the first time being ranked in the top 100 of employers in the UK. Showing our hard work and changes to policies and procedures have been recognised.
Cultural Energie, our staff network for ethnically diverse colleagues and allies. Alongside successful projects such as our internal careers fair and a multitude of events during black history month, our key achievement has been supporting the ethnically diverse male development programme to provide support and create opportunities for black and Asian male colleagues across the business resulting in promotions and a myriad of skills building.
Our awards and accreditations
