Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Report

Introduction

This report marks the second formal review of our Inclusion Strategy 2021-24 and is for the period from January to December 2023.

We entered 2023 against an economic backdrop which was, and remains, particularly uncertain.

Recognising the profound impact that increasing interest rates and declining real household incomes have on our customers, we chose to prioritise addressing the socio-economic disadvantage that was being experienced. This has resulted in not only ensuring that access to financial support has been made available, but also in providing our colleagues with training on how to support customers who are increasingly presenting with poor mental health, as a result in part of this challenging environment.

We have also been acutely aware of the continuing need to understand our diverse customers and have increased our efforts to improve the data we hold with the launch of our ‘Getting to Know You’ campaign. Whilst this data on the diversity of our customers is very valuable in informing service design and delivery, we also recognise that to make informed decisions we need to listen to our customers to better understand their experiences and priorities. Consequently, in November we re-introduced our working in neighbourhood days, which provide an opportunity for all colleagues to meet customers face to face within the community on a regular basis. This year we have focused on gathering insight to inform tailored neighbourhood action plans.

Building connections with customers and communities has been further progressed with the restructuring of our neighbourhood services. This new approach establishes dedicated housing officers who can provide a more holistic service to customers within dedicated neighbourhoods, allowing them to develop a better understanding of the individual and the community.

At Salix Homes, we pride ourselves on being a great place to work, offering an inclusive and supportive working environment and providing our employees with opportunities to grow and thrive. The introduction of our new values and competencies, reaffirm our commitment to inclusion and clearly communicate to colleagues our expectations.

Our recent recognition to the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter perfectly complements our own values and objectives as an organisation and we are incredibly proud to achieve this accreditation.

Our inclusion journey continues to be one of learning and growth and we are presently reflecting on the priorities for a new Inclusion Strategy which will guide our activities from April 2024 to March 2027. We look forward to building on our success to date and continuing to deliver our vision to ‘live, grow and thrive together’.

Sue Sutton
CEO Salix Homes