Positive Action

  • Ads or editorial included in Out NE.
  • Sunderland Pride - Involved in planning group, high profile presence in parade, and financial contribution. Also financial contribution to Newcastle Pride.
  • Newsletter supplement focusing on sexual orientation to residents in older persons housing schemes, also issued to other customers receiving support services from us –
  • Offer of interview with LGB member of staff now included on relevant section of website
  • Customer information leaflets include some LGB image, but more work needed.
  • Posters and desk top messages announced successful same sex marriage vote
  • Articles in staff magazine have focused on staff members civil partnership, homophobic bullying in schools, same sex marriage, etc
  • Intranet discussion forum has threads focusing on “bisexual – the silent B in LGBT”, “Zero tolerance of homophobic bullying”. Data analysis shows that many more staff are reading these than are commenting, and they have received comments from staff who hadn’t previously or otherwise engaged in the E&D agenda.
  • We have shared our approach, experience, examples and learning in many forums, regional and national – hoping to have a wider influence both within and beyond the housing sector.
  • Active supporter of Sunderland’s LGBT Independent Advisory Group, also supporting the chair of that group.
  • Carried out a “mystery shopping” exercise at several offices, by telephone, with a fairly new member of staff who is gay making the call and testing the response to her request to speak to a member of staff who was gay. Although generally positive results, we have refreshed our guidance in response.

Training

  • All staff receive mandatory E&D training, and this includes elements relating to LGBT. Managers received additional higher level training, which again included elements specific to LGBT. Other refresher sessions are held at intervals and always include specific reference and examples specifically relevant to LGB.
  • Training was provided this year to the chairs and vice chairs of all our customer panels – this included specific reference to LGBT issues.
  • Staff guidance was issued to raise awareness and understanding around older LGB people.
  • Staff members who are families of LGBT people can access support from our independent and confidential counseling service, and/or from our LGB staff network group. We have specific example of this occurring, with positive result.
  • Our LGB staff network group offer a buddying/informal mentoring service for LGB staff if requested. They also offer a reverse mentoring programme, where LGB staff member would potentially mentor a more senior member of staff to support them to understand how to make their workplace more inclusive

Recruitment

  • We have trialled promoting vacancies on Stonewall’s jobs website.
  • Job adverts include Stonewall logo to promote our commitment
  • Our on-line recruitment site makes clear our E&D commitment – including LGBT
  • Advert and editorial was placed in national “Out at Work” magazine.
  • LGB appointments are proportionate, or higher, than percentage of LGB applicants
  • Raised our profile as an employer, with adverts in Out NE
  • Increased the membership of our LGB staff network group
  • Representation of LGB staff at all levels, including director level.
  • We have maintained our membership of Stonewall Diversity Champions Programme, and continued to benchmark our work, achieving second position in Workplace Equality Index this year.

Monitoring

  • We monitor sexual orientation of staff, and have extremely high declaration rate, though low LGBT declaration.
  • Staff survey results are disaggregated by protected characteristics, and compared so that differences in the experience of LGB staff can be identified and action targeted as necessary
  • Only key HR staff have access to personal monitoring data which is not anonymous.
  • Reasons for asking about sexual orientation were explained to staff and customers, and training was provided to staff when we initially carryied out customer surveys which included sexual orientation.
  • Only E&D Co-ordinator has access to staff survey data, as whilst this is anonymous, it may still be possible to identify individuals if filtered on multiple characteristics.
  • We recognize that some staff and customers still prefer not to declare their sexual orientation, and will continue work to help increase confidence about our commitment to LGB inclusivity.
  • Compassionate leave, and all other benefits, are equally available to those in same sex relationships. We actively promote this, and it is made clear on application forms for such leave. LGB staff member is currently on extended adoption leave.
  • Whilst there is always more to do, we have some confidence that our LGBT staff can and are making positive contribution to change – e.g. introduction of offer of interview with LGB member of staff came about as a result of their proposal, and marketing guidance was recently produced for our sales team specifically about marketing to LGB community.

Stonewall Employers

  • We maintain our membership of Stonewall Diversity Champions and continue to benchmark our work with them, and also to present at conferences and seminars for them, and contribute to reports and good practice guides.
  • Although we have done a little work around T issues, with information included in our gender equality staff handbook, and some information and guidance included on our intranet, and some initial training for a small number of staff, this is certainly an area for further development.