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Access, equality & diversity
Our headquarters at 14 Ennis Square is a fully accessible, disability-compliant, user-friendly building. There are disabled-parking bays, toilet and shower facilities, hearing loops and private interview facilities available. There is also free access to the internet for advice in the reception area.
We are working to make sure our other offices meet current disability legislation requirements, but at present some offices are not fully accessible. Please telephone before you plan to visit to check.
You can request a home visit or arrange an interview at our headquarters if you prefer. We have mobile hearing loops if you need these to be available during any visit.
We also offer a translation and formatting service and can have interpreters or signers to assist during interviews. Please tell us your requirements and we will try to meet them.
As a housing company we provide homes, services and employment to a wide range of people.
We welcome any views or ideas that you may have on equality issues, especially suggestions and comments on how we can improve our services and performance.
We have set up a working group with the specific task of setting and monitoring targets on letting properties, employment, satisfaction levels and access. The group ensure that targets are being met and managed and report their findings to the board. We also measure how we deal with racial incidents and harassment.
We meet many of our targets but still have some way to go in relation to representation at board; how representative our employees are; and who is included in our tenant involvement methods.
'About You' forms and responding to special needs
Thank you to everyone who has completed the 'About You' form. The information on the form gives us details of special needs (eg visual or hearing impairment, minority language requests, housebound). This ensures that when we contact you we can respond to any special needs, such as large print, braille or translated language. All our information statements will now include an insert in the seven languages in the Tees Valley area that are most often requested for translation, saying 'If you need this information in another format or language please let us know'.
Working in partnership with Everyday Language Solutions (ELS) we are able to provide a full translation and formatting service, with braille, tapes and easyread versions of any document. ELS can also provide sign-language assistance and facilitate interviews if required. If you wish to use any of these services, please ask at any of our local housing offices or at headquarters.
Disability issues
The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 has been updated by Parliament. The changes have resulted in greater access to employment, goods and services for disabled people and will further reduce discrimination. We are meeting the requirements of the act and are making reasonable adjustments in respect of public access to premises. The new headquarters building at 14 Ennis Square is fully compliant with disability requirements, and hearing-loop services are now available here and through a mobile facility.
We fully support the aims of the act. If you have any comments or difficulties regarding access to services please let us know, or if you are interested in joining our focus groups we would welcome you.
Racial harassment
We believe in racial equality and promoting racial harmony and we are fully committed to ensuring that our customers are able to live without fear or racial harassment, intimidation or attack. We have a developed a racial harassment policy with customers and other stakeholders. We are committed to reducing incidents of racial harassment. We will take very seriously any allegation of racial harassment and we aim to tackle all incidents of racial harassment involving our customers promptly and positively.
We have procedures to ensure that:
- all reports of racial harassment are treated very seriously
- we thoroughly investigate all reports of racial harassment where the victims give permission, and will take follow-up action within three days of the receiving the report
- the victim and any witnesses are fully supported and dealt with sympathetically
- we treat any report of racial harassment as confidential and always discuss and agree the best course of action with the victim
- we take action against the perpetrators if this is agreed with the victim
- we maintain regular contact with victims and witnesses throughout investigations.
In tackling incidents of racial harassment, we will at all times be mindful of the need to respect the confidentiality and wishes of the victims of harassment and witnesses to incidents.
Work is currently being undertaken in developing this section. It will outline the key information and how the company aims to meet its obligations on equalities and ensures that equality is at the forefront of service delivery.
For more information about diversity and inclusion, and to read our strategy, click here.
