At a Glance
We were delighted to be asked to provide a workshop for the Castles & Coasts ED&I Champions Group, commissioned to do so following the success of the accessibility and inclusivity review work we completed with the organisation in 2022. The brief was to design and deliver a bespoke, day-long workshop for the ED&I Champions Group, to be delivered in person at their Carlisle office. The desired outcomes were to raise awareness and increase understanding, to challenge participants to think about their individual and collective roles as effective allies and to support the Champions Group to prioritise the action they will be undertaking as part of the Castles & Coasts approach to embedding and sustaining an inclusive culture.
About the Client
Castles & Coasts Housing Association was created in July 2017 as a result of merging Two Castles and Derwent and Solway Housing Associations. They employ nearly 200 staff, and own and manage more than 7,000 properties in rural and urban communities across the North of England, with around 75% located in Cumbria.
Challenges and Objectives
The organisation required a session that not only increased awareness and understanding but that also challenged members of the ED&I Champions Group to think about what an inclusive culture looks like for their organisation and to reflect on their roles and responsibilities, both as individual members and as a collective. The workshop needed to be bespoke, to align with their vision and values and their ED&I progress made so far.
Solution
We designed and delivered a fast-paced and engaging day-long workshop, delivered in person at the Castles & Coasts Carlisle office. The workshop included a range of activities that provided the opportunity for self-reflection, challenge and open discussion. Each of the activities were supplemented with real examples from our social housing experience. The final activity of the day focused on action planning and the next steps for the Group.
Impact
The session certainly achieved the outcomes desired with those in attendance enjoying the opportunity to update their understanding and to reflect on their roles and responsibilities. Furthermore, participants left with a renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm, a shared sense of priorities to support Castles & Coasts Housing Association on their journey to inclusivity.
“A fantastic day and of course a huge thank you to both Karen & Lucy of Positive about Inclusion, for delivering such an insightful, thought provoking and well facilitated day, so proud also for Helen from our Board to be involved too. What a great day that will stay with me for a long time and further augments our commitment to inclusivity.”
Adam Gould – Head of Customer Service and Engagement, Castles & Coasts Housing Association
“Another great session, thanks again for helping us to make great strides forward. Enjoyable and informative in equal measure. Our ED&I Champions Team have a wealth of tasks to work on now, this was the boost we needed.”
Benjamin Chilvers – Senior Customer Experience Officer, Castles & Coasts Housing Association
