We were delighted to be asked to contribute to two important events hosted by Social Housing Retrofit Accelerator (SHRA) on the subject of ED&I in retrofit – appearing as a podcast guest and providing a training presentation at a masterclass event. In her blog below, one of our Directors Lucy, shares some of her thoughts on why the effective consideration of ED&I within any retrofit project is crucial for success and the steps an organisation can take to embed ED&I across their whole approach to retrofit.
ED&I in Retrofit – It Matters!
Effectively considering ED&I as part of a retrofit programme is a critical determinant of success. It matters because putting ED&I considerations at the heart of your retrofit programme planning and subsequent delivery will enable you to engage with the maximum amount of residents and, as research has shown, when residents feel engaged, connected, have buy-in and trust then a retrofit programme will be significantly more successful.
However, for many of those involved in retrofit programmes, effectively and inclusively engaging with residents can pose as much of a challenge as the physical work involved in a project. And whilst it does require effort to hear all of the voices within our communities, it’s not impossible and a good place to start is to break down the components of ED&I.
Equality/equity – Check your policies and procedures – do they empower your people to operate inclusively and recognise the need for tailored approaches or do they suggest that one-size will fit all?
Even if your policies (i.e. the written documentation) would suggest that you do embrace equity is this happening in real life? What are the customs and practices you adopt? Gently and critically review your current policies and procedures. Have you completed an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) on your relevant policies? If not, then this could be a useful place to start. An EIA is an evidence-based tool designed to help an organisation to ensure that a policy is fair, non-discriminatory and doesn’t present any barriers. Completing an EIA will prompt you to consider potential issues and barriers and how you can overcome these as part of a policy review.
What’s your policy in terms of communication? Any and all of your communication should be inclusive i.e. accessible and if you plan to do this by default then this will reduce the amount of modifications you need to make. In terms of written communication, use a minimum font size of 14, don’t centre or left justify text, this can make it harder to read for people who have certain conditions such as dyslexia where the uneven gaps between words can be hard. Follow plain English guidance, don’t use jargon and if you are using images then check to see how representative and diverse they are. In terms of online communication, don’t make this default. Consider those who do not have access and provide alternatives.
Diversity – This is about having the data to know who the audience is, it’s about gathering the data in advance of starting the programme or scheme. And this is data about two things, the demographic data of the residents and data about levels of engagement from any previous activity, if you have it.
In terms of demographic data, what do you or the social housing provider currently know about the make-up of the population? Most housing providers are collecting demographic data but this won’t always be comprehensive and it may not have been refreshed for some time. And, as we know, those elements of our diversity which may require some tailoring of service or reasonable adjustment are not always static – things change.
But despite these potential issues, starting with what you know is a great place to start. Furthermore, there are other data sources that you can look at such as the latest Census data and whilst that won’t provide the specifics for a certain community, it can provide an idea about the bigger picture/wider locality.
The second element of data analysis is to look at levels of engagement during any previous consultation activity – if it’s available. Who didn’t engage and was potentially classed as ‘hard to reach’? What was the identified wisdom about why? How can you mitigate and what measures can you put in place to overcome these barriers? Obviously any groups falling into this category need some specific consideration. It’s about seeking out the voices that are less likely to be heard and taking steps to ensure that they are included. Data doesn’t, of course, provide all the answers or tell the full story but it does act as a tin opener, it helps you to identify potential barriers.
At an individual resident engagement level, the role of a liaison officer is critical – to build relationships, to build trust, to establish individual needs and to provide a single point of contact.
Inclusion – this is about actively creating an inclusive environment so it’s about what you do to overcome any barriers/potential barriers that you’ve identified and it’s about the attitudes and behaviours of those involved in implementation of the programme.
For example:
If through your data analysis and an EIA you have identified a large group of residents who have a physical disability – you will want to think about the physical access to any event/consultation.
Or if you have identified that a large percentage of the residents have children you may need to think about the timings of events (between school hours) and/or whether you may need to consider welcoming children to community information events.
And if, you have identified that a particular community group didn’t engage last time an engagement exercise was completed you’ll need to plan how you will ensure this doesn’t happen again and factor in the time which will be required to build relationships and trust. And of course, these considerations early on will enable you to plan timescales, budget and support requirements etc.
And, finally, don’t forget training for colleagues involved in the delivery of a retrofit programme; equipping them with the skills, attitudes and mindset to tailor the service and adopt reasonable adjustments.
In summary, effectively embracing ED&I as part of tenant engagement strategy for retrofit programmes matters. It doesn’t require a superhero approach, it’s not rocket science but it does require some effort across all aspects of the work, from policies to implementation, from planning through to delivery.
If you would like to learn more about the ED&I training and consultancy services we provide please check out our testimonials on the website or contact us for a chat.
