Renewing our commitments – G15 Ethnic Diversity Pledge 2023 Report

The G15 has renewed its commitments to improving ethnic diversity, particularly at senior level, in updating the G15 Ethnic Diversity Pledge.

The updated G15 Ethnic Diversity Pledge sees members pledge to:

• We commit to be more ethnically diverse at all levels of our organisations
• We will collaborate to invest in and support our ethnic minority talent
• We will celebrate ethnic minority colleagues’ achievements

Since the last annual report, the G15 has continued to make good progress on achieving the commitments of the pledge. Almost 25% of G15 members’ Boards are from ethnic minorities, meaning that we are on target to achieve our pledge of 30% by 2025 – an increase from 13% in 2019.

46 colleagues are participating in the second cohort of the G15 Accelerate programme, a high-calibre leadership and development programme, supporting our commitment to invest in and nurture ethnic minority talent.

Commenting on the publication of the report, Geeta Nanda OBE, G15 Chair and Chief Executive of MTVH, said:

“Some of my proudest moments as Chair have been witnessing the progress that has been made towards delivering the G15 Ethnic Diversity Pledge, both as individual organisations and as a collective. From seeing the first cohort of the G15 Accelerate leadership development programme graduates at a fantastic ceremony, to celebrating the achievements of so many amazing colleagues at the G15 Ethnicity in Housing Awards.

“However, despite these brilliant achievements, there is still a lot more work to be done.”

This report showcases an expansive range of case studies detailing how our members are delivering on the pledge.

MTVH used Black History Month as an opportunity to celebrate Black colleagues, past and present. They looked through their archives to chronicle and celebrate MTVH’s black history by profiling black colleagues who have made a prominent contribution to the organisation throughout the decades. They concluded the series by highlighting colleagues’ contribution to driving inclusion and celebrating diversity at MTVH today.

A2Dominion used the appointment of its new CEO as a unique reverse mentoring opportunity. Two mentors, both members of the ethnicity colleague network group, EDIN, met with Chief Executive, Ian Wardle, to share their experiences and consider new ways to champion diversity. Following these sessions, A2Dominion have identified projects to improve diversity, like making their branding imagery more representative of the communities they serve.

Hyde has implemented a new Applicant Tracking System into their recruitment practices that allows connections to be drawn between the placement of their role advertisements and the candidates that apply for the role. This richer insight will inform and drive actions Hyde can take to attract more ethnic minority talent and ensure that the recruitment process is an inclusive and positive one.

L&Q participated in a housing mentoring pilot delivered by Manchester Metropolitan University aimed at establishing development pathways for ethnic minority colleagues into leadership roles. The programme included one to one mentor training over a two-year period. Following its success, L&Q are exploring ways to roll out an internal mentoring programme for ethnic minority colleagues.

Southern Housing delivered an inclusive leadership and Board learning programme. The sessions included open and frank conversations about what inclusive leadership looks and sounds like, and how this can be embedded into organisational behaviours.

Clarion produced a video celebrating colleagues from ethnically diverse backgrounds for Black History Month. ‘Valuing our Differences’ is a window into the lives of just a few Clarion colleagues who share their culture, lived experiences, roles models, and some of the challenges and micro-aggressions they have experienced. The video champions colleagues’ voices and celebrates their diverse cultures, while also educating people about unacceptable behaviours and comments.

Peabody has delivered a new Group EDI strategy 2023-2026 to solidify their commitment to diversity and inclusion. The key focus of the strategy is improving the experiences and outcomes of ethnic minority colleagues. Central to the approach is embedding EDI into every part of the organisation.

The Guinness Partnership delivered Race Fluency training to support all colleagues’ awareness of unconscious bias and micro aggressions, along with increasing their confidence to have meaningful conversations around race and ethnicity.

Network Homes’ reverse mentoring programme is in its second successful year. Colleagues who complete their internal development programme are matched with an executive or director and feedback from the initiative has been extremely positive.

Riverside has been working to develop an EDI strategy that will apply across the whole Riverside Group following its merger with One Housing. This strategy will provide a framework for diversity initiatives over the coming year and will support the organisation to champion inclusion throughout the merger.

Notting Hill Genesis has established a unique development programme specifically aimed at supporting men from ethnic minority backgrounds. The initiative aims to establish a pipeline of male colleagues from diverse communities ready to progress into leadership roles. Co-designed with their ethnicity staff network group, Cultural Energie, the tailored development course includes action learning sets along with personal development initiatives like interviews, presentations, and coaching workshops.