Our organisation should reflect the communities we serve and the values that we place at the heart of our work, including championing diversity, inclusivity, wellbeing and positive staff engagement, and celebrating all of our differences.
Our EDI group
At Watford Community Housing we have an Equality, Diversity & Inclusion group consisting of staff from all across the organisation, who are dedicated to creating equal, open spaces for all.
Our EDI group consists of four networks, covering the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010:
- Race, religion and culture
- Families and carers
- Sexuality and gender identity
- Disability and wellbeing
Our EDI members meet each month to update the rest of the group on initiatives, events, and accreditations that the organisation can get involved in to benefit our staff and/or local community.
We also have an ‘EDI Champion’ on our Group Board to ensure that EDI matters are kept at the forefront of the organisation’s strategic direction – the team annually present their hard work to the Board.
Here is just a flavour of what we get up to:
- We use our internal Intranet to share information and staff stories during national holidays such as Windrush Day and Black History Month.
- We founded and continue to support community groups including Solo Stars, a group for single parents, and Nifty (Over) Fifties, a group for people ages 50+.
- Representatives from the organisation attend community events such as Stephen Laurence Day and Herts Pride.
- We invite speakers from local organisations to chat to our staff e.g. The Proud Hornets and Watford Mencap.
Make sure to visit our news page to keep up to date with all the EDI activities we get involved in!
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EDI in recruitment
Watford Community Housing is committed to creating a work environment where everyone is treated with dignity and respect and feels free from discrimination.
We aim to be an employer of choice, with fair pay, promotion, and training opportunities for all employees. Our company policies and procedures promote flexibility, work-life balance and family-friendly employment practices, and we make reasonable adjustments as needed to support employees with disabilities or other needs.
We aim to have a Board and Leadership team that reflects the diversity of our communities, using inclusive recruiting practices and actively seeking out candidates with a broad range of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
By embedding EDI into our People Strategy, we ensure we have a diverse and inclusive workforce who feel comfortable to be who they are in the workplace.
Our accreditations
One of the key things we do is work towards gaining a range of accreditations to ensure that we are honouring our EDI commitments.
We are a Disability Confident Employer and are working towards a HouseProud Pledge Pioneer accreditation, which proves a housing provider’s dedication to LGBTQ+ resident equality and support. We are also working towards obtaining a Herts Healthy Workplace accreditation which evidences an organisation’s commitment to developing a wellbeing led culture.
Have your say
We are proud of the work that we do, but there is always more to be done.
If you would like to find out more about our EDI work, or would like to get involved, we would like to hear from you.