Stars align at HDN’s virtual conference  100 delegates attended HDN’s Virtual Mentoring Celebration last week (3rd September), the annual high point of our mentoring programme. Each year mentees and mentors come together to review their successes and challenges of the previous year and, with COVID 19 changing the way we all work, the HDN team, led by Programmes Manager Moreen Pascal, pulled out all the stops to provide a real event feel at the virtual event. Using software provided by the Chartered Institute of Housing delegates had ample opportunity to network with new contacts on their virtual table; and listen [...]

September is World Alzheimer’s Month Here at HDN, our Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity philosophy wraps its arms around every sector of society, and the older generation is often in the greatest need. In a fast changing world it’s easy to get left behind; the pace of the digital revolution has been fast and furious and, for all its advantages, the world of social media information sharing, and the usage of apps to improve our day to day lives have left many of the senior members of our society a little cold. Life can be tough for our elders, in many [...]

Welcome to West Kent!  HDN has teamed up with the West Kent Housing Association to support the authority’s ambition to be a regional leader in promoting equality and inclusion. From its headquarters in leafy Sevenoaks, West Kent is passionate about the role a housing association can play in society; and that’s what makes it a perfect partner for HDN. Established in 1989, West Kent’s mantra that a good home is a foundation to getting on in life rings as true now as it did then. And the Board is determined to ensure that their vision includes everyone. Work is already [...]

New CIH membership offer for HDN Mentees  Housing Diversity Network (HDN) is delighted to announce a new and improved membership offer for its mentees who wish to join the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). The £61 annual membership is the best available in the sector, and this reflects the Network’s ongoing commitment to work closely with the CIH. From August all housing professionals taking part in the HDN Staff Mentoring Programme will be eligible for the discounted membership, giving them access to support from the home of professional standards in housing. At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic shines a [...]

New members share ambitions with HDN 26th August 2020 Two of The Housing Diversity Network’s newest members, Barnsley based Berneslai Homes and Orwell Housing, reveal their common aims and reasons for partnering with HDN. Dave Fullen, director of customer and estate services at Berneslai says: “We are delighted to be joining the Housing Diversity Network. Equality, diversity and inclusion have always being at the heart of what we do; and they define our approach to delivering housing services in Barnsley.” “#BlackLivesMatter, and the evidence of the impact of Covid-19 on the BAME community, and those living in the worst housing [...]

“Mentoring Through Unprecedented Change/ Challenges"            Update on 2020-21 Staff Mentoring Programme (July 2020)                                               We’ve had to make some changes to the forthcoming Staff Mentoring Programme. This briefing note outlines our initial plans and thinking, but of course we will keep our plans under review and will contact both mentors and mentees should we need to make any further amendments. As you know our Staff Mentoring Programme supports participants to maximise their potential, increase their contribution and confidence at work and manage change in challenging times. The 2020-21 programme will include some changes to the delivery and content. These are [...]

BME Communities, Housing, Health & Covid-19 Our joint seminar with BMENational explored the housing and health implications of the pandemic and looked to what the future might bring. As evidence emerges on the social and economic patterning of the virus and the economic aftermath, it is clear that our most disadvantaged people and communities are taking the brunt of the Covid shock. It is also clear that a decade of austerity has left public services at breaking point, and our communities are now at more risk of harm, both directly from the virus – and from its social and economic [...]

Black Lives Matter - Time for Change A thinkpiece from Tracey Gore, Chief Executive of Steve Biko HA, one of our members It has taken me sometime to be ready to put my thoughts down on paper in respect of the murder of George Floyd and the reverberations that have been felt right around the world, I have been hurting like everyone else. At a time when we are all dealing with COVID-19, the horrific impact that it is already having on our community, so many of us have lost family and friends to this disease, the restrictions of [...]

Will #BLM change the housing world? Mushtaq Khan, Interim Chief Executive of HDN (This is also featured on Housing Digital - click here to read) So last week corporations on both sides of the Atlantic sided with the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in response to the latest incidents in America. Usually shy of getting involved in anything deemed political they obviously made the call that taking a stand against racial injustice and police violence was now on-brand although obviously the irony was lost on some (really Washington Redskins?). A day or two later and some housing organisations tweeted [...]

1st June 2020 Dear Colleagues   COVID-19 and HDN Staff Mentoring Programmes 2019-2020 and 2020-2021   I wanted to update you regarding the above.   Completion of 2019-2020 Staff Mentoring Programme    Group Workshops:  Even before the national lockdown, most organisations had introduced their own policies with regard to social distancing and restrictions on travel, so the decision was taken early on to cancel any planned face to face group sessions and move them online.  To-date, East, London and NW regions have completed all group workshops.  The Midlands, NE, Yorks. & Humberside and SW regions will complete these by 22 June 2020.     One-to-ones:  We highly recommend that mentors and mentees continue their discussions and 1 to 1s (5) using remote collaboration tools, and act in a manner consistent [...]