Building a Genuinely Inclusive Workplace Roundtable 13 June

We held our second roundtable event of the year at Devonshires’ fantastic offices in London last Friday on the theme of building inclusive workplaces.

The session opened with a warm welcome from Anna Williams from Moat HA, who set the scene by highlighting the need for sustained commitment to inclusion amidst ongoing political, social, and organisational pressures. Anna emphasised that this roundtable was designed not as a training, but as a space for collective reflection, strategic discussion, and practical exchange among sector leaders.

Speaker Contributions

The Legal Landscape – Preventing Sexual Harassment

Katie Maguire, Partner at Devonshires, outlined the statutory duty on employers to take proactive steps to prevent sexual harassment. Key discussion points included:

• The difference between reactive and preventive legal approaches.
• The implications for housing associations as employers and service providers.
• The need to audit and strengthen current harassment policies, training practices, and reporting mechanisms.

Participants shared examples of policy refreshes and the importance of board-level leadership on this agenda.

Menopause in the Workplace – From Policy to Culture

Kam Shergill, Resourcing Manager at Stonewater, discussed how Stonewater has developed menopause-friendly practices beyond standard HR responses. Highlights included:

• Training for line managers on menopause awareness.
• Flexible working and reasonable adjustments policies.
• Creating peer support groups and safe spaces.

The discussion reinforced that inclusive workplaces must recognise different life stages and health realities.

EDI Fatigue — How do We Sustain Commitment and Momentum in a Changing Environment?​

Anjali Kumar, Group Technology Director at Hyde, led this session and explored:

• The definition and signs of EDI fatigue.
• Ways to embed EDI so it becomes everyone’s responsibility, not just the EDI specialists.
• The role of small wins, EDI champions and the use of metrics in maintaining energy and commitment.

A strong consensus emerged around the importance of visible senior sponsorship, storytelling to share impact, and regular pulse-checks with staff.

 

Closing Reflections

Anna closed the session by thanking all speakers and participants. Attendees left with:

• Practical ideas to take back to their organisations.
• A deeper understanding of how policy, leadership, and culture interact in driving genuine inclusion.
• A renewed commitment to embedding EDI in daily practice, especially in challenging and complex times

Next Steps

• HDN will circulate a post-event resource pack with presentation slides (if you want these , key legal updates, and case studies.
• Participants were encouraged to stay in touch and continue the conversation.
• Watch out for further thematic regional roundtables which we have planned for 2025.