HDN Board Conference Roundup: A Call for Leadership and Action

Our Board Member EDI Conference held at the Leeds Royal Armouries (and deftly chaired by Abdul Jabbar MBE, despite having stepped in at the last minute!) brought together leaders and changemakers to examine the state of Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion in the sector. In our opening session, Suresh Lal (Managing Partner at Boyden) delivered a frank assessment of the current landscape, highlighting a stagnation in board-level diversity (particularly with regards to representation of people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and those with disabilities). He challenged boards to move beyond surface-level commitments and quotas, instead developing talent from minority backgrounds and fostering inclusive cultures underpinned by leadership accountability, data-driven strategies, and long-term planning. The morning panel discussion, chaired by Sharon Thandi (Partner at Devonshires Solicitors LLP), reinforced the importance of inclusive leadership. Our expert speakers (Helen New – Vice Chair at Providence Row HA, Jesse Fajemisin – Executive Director of Operations at Ekaya HA/Board member at Fairhive and Gloucester City Homes, and Shazad Sarwar – Associate Consultant at HDN and Chair of East Lancashire Hospital Trust) urged boards to embed EDI into their governance frameworks and policies, and emphasised the importance of psychological safety, measurable EDI objectives, and the moral obligation of the sector to lead with its values.

The afternoon deepened the focus with a regulatory lens from Deputy Chief Executive at the Regulator of Social Housing, Jonathan Walters, who underlined the gap between intent and effective delivery, calling on boards to refine their vision and lead cultural change from the top. The afternoon breakout sessions offered a variety of topics- showcasing organisations’ actions to advance social mobility (including Acis Group’s community-driven model and Calico’s integration of employment and social support services), findings and recommendations from executive search firm Castle Peak’s recent study into diversity in the sector in the North East, and practical means of aligning finance with organisational values such as EDI. As former MP (and now experienced board member) Parmjit Dhanda closed the day with a call to channel personal experience into governance, delegates were reminded that effective board leadership in today’s climate means staying accountable, informed, and unafraid to challenge the status quo.

Written by Josh Neary Pegler, Research and Policy Lead at Housing Diversity Network