Housing professionals came together on the 14 of October for the Housing Diversity Network’s first online conference, sharing ideas and exploring how to make workplaces and services more inclusive.
The four-hour event featured ten bite-sized sessions, each lasting 20 minutes, giving attendees the chance to explore different topics, hear from people with specialist knowledge and take away ideas they could use in their own organisations.
Understanding the people behind the work
The sessions covered a wide range of subjects, from menopause and neurodiversity to religion and belief, inclusive communication and Black History Month.
Edith Stokes explored the nine protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010, while Helen Wall looked at perimenopause and menopause. Sarah Atta discussed why religion and belief matter in the workplace, including how small, practical adjustments can help people feel respected and included.
Andy Ryan challenged organisations to look beyond making workplaces accessible for neurodivergent people. He encouraged employers to create neuro-affirming environments that recognise the strengths people bring, while making adjustments to address the barriers they may face.
Sarah Simcoe focused on inclusive communication and practical ways to make information more accessible. Norman Alcide from Social Interest Group shared reflections on Black History Month, including how Black history is understood and celebrated across different communities.
Each session offered a different perspective, but a common message ran throughout the day, understanding people’s experiences is part of creating an inclusive workplace.
Having the conversations that matter
Inclusion also means being prepared to have conversations that can feel difficult.
Ellie Cartwright from Hope Not Hate explored how to approach divisive topics, listen to concerns and build trust within communities. The discussion looked at the value of listening and responding thoughtfully, particularly when people hold different views.
Janani Paramsothy examined how changes in the political landscape affect social housing. She discussed why housing associations need to think carefully about their relationships with political representatives, particularly when some political positions conflict with their values.
These sessions highlighted the need for housing organisations to consider how they respond to the challenges facing their staff, tenants and communities.
Making sure tenants have a voice
Tenant involvement was another key topic. Mushtaq Khan shared learning from HDN’s tenant board member programme and the support that helps tenants take part in board-level discussions.
One of the key messages was that confidence often comes before competence. Tenants may already have the experience, judgement and understanding needed to contribute to decisions, but may not always recognise these as leadership skills.
Practical support, including coaching, mentoring and access to the right resources, can help tenants take their place in the boardroom and influence decisions about the services and neighbourhoods they know best.
Turning learning into action
Closing the conference, Zara Mohammed returned to a simple question: what does inclusion mean to us, and what are we going to do next?
She reflected on the themes running through the day, including belonging, respect and dignity. She also challenged organisations to consider whether fear of getting things wrong sometimes stops them from taking action.
Creating an inclusive culture does not mean getting everything right straight away. It means being willing to learn, listen to people’s experiences and make practical changes. That might involve rethinking workplace practices, improving access to an event or making space for conversations that have previously been avoided.
The message was clear, good intentions need to lead to action.
Continuing the conversation
The HDN Learning Library was designed to give housing professionals focused, practical learning they could fit around their working day. Bringing different subjects together in one online event also showed how inclusion connects with many parts of housing, from staff experience and communication to tenant participation and community relationships.
Thank you to all the speakers and everyone who joined us, contributed to the discussions and shared their perspectives.
HDN will continue to support housing organisations through training, mentoring programmes, events and opportunities to learn from one another. Attendees will also receive an exclusive discount code for HDN’s main conference at the National Space Centre in Leicester next March, with a reminder to follow when bookings open.
The conference may be over, but the conversations can continue. The important thing now is to take what we have learned and put it into practice.
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