Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) policy statement

Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) has a legal requirement to ensure that we meet the requirements of The Equality Act 2010 in relation to nine ‘protected characteristics’:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• pregnancy and maternity
• marriage and civil partnership
• race
• religion or belief
• sex
• sexual orientation

YHN will have a requirement to ensure that we meet the Public Sector Duty which requires us to show ‘due regard to’ the following requirements:

• eliminate discrimination, harassment, and victimisation
• advance equality of opportunity
• foster good relations (tackling prejudice and promoting understanding)

We will ensure that we are aligned with regulatory requirements and treat all tenants with fairness and respect. We should demonstrate that we understand the different needs in the way we provide services and communicate with tenants.

YHN will ensure that our EDI ‘Unity’ Strategy and action plan will set out our equality objectives and the actions that we will take to achieve them. This will allow us to ensure that EDI is part of our culture and ensure we are making it easy for our customers to engage with us.

To meet this commitment, YHN will:

• treat everybody fairly, with dignity and respect 
• be tolerant, understanding and not judge others 
• comply with our legal and regulatory equality duties, not just because we have to but because it is the right thing to do and good for our organisation
• take strong action against discrimination, bullying, harassment and hate crime and provide support to customers and staff who experience it
• deliver appropriate, accessible, and responsive services 
• get to know our customers so we can shape services to meet their needs
• build an inclusive and supportive workplace where every-one can bring their whole self to work and succeed in being their best
• consider how the decisions we make impact on equality, diversity, and inclusion 
• promote equality, diversity and inclusion with our customers, suppliers, partners, and other organisations who we work with.

As an organisation, we aim to embed these commitments in our every-day work. This is the responsibility of board members, our leadership team, employees, and others who represent YHN.