One of our very own customers, Colin Lincoln, recently led a training session for our customer engagement groups as part of inclusivity and diversity training, including InFocus and the Customer Communications group.
Colin is a representative on the Stop Social Housing Stigma resident led group, and gave a presentation on the history of social housing and the stigma that has been associated with it.
Along with another resident, Barbara Seacombe, Colin joined Stop Social Housing Stigma, a campaign group which began in 2017. It sets out to work in partnership with tenants, social housing providers and stakeholders, to change the perceptions that are associated with social housing and the people living in their properties and communities.
Talking about the importance of inclusion and diversity, as well as the work of the Stop Social Housing Stigma group, Colin said: “I have experienced housing stigma in many forms over the years from the 1950's until recently. Perceptions have changed yet stigma still remains and blights lives. The group, run purely by residents, has evolved and has formed as a champion organisation for all, to fight stigma in its many forms.”
We recently provided a £3,000 donation to the group to help fund its national work following the launch of the Government’s white paper.
Having your say on our services for customers
We are committed to giving all our customers the opportunity to understand how our business works and influence how our services are delivered. We have a wide range of groups and opportunities for customers to get involved in having their say on our services, including InFocus, Estate Services Champions, Procurement and the Customer Communications group.
As an organisation we are committed to supporting inclusivity and diversity, so the opportunity for customers to take part in this training was a really positive step and will give them new skills and ideas to bring into the important work they do in having their say on our services. You can find out more about equality, diversity and inclusion at LiveWest here.
We are always looking for more of our customers to get involved with our engagement opportunities. There are a range of opportunities, many of which will only take up a small amount of your time, but will give you the chance to have your say on our services. You can find out more here.