At LiveWest, we believe in fairness and making sure everyone is treated equally. As part of our commitment, we created our Race, Ethnicity, and Equality Network (REEN) to bring together colleagues of different racial and ethnic backgrounds to talk about the positives and challenges faced.
What does REEN do?
REEN ensures everyone, no matter their race or ethnicity, feels welcome and valued at LiveWest. The group shares stories, talks about experiences, and helps make tough conversations about racism easier to have. They work with our EDI team to make positive changes for our colleagues and customers through our policies.
REEN member, Jane Phillips, said: “It is good to be able to meet with others in the group to discuss and share their experiences and any challenges they have had working within LiveWest.”
Our Anti-Racism Statement
We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation and to address inequalities not only within our own organisation, but to be a change-maker within the social housing sector.
Diversity and inclusion for our colleagues and customers has always been a focus for us. In 2020, along with most other employers in the UK, we couldn’t ignore the shift in global conversations about ethnicity. This led us to look at our own processes internally and address any unconscious bias towards our colleagues and customers from ethnic minority groups.
Awareness of ethnic discrimination has been brought to the mainstream and the housing sector must work together to end inequality and discrimination around race and ethnicity.
We want to be a pioneer in achieving this and have taken an honest look at the way we do things here. We know we can build on the foundations we have put down, which are set out below.
Our six pillars of equality, diversity, and inclusion
At LiveWest, our six key goals are:
1. Growth: We hire people from different backgrounds and help them grow in their careers.
2. Accessibility: We make sure our services are easy for everyone to use.
3. Belonging: Everyone should feel like they belong and that their voice matters.
4. Individuality: We celebrate what makes each person unique.
5. Trust: We are honest and fair with everyone.
6. Challenge: We are ready to speak up and take action when something isn’t right.
At LiveWest, we are working together to fight racism and make our communities better, fairer places for everyone.