The first Diversity Links Forum took place in July. The meeting was very successful and all who attended felt that it was very useful.

The Diversity Links Forum has been set up to ensure that we engage and consult effectively with all community / support groups representing the diversity of our customers and to work together to ensure the services we provide meet the needs of tenants and residents in Sandwell. Membership of the forum will consist of representatives from a number of community and voluntary organisations who have agreed to work with us and currently appear on our diversity links database.

Any organisation that provides support to specific groups of people who would like to contribute to equality and diversity issues around housing is welcome. At present the organisations on our diversity links database represent the following equality groups: (disability, gender, race, ethnicity, religion and age).

Diversity Links will act as a development group for Sandwell Homes on all equality and diversity issues within the services we provide, and as such may request and receive reports and presentations on corporate equality and diversity issues. The forum will also give organisations the opportunity to gain knowledge of our services/policies.

The forum also gives the organisations and Sandwell Homes Directors the opportunity to engage and discuss relevant issues.

The group will be supported by members of the Equality Project Team and encouraged to set their own agenda, based on issues they would like to discuss or would like to know more about.

The dates for future meetings are as follows:

17th September 2008
29th October 2008
8th December 2008

Executive Team Members have also taken diversity portfolios to further their commitment to equality and diversity. The portfolio holder is the main point of contact for the Diversity Link organisations and will maintain regular contact. The following list shows which portfolio has been taken on by which director:

Gender Chris Poulton
Disability John Clayton
Sexuality Paul Field
Religion Paul Field
Age Norman Fletcher
Ethnicity Adrian Scarrott

If you would like to know more about the Diversity Links forum, our Diversity Link contacts or if you are interested in coming along to the next meeting, please contact Humaa Noori via e-mail or on 0121 569 6383.

Terms of Reference
Minutes from Last meeting