We’re delighted to share we have been nominated for the Inspirational Workplace Award in the LGBTQ North East Awards.
The awards, which were created by Sunderland based LGBTQ charitable project Rainbow Foundation, recognise the positive contributions made by individuals, organisations and groups across the region to improve the lives of members of the LGBTQ community.
Six different categories are open for nominations: Ally of the Year, Inclusive Arts & Media, Charity & Community Initiative, Outstanding Contribution to LGBTQ Life, Creating Safer Learning Spaces and Inspirational Workplace.
Over the last 12 months North Star has shown commitment to LGBTQ staff and tenants in the following ways:
- We are LGBTQ Allys
- We are members of Stonewall
- We are members of the Rainbow Alliance
- Staff attend LGBTQ events hosted by Hart Gables
- We promote LGBTQ awareness days to staff via new stories on the intranet
- We are in the process of developing an online calendar of events for staff that will be inclusive of LGBTQ awareness days (due for completion by the end of April 2019)
- In conjunction with Hart Gables we are in the process of delivering LGBTQ awareness sessions to all staff (over 50% completed, with the remaining due to be complete in May 2019)
- Our Community Investment team are sourcing training for involved tenants
- We have purchased and distributed rainbow lanyards to all staff to show that North Star supports tenants/staff from the LGBTQ community
- We have reviewed all policies (including the introduction of a sexual harassment and domestic abuse workplace policies) and as part of the process asked Stonewall to review them to ensure that every policy is inclusive. Feedback is that we are at the forefront of good practice
- We are in the process of writing a Transgender policy
- We have recently distributed a staff demographics questionnaire, critiqued by Hart Gables and Stonewall to ensure that the questions were inclusive and used the correct terminology
- We are delivering Unconscious Bias training to all staff
- We advertise vacancies on the Diversity Network, Proud Employers and via Hart Gables who share on social media platforms
