National Inclusion Week 2024

Founded by Inclusive Employers, National Inclusion Week (NIW) is a week dedicated to celebrating inclusion and taking action to create inclusive workplaces, this year it takes place from 23rd – 29th September 2024.

The theme for National Inclusion Week 2024 is ‘Impact Matters’, a powerful message that centres around understanding, identifying and measuring impact on marginalised groups and taking actions that make for genuine, sustainable change.

Jane Okonkwo, Head of HR at Elim Housing said: “We’re thrilled that Elim is joining the National Inclusion Week campaign alongside other employers across the UK. In what can feel like an increasingly hostile environment for inclusion and diversity at work, organisations like us are part of those driving meaningful change. By showing our support, Elim demonstrates to others that we prioritise our people and that their inclusion impact truly matters.”

Over the course of the week Elim are holding multiple events across our schemes and head office, exploring the theme ‘Impact Matters’ which will include diversity Bingo and resource sharing.

EDI at Elim

Elim are continuously developing our inclusive, values driven culture that welcomes and embraces the diversity of our colleagues and customers. We understand the positive impact of a diverse and inclusive workplace in improving performance, attracting and retaining happy and motivated colleagues and representing our diverse customer base.

This year we reflect on the changes we have implemented so far in response to our current EDI strategy:

• Neurodiversity training now forms part of our induction training for all new colleagues.
• Our EDI working group meet quarterly to plan, challenge and identify barriers in developing a diverse and inclusive culture at Elim.
• Our BAME and Neurodiversity Support Groups provide a safe and confidential environment for colleagues to have open and honest conversations and share experiences without judgement.
• Elim are proud members of the Disability Confident Scheme. Committing to attracting, recruiting, retaining, and supporting people with disability.
• Earlier this year we joined over 1000 employers in signing up to the Race at Work Charter, an initiative designed for organisations to collectively commit to improving equal opportunities for Black, Asian, Mixed Race and ethnically diverse employees in the UK.
• In an aim to diversify our Board, Elim have signed up to the NHF Board Chairman Challenge- committing to creating a more equal, diverse and inclusive Board.
• Our partnership with SARI enables us to better support customers or colleagues who may encounter hate crime.  

With the support of partner organisations and other local and national Housing Associations we are continuing to listen to the experiences of colleagues from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, learn from best practice and implement it at Elim. This extends to our training, leadership and cultural development, improved recruitment processes and smarter use of data to improve the accessibility and reach of our employment and progression opportunities and the services we provide.