Social Housing Equality Framework

Understanding local diversity and tackling any arising inequality is vital to the delivery of excellent public services. Good housing provision is fundamental to a good quality of life and is a major determinant on health, education and community cohesion. Based on our work with other parts of the public sector, Local Government Improvement and Development (formerly the IDeA) is now developing a new equality framework for social housing organisations. 

Designed as a bespoke equality performance measurement and improvement tool, this new framework will enable arm's-length management organisations (ALMOs) and housing associations to drive service improvements.

A working group of housing officers has designed this draft. The consultation for the Social Housing Equality Framework (SHEF) finished on the 26 March 2010, we are now incorporating the ideas from the consultation and aim to launch the framework in May 2010.

Draft Social Housing Equality Framework (PDF, 9 pages, 87KB)

Other public sector equality frameworks

The framework is strongly linked to the Equality Framework for Local Government (EFLG) and the other public sector frameworks for the police, fire and rescue services and the NHS. Local Government Improvement and Development has developed the equality frameworks to:

• ensure the public sector is informed by similar concepts
• allow the public sector to benchmark their performance across an area
• facilitate partnership working
• speak to the needs of particular parts of the public sector.

For information on the key principles of the EFLG go to:

Equality Framework for Local Government

For further information on the other public sector equality frameworks go to:

Public sector equality frameworks

The SHEF will use the same three benchmarking levels – 'developing', 'achieving' and 'excellent' – as the EFLG and it is similarly outcome focused. It will require significant evidence-based results before individual organisations can realistically claim to be at the 'excellent' level.

It is proposed that organisations wishing to measure their achievement will also use the diversity peer challenge process, developed by Local Government Improvement and Development. We will be looking for a number of specialist housing peers to undertake peer challenges in the sector.

Further information

Local Government Improvement and Development has set up an online community of practice (CoP) for housing officers and members wishing to make further comments on the framework, the Equalities and ALMOs CoP.

More information on our CoPs

For further information, please contact Elizabeth Gardiner:
email: elizabeth.gardiner@ilocal.gov.uk

Page published April 2010.