A COLCHESTER housing provider has been recognised for its work making social housing more inclusive.
Colchester Borough Homes (CBH), which manages more than 7,000 council homes for Colchester City Council, has secured Pledge Pioneer status through the LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge.
Stonewall Housing gives the recognition to providers taking practical steps to ensure residents feel respected, represented and supported at home and in their communities.
Philip Sullivan, chief executive of Colchester Borough Homes, said: "We're delighted to have achieved Pledge Pioneer status and to receive recognition for the work taking place across the organisation.
"At CBH, we want every resident to feel valued, listened to, and able to be themselves.
"This award reflects the commitment of colleagues and residents who have worked together to make our services more inclusive and ensure different voices are heard.
"We've worked hard to create opportunities for people to get involved, whether that's through policy reviews, engagement activities, training, or community events.
"Those conversations help us better understand the people we serve and continue improving our services.
"We're proud of the progress we've made so far, but we know there is always more to do.
"We'll continue listening to residents and learning from their experiences."
CBH representatives collected the award at a ceremony at London’s Pan Pacific Hotel on September 18.
The award recognises CBH’s work to involve residents, promote inclusion and train its staff.
CBH’s submission highlighted a resident-led review of its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy, engagement activities at Colchester Outhouse and work through the Resident Voice Panel.
The panel praised CBH’s efforts to gather resident feedback and its ongoing commitment to learning and development.
The panel also praised CBH for sharing responsibility for inclusion across teams and roles instead of leaving it to a small group.
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CBH has invested in staff training, including specialist housing-awareness sessions delivered by Stonewall Housing.
The sessions aimed to help staff understand the challenges faced by LGBTQ+ residents and deliver more inclusive services.
CBH signed up to the LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge in 2025 and will keep Pledge Pioneer status until its next assessment in 2028.
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