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- Arrivals / Refreshments / Exhibition Viewing
- Welcome Ceremony
Alison InmanHDN's Board Diversity Conference serves as a platform for exceptional practitioners both inside and outside the housing sector to share best practice, and discuss the issues most relevant to boards, the workforce and tenants and residents in local communities.
We invite you to join us on the essential journey to create organisations committed to inclusion, equity, and belonging.
Alison Inman
Board Member at Housing Diversity Network
- Keynote – Taking a Stand
Suki KaliraiIt is time to walk the talk and deliver on our equality promises at a board level.
What has changed at board level? How to we create a dynamic, independent, multistakeholder governance structure to monitor key outcomes and evaluate progress?
How do we hear diverse voices in a strong governance structure?
What is the mix of skills on the board that we need? How do we get real accountability? Above all what does this mean in practice?
Drawing his extensive national and international board experiences Suki will help board members navigate their way through the complexities of today’s board environment.
Suki Kalirai
Chair at PA Housing
- Panel Discussion – Becoming an Inclusive Leader
Wayne Brown•Helen ThompsonAcross the housing and public sector, we’ve seen a range of responses and initiatives aimed at denouncing racism and pledging commitments to greater equity, diversity, and inclusion.
As many senior leaders look at their organisations’ diversity and inclusion strategies and action plans, they are discovering that a reinvention may be in order. And that reinvention should start at the top, with leaders who embody an inclusive leadership approach.
But, what exactly is inclusive leadership? What qualities do inclusive leaders have? And how do we demonstrate inclusive leadership at a board and executive team level?
Wayne Brown
Chief Fire Officer at West Midlands Fire Service
Helen Thompson
Deputy Chief Executive at Calico Group
- B R E A K / N E T W O R K I N G / E X H I B I T I O N V I E W I N G
- Panel Discussion – Getting Recruitment and Retention Right
Marcus Blackburn•Joanne Tracey•Ruth YoungWe know that the business case for a more diverse workforce has never been clearer and evidence shows that businesses with diverse workforces are more likely to financially outperform their industry’s national average. There is a direct cross-over into the housing sector.
This session explores issues around inclusive recruitment and the part that Board members have to play in ensuring that an organisation seeks out the widest variety of staff, but also the best possible choice of candidates.
Marcus Blackburn
Managing Director of Andersen James Group
Joanne Tracey
Director of People and Culture at Penny Lane Builders
Ruth Young
Sector Development Manager of Leadership Solutions at Adecco
- Keynote – Building Inclusive Boards
Karl GeorgeWhat is an inclusive board?
Is simply increasing representation of women or ethnic minorities enough to achieve true inclusion in the boardroom?
What are the benefits and challenges associated with moving beyond representation on the board?
How does a board become truly inclusive? Does this mean adopting an intersectional approach? How do we challenge assumptions around status and experience?
How important is board culture in all of this?
Karl George
Partner at RSM UK
- Lunch
- Keynote – Focussing on EDI at a Time of Crisis and Challenge for Boards
Alistair McIntoshWe keep hearing the phrase that ‘these are unprecedented times’ and that boards are having to respond to crisis after crisis – we’ve had Grenfell, the pandemic, the response to George Floyd’s murder and now we have the energy crisis, damp and mould – the list seemingly goes on and on.
There is also a punishing level of scrutiny and pressure on boards, and we know that this can be overwhelming if an organisation is not prepared to manage it.
In the midst of all this how do we keep a focus on equality, diversity and inclusion?
Alistair McIntosh
CEO of HQN
- BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Gemma Bell•Alozie Ohuonu•Cleo Stewart•Sharon ThandiBreakout Session 1 - Net Zero – Where the Board Comes In
Alozie Ohuonu
Breakout Session 2 - The Role of Governance in EDI
Gemma Bell & Sharon Thandi
Breakout Session 3 - Social Mobility and Housing:missing an opportunity?
Cleo Stewart
Gemma Bell
Partner at Devonshires
Alozie Ohuonu
Vice Chair at UNIFY Network
Cleo Stewart
Consultant and Director of Stewart Law Limited
Sharon Thandi
Solicitor at Devonshires
- B R E A K / N E T W O R K I N G
- BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Gemma Bell•Alozie Ohuonu•Cleo Stewart•Sharon ThandiBreakout Session 1 - Net Zero – Where the Board Comes In
Alozie Ohuonu
Breakout Session 2 - The Role of Governance in EDI
Gemma Bell & Sharon Thandi
Breakout Session 3 - Social Mobility and Housing:missing an opportunity?
Cleo StewartGemma Bell
Partner at DevonshiresAlozie Ohuonu
Vice Chair at UNIFY NetworkCleo Stewart
Consultant and Director of Stewart Law LimitedSharon Thandi
Solicitor at Devonshires
- Keynote – Disrepair and the Role of the Board
Angela Holden
Angela Holden
Assistant Director of Consumer Regulation at Regulator of Social Housing
- Summary, Evaluation & Closing Ceremony