The Regulator of Social Housing has launched an eight-week consultation today (30 January 2020) on its proposed equality objectives.
RSH has proposed three objectives which seek to strike an appropriate balance in meeting its general equality duty in its day to day work alongside a co-regulatory approach to regulation.
The proposed objectives are:
- Ensure that where equality and diversity concerns are raised through the regulator's enquiries process, they are considered in line with its statutory objectives.
- The regulator will review its methods of communicating to ensure that it does so in an inclusive way.
- The regulator will provide a supportive and inclusive working environment for all.
Private and local authority registered providers, tenants, lenders and other interested stakeholders are invited to give feedback on whether they think the proposed objectives meet the RSH's obligations under the Equality Act, and if appropriate activity has been identified to help achieve the overall objective.
Chief Executive of RSH, Fiona MacGregor said:
The proposed objectives focus on how we interact with tenants and the public; how we communicate; and the organisational culture we are creating when it comes to equality. While there is no statutory obligation for us to carry out a public consultation to set these objectives, we welcome input and feedback from our stakeholders in the process of setting our equality objectives.
Our overall aim is to create a good foundation for us to build on and we will review progress against the objectives regularly to ensure they are being met.
The consultation runs until 26 March 2020.
Notes
- RSH is mindful of its statutory equality duties under section 149 of the Equality Act 2010. The regulator will take a proportionate approach to its equality obligations and has identified no equalities implications for this consultation. However, based on responses to this consultation, the regulator reserves the right to revisit these matters if new information comes to light.
- Regulation 5 of the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017, requires the regulator to publish one or more equality objectives. In preparing the proposed objectives the regulator has had regard to guidance issued by the Equality and Human Rights Commission; considered its employees and protected characteristics within the organisation; reviewed published equality information relating to the social housing sector; and given consideration to the public function it performs and the people (particularly in respect of protected characteristics) who might be affected by the exercise of its function.
- Although there is no formal requirement to carry out a consultation on the proposed equality objectives the regulator has chosen to do so.
- RSH promotes a viable, efficient and well-governed social housing sector able to deliver homes that meet a range of needs. It does this by undertaking robust economic regulation focusing on governance, financial viability and value for money that maintains lender confidence and protects the taxpayer. It also sets consumer standards and may take action if these standards are breached and there is a significant risk of serious detriment to tenants or potential tenants. F
