As the world gets ready to celebrate International Women’s Day (March 8), we are highlighting the powerful female voices helping to shape the future of the organisation.
With strong representation on our involved customer groups, they play a crucial role in scrutinising new and existing policies by bringing to the table a wealth of experience and unique insights.
From these recent comments from members, it’s clear they are on board with the theme of this year’s International Women’s Day, Accelerate Action – an ambition shared by the entire Housing Plus Group team and aligns with our dedication to extending opportunities for female colleagues as well as in the wider community.
Involved customer Annie, from Stafford, stresses the importance of women having a strong voice when it comes to social housing.
“While a man’s approach can often be very practical and provide short-term solutions to immediate issues, we can often provide a more sympathetic, long-term view, and some of the female members are now at an age where we have plenty of life experience,” explained the former dressmaker.
“While it always feels rewarding to have your say and put in your ‘two penneth worth’, doing so can result in real change and I would urge everyone to get involved at some level, even if it’s just filling in a questionnaire, to provide feedback whether it’s good or bad.”
Moving forward, Annie would like to see Housing Plus Group further develop its customer engagement initiatives.
“We need a spectrum of people to share their views if the organisation is to continue delivering the services required to meet the needs of local communities,” she added.
As well as offering Housing Plus Group invaluable feedback on our services, the women themselves say that they also gain a lot from volunteering to serve on the panel. Pam, a customer from Shrewsbury, first became involved after submitting a minor complaint to us several years ago.
Having worked previously in domiciliary care, and now a carer herself, she has frequently raised concerns about the impact of proposed policies that may not have been immediately obvious to those without any disabilities.
“It’s a credit to the organisation that they have actually listened and taken our perspective into account,” she explained. “It is very rewarding to feel listened to, and personally I have learned a lot about how large organisations operate and the challenges they sometimes face.
“It’s also reassuring to know that our views are being taken into account and that our housing provider is doing all it can to get the broadest range of views before making any decisions that impact on us, the customers.”
Like Pam, mother and grandmother Leda also became involved after being so impressed with the way we dealt with a complaint. Now she would encourage anyone with a view on what the organisation should be doing, to get involved.
“It does feel really good to feel valued, and we’ve been consulted on a wide range of policies as well as helping to prepare the organisation’s annual report,” said Leda, who worked as a beautician and holistic therapist until a stroke five years ago meant she had to give up work.
“It is really important that women’s voices are heard, particularly those bringing up young children. I’m pleased to say that Housing Plus Group is really prepared to take their views on board and is very supportive of its customers. In fact, the more you get involved, the more it feels like being part of a big family!”
Becky Hughes, Interim Director of Improving the Customer Experience at Housing Plus Group (HPG) explains: “The women in our involved customer groups are from a broad range of backgrounds and represent communities across the areas we serve, and they are all committed to holding us responsible for the services we provide.
“They offer a voice for many others who may feel unable to speak up, which is particularly important within social housing, a sector that plays a massive role in the lives of many vulnerable people.
“The female volunteers also offer an excellent example of how we are encouraging even more women to engage with us, and their participation is now helping others to feel at ease with getting involved and helping us shape our services to best meet their needs.”