Equality, diversity & inclusion

Here at Orbit, we’re driven to lead in building thriving communities. Thriving communities are diverse, welcoming, fair and equal to all. Our 2025 Strategy sets out the ways in which we are working to create a better society and our Customer Promise sets out our aims to be fair, inclusive and value diversity as we strive to deliver an excellent customer experience for each and every one of our customers.

We believe in providing an environment for our customers, colleagues and partners that gives everyone an equal chance to live, learn and work free from discrimination, harassment, victimisation and prejudice; an environment where everyone can thrive.

Our ultimate aim is to ensure that our customers and colleagues are happy and comfortable expressing who they are. To achieve this, we need to work alongside customers and employees to ensure that our business is a true reflection of the communities we serve and that our services are inclusive and designed to provide help and support for everyone.

Our internal Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) programme has led to the creation of a group known as the EDI Allies, consisting of representatives from across the business who have helped to shape Orbit’s approach to equality, diversity and inclusion. These employees are passionate about making a difference and supporting their colleagues. By sharing their personal experiences and being driven to bring about positive change, our EDI Allies have improved Orbit’s EDI agenda. We want to accelerate the progress we’ve made in this are by working more closely with our customers to understand their priorities, concerns and what matters most them.

We have created forums for colleagues to connect, ask questions and gain support, and we have delivered EDI training for all colleagues and managers to further awareness and understanding of some of the key issues relating to equality, diversity and inclusion. We want to build on this momentum with our customers and are appealing for more customers to join our EDI Customer Hub to help shape our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion and help us be the best organisation we can for all our customers.

We don’t claim to know everything about equality, diversity and inclusion, but we’re open to learning. We’re working together to plan EDI events and provide structured learning for both customers and colleagues as a result. We are appealing for more customers to help shape our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion and help us be the best organisation we can for everyone connected to Orbit.

In order to achieve our aims we would like a wider representation of customers from across the nine protected characteristics in our engaged customer base and our EDI Customer Hub group. We want to show just how committed we are to making sure that everyone can thrive with Orbit.

• Contributing to raising awareness during LGBT+ History month, Black History month and on other notable awareness dates relating to equality, diversity and inclusion
• Organising colleague and customer webinars featuring guest speakers
• Ensuring that both customer and colleague activities and events are inclusive and accessible to all

The HouseProud Pledge is a scheme that all social housing providers can sign up to, demonstrating their commitment to LGBTQ+ resident equality and support. It has been developed by HouseProud and the University of Surrey in association with residents, staff members and sector leaders to address the issues raised by the findings of ‘No Place Like Home?’, the largest study ever undertaken to understand LGBTQ+ experiences of social housing. Research by HouseProud has found that:

• 60% of trans respondents did not feel that their neighbourhood was a safe place to live
• One in five gay men reported modifying their home in some way (e.g. moving pictures or books) to hide their sexual orientation from a visiting repairs operative or housing officer
• A third of respondents felt that their housing provider was not able to deal effectively with issues like harassment.

We’re signing up to the HouseProud Pledge as it gives us a framework to start working with you to take action and show our commitment to LGBTQ+ equality and support.