Update from the engagement panel 13 June 2023 

Our next meeting is Wednesday 12 July. This will be a closed meeting but we will be welcoming observers again from August.

EDI strategy update

Dan Seabrook, People Director, updated the panel on the EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) strategy at Brighter Places. He started off with a few figures which show that Brighter Places workforce is diverse. Gender and ethnicity representation is very positive. Though, the organisation is aiming to improve in the following areas: Sexual orientation, Disability and Age.

Dan pointed out they have been offering various training around autism, blindness, and dyslexia to their teams. Brighter Places employees were able to learn directly from people with lived experiences. It remains a key element in their approach.  

We also reviewed the core principles of the strategy, and all agreed that such ambition requires a continuous commitment and effort from the organisation. 

Dan invited the panel members to share any resources they would like Brighter Places to engage with; or potential partnering organisations who uphold their standards.  

Customer Experience Committee: next steps 

Following our discussion regarding the proposal for a Customer Experience Committee at our May meeting, these are the next steps.  The Customer Experience Committee will help ensure that Brighter Places deliver on their customer promises and satisfaction measures. It will include Board Members and independent members who are Brighter Places residents. It will place the residents at the heart of the decision-making process, including the opportunity to take part in a wide range of scrutiny activities. As such the committee is moving us all – residents, employees, and board members – towards a greater level of accountability.

Three engagement panel members will take part in the first meeting on the 23rd of August, and going forward we’ll be opening applications for our residents to form the committee later this year.

If any resident is interested in the panel meetings and would like to attend as an observer at one, please do contact a member of our engagement team. All residents are welcome.  

Pete Kennedy-Watson – Panel Chair