BOOST returns for its second year and welcomes new GMHP members

Colleagues from across Greater Manchester Housing Providers have joined the next BOOST cohort as the ethnically diverse leadership programme grows and returns for its second year.

BOOST welcomes mentees from four new GMHP members this year totalling 19 participating housing providers.

The programme aims to address the lack of representation of colleagues from ethnically diverse backgrounds in leadership by breaking down barriers to recruitment and progression and creating a context where the talents of ethnically diverse leaders can thrive.

It uses disruptive reciprocal mentoring to help the mentee and mentors learn from each other’s knowledge and experiences. Mentees are teamed up with a mentor in a senior leadership position at a different housing association and along with a champion from their company they use the learning to drive forward a cultural change project.

All the mentors, mentees and champions are forming a unique movement of allyship from across the sector to create more inclusive workplaces.

In its first year, the cultural change projects focussed on recruitment practices, with GMHP members reviewing their policies, their reach into communities, the language used in their job advertisements, the make-up of their interview panels and assessment/selection techniques. Some have introduced Guaranteed Interview Schemes for ethnically diverse candidates that meet the essential job criteria.

Following last year’s programme, several mentees have moved into new roles including one person who has been promoted into a director role. BOOST has also supported the development of its mentors, two of whom have moved into CEO positions within GMHP.

Housing providers have signed up to a BOOST Commitment and will be developing an action plan to cascade change across their organisations.

BOOST is led by Southway Housing Trust on behalf of GMHP and in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University and Aston University. It is funded by GMHP and Innovate UK. It is evidence-led and is being evaluated to really drive change across the housing sector and with other organisations, via the Greater Manchester Good Employment Charter.

John Bowker takes over as the GMHP lead for BOOST following his appointment to Southway’s Chief Executive in July. He said: “I feel very proud to welcome a new cohort to BOOST and see how much the project has grown in its first year.

“It’s a great partnership between social housing providers, partly funded by Innovate UK with academic support from the universities to make our organisations more inclusive with senior leaders that are more representative of our diverse communities.

“I look forward to working with everyone and I wish them all the best of luck.”

Joining the programme for cohort two are Onward Homes, Regenda Homes, Together Housing and Bolton at Home.

This year’s launch event was held at Great Places’ offices on 17 September. At the launch event, mentees, mentors and change champions focused on the recent civil unrest and discussed how GMHPs supported ethnically diverse colleagues at what was a very difficult time for them and their families. They also considered the role of the housing sector in addressing miscommunication and ‘fake news’ about housing allocations in the UK.