We’re proud to have achieved Tai Pawb’s Quality in Equality and Diversity (QED) award, recognising our commitment to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) across our organisation.
QED is a prestigious quality mark for the Welsh housing sector, providing a rigorous framework through which organisations can assess, improve and demonstrate their approach to equality, diversity and inclusion. The accreditation is awarded following an independent assessment process that evaluates both organisational commitment and evidence of impact.
We began our journey towards accreditation last year, working through a series of actions identified through Tai Pawb’s review. Over the following year, our colleagues have worked together to strengthen inclusive practices and embed EDI principles into our day-to-day operations.
Key achievements included:
- Establishing the Equal Voices group, enabling tenants to share their experiences and help shape services
- Introducing accessibility tools on our website
- Collecting equality, diversity and inclusion data from more than 2,000 tenants
- Providing British Sign Language and Welsh language training for staff.
The QED panel recognised the significant progress we made since stage one of the assessment and praised our commitment to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion throughout our organisation. Panel members highlighted the quality of evidence presented, the extent to which EDI had been integrated into everyday practice, and our commitment to continuous improvement.
Joanne Oak, CEO said:
“Achieving Tai Pawb’s QED accreditation is an important milestone for our organisation. It reflects a commitment across our teams to build a culture where every colleague and customer is respected, valued and given the opportunity to thrive.
“This recognition is a testament to the work of our entire team, and I would like to thank Tai Pawb for their invaluable guidance throughout the process. While this award marks our progress, it also reinforces our ongoing commitment to embedding equality, diversity and inclusion across all our services.”
Alicja Zalesinska, Chief Executive of Tai Pawb, said:
“Congratulations to Valleys to Coast on achieving QED accreditation. The QED Panel unanimously recommended the organisation for the award and recognised the significant progress made throughout its QED journey.”
“The Panel was particularly impressed by the way equality, diversity and inclusion has been embedded across the organisation, supported by strong evidence of action, learning and continuous improvement. Valleys to Coast demonstrated that EDI is not being treated as a standalone initiative but as a core part of how the organisation operates and delivers services.”
“The organisation has developed a number of examples of good practice that will be valuable to others across the sector. We look forward to seeing Valleys to Coast continue building on this success and sharing its learning with organisations across Wales.”
This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to creating an inclusive workplace, delivering accessible services and ensuring the voices of tenants and communities continue to shape our decision making.
