Pictured above: Suzy Brain England OBE
Chair of Derwent Living, Suzy Brain England OBE, has been
shortlisted in the equality and diversity category of the central
region's Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) awards.
Suzy, 54, was recently named equality and diversity champion by
her peers for her hard work in integrating those values into the
heart of Derwent Living's policies and procedures. As champion,
Suzy is responsible for ensuring the Derby-based housing provider
pays sufficient attention to equality and diversity within the
organisation and the industry it works within.
With Suzy at the helm, the organisation is actively seeking to
recruit younger people, women and those from a range of ethnic
backgrounds, as well as people with disabilities and those of
different sexual orientations to its Board. Suzy has been
instrumental in helping to break down barriers to ensure ease of
application for people from diverse backgrounds and both she and
her colleagues are delighted that her efforts have now been
recognised by TPAS.
She says: "As chair of the board it was important for me to be
named equality and diversity champion and I'm delighted to have
been recognised by others in the industry.
"My role is to ensure that Derwent Living's services are
relevant and accessible to all. We recognise that people with
different backgrounds, cultures, skills and experiences bring fresh
ideas and perceptions to an organisation. Also, by raising
awareness of equality and diversity issues through our 'Removing
Barriers' initiative, we are achieving demonstrable improvements
for all the communities we serve."
Derwent Living's chief executive, Peter McCormack, said: "I'm
extremely pleased that Suzy has been recognised by TPAS. Her
leadership is making a real difference to residents and employees
alike. We know that everyone has their own personal values, beliefs
and needs and we strongly believe that all residents should have
easy access to the same high levels of service.
"We also aim to ensure that residents receive the right level of
support and advice to meet their needs and Suzy is the ideal person
to drive this forward."
TPAS chief executive, Michelle Reid, said: "Our awards applaud
the inspiring work being carried out to improve people's lives and
communities. As well as recognising the efforts of tenants and
housing providers, the awards play a vital role for us in
identifying and sharing excellence with our members across England.
The TPAS awards are about the people behind those successes." Suzy
will find out if she's been successful when she joins other
candidates shortlisted for a total of nine award categories at a
ceremony in Birmingham on Friday 1 April.
For more information about Derwent Living, please visit their
website here: www.derwentliving.com