Listening to the diverse needs of our communities
As part of Black History Month, Sutton Housing Partnership (SHP) and People Arise Now, recently held a housing and repairs surgery with residents from the Somali community.
The 'All for One' event at the Circle Library in Carshalton on 19 October was convened for Somali residents to meet SHP staff face-to-face to understand more about how SHP's services work and get advice and guidance on any housing or repair queries they had.
It was also an opportunity for SHP staff to identify and seek solutions to any language barriers experienced by those without English as their first language.
The event was also attended by residents from other backgrounds, including West Indian, who also shared their queries and challenges with us.
Clive Green (SHP People and Place, Lead), Maryan Hassan (SHP Area Housing Manager and SHP translator) and Helen Onanuga (SHP Housing Manager) facilitated the event. Vanessa McCain of People Arise Now (opens in new window) - a charity dedicated to creating safe and thriving communities - also attended and supported the event.
The event formed part of our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) which seeks to ensure that our services are accessible, inclusive and meet diverse needs.
Following the event, residents said they felt more confident in approaching and contacting SHP for support and we were also able to gain preliminary feedback to help us understand how we can best engage with them in the future.