Acting with our sub-regional partners in the Greater Haven Gateway Equality and Diversity Sub Group, we are a pilot in the Eastern region testing improved Black and Minority Ethnic Groups (BME) data collection and monitoring. The housing service is aiming to improve its recording, monitoring and evaluation of BME and vulnerable client groups that are applying for housing or already in housing, to inform service improvement. As part of this work, we have been working with the Regional BME task group. Within this group, research has already been conducted to look at the monitoring we currently undertake which has highlighted that monitoring, particularly of potentially vulnerable groups and of BME groups is patchy and incomplete. There is a lack of evidence about faith/culture and impacts on housing need. The sub group is currently looking at how monitoring can be improved to create a more robust and comparable evidence base within BME populations. This will also help ensure that in the future BME communities can benefit from the National Affordable Housing Programme (NAHP) funding stream.

Better data collection, monitoring, recording and understanding of what services are being accessed, who accesses them and what improvements can be made is needed particularly for MSDC to conduct services in a way that meets equality and diversity standards in the council. Our current position is summarised in the report below:

Asking, Recording, Monitoring and Evaluating the Affordable Housing Needs and Support Needs of Vulnerable Groups