Our Awards

Investors in People

Investors in People is an internationally recognised standard which demonstrates an organisations ability to achieve business objectives in a way that involves the employees throughout the process. The standards also gives people the assurance that the organisation that they work for, or are interested in working for cares about improving performance. It also demonstrates that Cestria are keen to work with all of its staff to develop their skills and improve the working environment and their working life while at Cestria.

Investors in People has a number of different levels of accreditation with a varying number of indicators and evidence requirements to meet.These range from the Standard, Bronze Level, Silver Level and Gold Level. Cestria has demonstrated that it has met a large proportion of the evidence requirements and indicators and has successfully achieved Silver Level Investors in People.

Positive about disability

Cestria Community Housing has been awarded the ‘two tick’ positive about disability symbol, demonstrating our commitment to employ, keep and develop  disabled people.

This symbol is awarded by Jobcentre Plus and requires Cestria to make five commitments regarding recruitment, training, retention, consultation and disability awareness.  These commitments are:

• to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and to consider them on their abilities
• to discuss with disabled employees, at any time but at least once a year, what both parties can do to make sure disabled employees can develop and use their abilities 
• to make every effort when employees become disabled to make sure they stay in employment 
• to take action to ensure that all employees develop the appropriate level of disability awareness needed to make these commitments work 
• to review these commitments each year and assess what has been achieved, plan ways to improve on them and let employees and Jobcentre Plus know about progress and future plans.

If you have any queries in relation to recruitment and selection or generally on how the above commitments are delivered please contact our HR Team on 0191 385 1900.

Stonewall Diversity Champion

Cestria Community Housing is Stonewall's Diversity Champion. This is Britain's good practice forum offered by Stonewall. It provides a mechanism through which employers can work with Stonewall, and each other, to promote lesbian, gay and bisexual equality in the workplace.

Each year the organisations have the opportunity to apply for the workplace index to be  are assessed and placed on a national league table.

Equality Standard (Equality North East) 

Cestria Community Housing has been assessed against an equality standard framework. As a result Cestria has been awarded the Equality Standard in recognition for embedding equality and diversity throughout the organisation and delivering best practice. Cestria will continue to plan and promote good equality and diversity practices within our workplace and with our service users.

Working Towards 'Leaders in Diversity' 

Cestria Community Housing is working towards ‘Leaders in Diversity’. This is an Equality and Diversity Accreditation process to ensure an all-encompassing approach to managing equality, diversity and inclusion effectively.