Network Homes adopts the Halo Code

We’re excited to announce that we’ve adopted the Halo Code, UK’s first black hair code. We want to make it clear that no black or mixed heritage employee with afro-textured hair should have to change their natural or protective hairstyle to thrive at work.

The HALO Code champions the right to embrace all hair styles, particularly natural Afro hair and protective hairstyles including head dresses associated with their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities. At Network Homes, we want colleagues to be able to be their own authentic person, by bringing their whole selves to work. As such we have adopted the code and will be incorporating it into the Dress and Appearance section of our code of conduct.

We’re proud to show our support and adoption of the Halo Code:

"Our workplace champions the right of staff to embrace all Afro-hairstyles. We acknowledge that Afro-textured hair is an important part of our Black employees’ racial, ethnic, cultural, and religious identities, and requires specific styling for hair health and maintenance. We celebrate Afro-textured hair worn in all styles including, but not limited to, afros, locs, twists, braids, cornrows, fades, hair straightened through the application of heat or chemicals, weaves, wigs, headscarves, and wraps. In this workplace, we recognise and celebrate our colleagues’ identities. We are a community built on an ethos of equality and respect where hair texture and style have no bearing on an employee's ability to succeed."

I want Network to be an inclusive and diverse workplace where people can be themselves and are able to come to work without fear of discrimination because of the texture or style of their hair. Thanks to fantastic and rapid work by colleagues I’m proud that we’ve signed up to the Halo Code campaign pledge and are now working to embed it throughout our organisation.

Jamie Ratcliff, Executive Director of People and Partnerships

I’m really pleased that something which started as a group discussion and an idea, evolved into us adopting such an important code for me and my colleagues with afro textured hair. It’s very personal to me and many others so the support and backing we received for it from people at Network Homes shows that as an organisation we’re moving in the right direction to ensuring the workplace is accepting of everyone.

Corrine Daley, Repairs Services Manager and Network Homes Racial Equality Action Group member

We hope our support of the Halo Code will move us one step closer to a world free from discrimination, where all black members of our community have their identities fully recognised and celebrated.