A HOUSING scheme has been applauded for its work on equality and diversity.

South Lakeland District Council and South Lakes Housing, who manage the council's housing, gained the 'achieving' level of the Equality Framework.

The accolade is a sign that SLDC is performing well in tackling issues around ethnicity, religion/belief, gender, disability, sexual orientation and age.

During an assessment this month, inspectors praised its strong partnerships with organisations such as Cumbria Disability Network and outREACH Cumbria.

They were also impressed by good relationships SLH has with tenants and services such as a text service for deaf people.

Coun Hilary Stephenson said: "This has revealed the enormous amount of excellent work going on throughout the authority, which supoorts the diverse needs of our communities."