Equality Objectives and Action Plan
Our commitment to equality
Our commitment to equality applies whether we are acting as an employer, a service provider to local residents, visitors or as a partner to other organisations.
One of our Corporate Priorities, Quality Council, is to ensure that:
"Services delivered throughout the district are accessible, meet the needs of customers and are continuously seeking improvement"
Equality is about everyone having the same chances in life and getting the same access to the services they need.
Diversity is about understanding and respecting people's different needs and aspirations.
The equality duty
The Equality Act 2010 contains the public sector Equality Duty, the aim of which is to support good decision-making by ensuring public bodies consider how different people will be affected by their activities, helping them to deliver policies and services which are efficient and effective; accessible to all and which meet different people's needs.
The Equality Duty is supported by specific duties which we, as a local authority, have to meet.
The specific duties require us to:
- publish information to show compliance with the Equality Duty, at least annually
- set and publish equality objectives at least every four years
The information we publish must show that we have had due regard to the need to :
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act.
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
- Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it.
The protected characteristics covered by the Equality Duty are:
- gender reassignment
- marriage and civil partnership (but only in respect of eliminating unlawful discrimination)
- pregnancy and maternity
- race - this includes ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality
- religion or belief -this includes lack of belief
- sexual orientation
Below are our equality objectives:
- Improve the collection and use of data in order to achieve better equality outcomes
- Improve the Council's Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) process
- Ensure staff and members are kept informed about the requirements of the public sector Equality Duty and specific duties