General Equality Statement
Bridgend County Borough Council is committed to promoting equality and valuing diversity in all its roles as community leader, service provider and fair employer. This means that the council will work to achieve social justice and inclusion; treat all citizens of the county fairly and with respect; and recognise the rights of individuals to participate fully in the democratic, social and economic life of the county.
The council acknowledges that the experience of discrimination is a reality for people and is committed to challenging all forms of discrimination wherever they exist, whether it is based on gender, race, disability, language, faith, sexual orientation, age or social status. We recognise that some people may experience multiple forms of discrimination and that some people do not benefit directly from legislative protection.
The council will make sure that its does not discriminate against any section of the community and provide services and employment opportunities that are responsive to people’s diverse needs. We will aim to achieve good equality and diversity practice that benefits everyone.
To achieve this the council’s priorities will be to act as a community champion and citizen advocate; to build a cohesive, vibrant community where diversity is appreciated and valued; and to maximise the opportunities for communities to live, work and learn together so that individuals can reach their full potential.
The councils commitments are set out in more detail in our Corporate Equality Scheme 2009 - 2011. A copy of the scheme is available on request to corporateimprovement@bridgend.gov.uk
These are the council’s General Equality Aims:
Community leadership
- To value diversity and promote good community relations within the county borough;
- To work with our partner organisations to have a more inclusive county borough;
- To promote positive attitudes towards people who are at risk of social exclusion;
- To develop communication methods that are inclusive of the whole community;
- To develop an inclusive consultation process that improves the council’s understanding of the needs of service users and staff;
- To work with equality organisations and the voluntary sector to support the empowerment of local equality groups;
- To encourage and support people from diverse backgrounds to participate in the public life of their community;
- To build safer communities in the county borough by tackling harassment and violence and work with partner organisations to provide an effective response to incidents and support to victims;
- To act as a community champion on equality and social inclusion by supporting Councillor’s in their ward roles, decision-making and scrutiny.
Service provision
- To create a culture of change within the council so that equalities is at the core of all its activities;
- To mainstream equality into the council’s strategic planning process;
- To prevent discrimination, victimisation or harassment of service users;
- To set clear targets to make services accessible and responsive to the diverse needs of the people who live, work and visit the county borough;
- To monitor the take up of services and take action to tackle inequality and social exclusion;
- To encourage people from diverse backgrounds to be involved in reviewing, planning and developing services;
- To encourage community partners and contractors to adopt good practice in equality.
Fair employer
- To ensure equality, equity and consistency in employment conditions and practices, including equal pay;
- To monitor the workforce across the employment cycle to ensure that the workforce reflects the diversity of the county borough;
- To provide a safe and accessible working environment that is free from discrimination and harassment;
- To offer flexible working and training opportunities to staff to achieve a work-life balance and enable the council to gain a flexible approach to work;
- To train, develop and support staff to understand and challenge barriers to equality;
- To mainstream equality into management development.
- Last Updated: 12/05/2011
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