Equality and Diversity   

CONSULTATION  

The Public Sector Equality Duty - What do you think we should be doing?

As part of the Public Sector Equality Duty, by April 2012 the Council is required to develop a number of Equality Objectives which reflect the Equality and Diversity priorities within the District.

In order to assist with this process we have held a number of focus groups where people from the community and local organisations have given us their views, taking into consideration evidence and local statistics on the population of Wyre Forest as well as the corporate objectives for both the Council and partner organisations.

Following a review of the feedback from these focus groups we have come up with six objectives:

1. Ensure that the Council’s commitment to equality and diversity is embedded in its strategies and policies

2. Reduce inequality in access to employment within the District and build links between organisations to enable this.

3. Improve areas of deprivation

• Encouraging parental responsibility
• Reducing unemployment
• Providing a better education for children

4. Invest more time and money in young people.

5. Promote good parenting skills.

6. Promote good relations and positive attitudes between people of different racial groups.

We would like you to tell us which of these objectives you feel are the three most important.

Please send your responses to Lucy Bennett by e-mail or by post at the details below:

lucy.bennett@wyreforestdc.gov.uk

Lucy Bennett
Wyre Forest District Council
Green Street
Kidderminster
DY10 1HA

This consultation will close at Midday on 9th January 2012.

Should you require any further information or assistance, please contact Rhiannon Crisp on 01562 732786.

The Single Equality Scheme

The Council recognises that some people might suffer discrimination and be disadvantaged for many reasons, including:

• race, nationality or ethnic origin
• religion or belief
• disability
• age
• gender
• sexual orientation
• income
• geographic location

The Council therefore replaced its Equal Opportunities Policy with a Single Equality Scheme   (115K) (SES) in 2008. This was updated in 2011 following the introduction of the Equality Duty 2010. The SES sets out our commitment and responsibility to promote equality of opportunity and good community relations, and to tackle all forms of discrimination. The SES is thorough, and recognises that discrimination can occur when we:

• provide services
• purchase services
• employ staff
• work in partnership with other organisations

The SES has its own Action Plan which sets out how we are going to undertake the work required.

When we talk about diversity, we mean more than just race and nationality.  A diverse population encompasses different religions and beliefs, ages, disabilities, gender and sexual orientation, as well as race.  These are known politically as the six strands of equality.

Wyre Forest District Council has both a moral and a statutory obligation to reflect the needs of a diverse population through its service provision and as an employer.  We are committed to employing a diverse workforce and providing equitable services to the people of the Wyre Forest district.  Our aim is to fully meet our obligations and to learn from best practice, as we strive to improve as a local authority.

Diversity is about recognising and valuing difference so it’s important to ask “what makes Wyre Forest unique?”  Although we don’t have a large number of different ethnic minority communities (currently 3.1% of the population) in Wyre Forest, there are many other factors that make our communities diverse.  These include:

• the higher than average number of elderly people in the district  
• the hotspots of relative deprivation that exist as well as rural isolation
• the presence of Gypsies and Traveller communities
• the lower than average number of young people in the district
• the higher than average number of adults not working in the district

To tackle these issues we need to be aware of the problems facing our communities and look at how we can tackle these through our service delivery and working with others.  

Our Single Equality Scheme  (115K) was first agreed in 2008 before being updated in 2011 to include consideration of protected characteristics. It pulls together the various strands of equalities and places these together into a single framework. It sets out our approach to diversity on three levels: within the council; in the way we engage with and understand the needs of our communities; and in the way we deliver our services.  

We recognise that everyone is different but this doesn’t mean that people should be disadvantaged as a result.  And we will not discriminate in any way according to people's age, disability, ethnicity, gender, religion or belief or sexual orientation.

Further information on our equality schemes:

View our Equality and Diversity Policy  (130K)

View our Single Equality Scheme 2008 - 2011  (256K)