Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council is subject to compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duties. This means that the council has legal responsibility to ensure that actions are undertaken in policy making, delivering services and employment. The duties require local authorities to implement actions that will lead to better outcomes for customers, identifying and eliminating unlawful discrimination or harassment by actively promoting equality wherever possible.
Although the duties regarding disability, gender and race are individual pieces of legislation, they all have a similar focus – where differences exist they are to enable service providers to focus on the differing needs experienced by people from the protected groups.
There are five key steps that, if implemented by public bodies, will assist in delivering on the equality duties and also shape services in a way that makes them fully accessible to all customers. These are:
- Gather information regarding the impact of council services and policies on different racial groups, disabled people and men and women (including transgender)
- Involve customers, staff, trade unions and other key stakeholders to build a full equality picture of the area
- Use equality impact assessments to gauge the impact of council services on the different groups
- Use the equality information to prioritise council actions
- Identify and implement actions that will help deliver the best outcomes for those protected by the equality duties
Corporate Equality Plan
The council is committed to work to reduce disadvantages, discrimination, and inequalities of opportunity. It is committed to promote diversity in terms of the people it serve, its workforce, the partners it works with and the services it delivers.
It has legal duties relating to equality and is determined to meet these. However, its aim is not just to meet its legal duties, but to make the borough a place where everyone matters and is treated equally, in the light of their different needs.
In 2010 the council adopted the Corporate Equality Plan
Single Equality Scheme
The revised Single Equality Scheme draws together the existing disability, gender and race equality schemes/action plans and also develops the summaries regarding age, sexual orientation, transgender and faith/belief. The Single Equality Scheme and Action Plan is attached.
