Content

We believe equality brings quality for everyone and the creation of a fairer society where everyone can participate and achieve their potential.

We aim to improve equality outcomes, reduce inequalities and drive service improvement.

Equality Objectives

Our equality objectives are:

  1. Know our communities
  2. Serve our communities
  3. Include equalities in our decision making

Our  equality policy makes clear our priorities in the main aspects of the council’s equalities work as community leader, service provider and employer. We know that if we can:

  • reduce discrimination by engaging in positive action to celebrate the merits of a diverse community
  • employ a workforce that reflects this diversity and
  • deliver services that meet different customer needs

we will go a long way to improving the lives of everyone in East Devon.

Working through the Devon Strategic Partnership, we have signed up to the Devon Joint Declaration for Equality. Through this, we will work together with our partners on joint projects, pooling our resources where it will help to achieve our equality outcomes.

Our legal Duties

Under the Equality Act 2010, we have legal duties to:

  1. Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other prohibited conduct
  2. Advance equality of opportunity
  3. Foster good relations between people
  4. Publish objectives to demonstrate how we will meet 1-3 above and publish information on our performance

The duties apply to nine ‘protected characteristics’: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership (in relation to point 1 at work), pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex and sexual orientation.

The council acknowledges and welcomes its legal duties and uses the legislation and national guidance as a framework to improve or maintain standards and be accountable to the people it serves. However, we are not only driven by legislation - our policy and work programmes are also in response to local needs.

Equality objectives and considerations need to be built into our everyday work - from strategic planning, policy and decision-making right through to how we deliver services and employ staff. This requires leadership, political commitment and ownership across all parts of the organisation as well as effective performance monitoring, scrutiny and engagement with individuals, groups and organisations. The full Equality Act 2010 is available to view on this link to a government website at legislation.gov.uk