Equal Opportunities Policy Statement
We are committed to equal opportunities in employment and service delivery. The policies and practices of the council aim to promote an environment that is free from all forms of unlawful or unfair discrimination and values the diversity of all people.
City of Wolverhampton Council and Equal Opportunities
We are proud of the diverse population of Wolverhampton and the strength this brings to us as a city.
We want to make sure our service are fair, accessible and inclusive to people who live in or visit the city.
We intend to be fair and inclusive to people who use or would like to use our services. We also intend to be fair and inclusive to those who work for us or who would like to work for us. Treating people fairly does not always mean treating them the same.
We will take positive action to help us support underrepresented groups so that we can achieve fair access to jobs and services.
We will be mindful of our legal responsibilities here.
Who is covered by the statement?
People are protected by this statement on the grounds of their age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; sexual orientation.
This list of protected groups is taken from the Equality Act 2010. You can find out more about your rights at https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/equality-act/protected-characteristics
Even if you do not come under any of these groups you should still be treated fairly by the Council.
What does this mean in terms of everyday services?
Wolverhampton has a diverse population. This means that to be fair, we must offer services that respect this diversity.
This does not mean that services will be the same for everyone. We will balance our work to provide fair and accessible services with our need to provide value for money to local people.
To achieve this we will periodically look at the services we offer and new ones we develop to make sure that we are working in a way that advances equal opportunities. We will also review our services to ensure they do not impact negatively on people or groups protected by law and if they do, do what we can to stop this.
We will also take action wherever we find harassment, victimisation, and discrimination or disadvantage so that we can provide equal access to jobs and services.
We want to make sure our work does what it can to create a city where people work and generally get on well together. This is usually called building cohesive communities. We will continue to promote tolerance and respect between diverse groups in our communities to foster good relations between them.
Many services are paid for by the Council but provided by other people or organisations. We will use equal opportunities to guide us in this situation for example when the council is commissioning or procuring services.
This statement will only be worthwhile if it is understood. We will continue to train our employees and Councillors, and inform others that the statement is at the heart of what we do. Wolverhampton Councillors will be mindful of the statement when they are making decisions
We know that a workforce that reflects the diverse population of Wolverhampton will have the best chance of understanding and providing what Wolverhampton people need.
The Council knows that some of its policies and services or aspects of them may potentially discriminate against some people or groups. Where this happens this is usually known as institutional discrimination. If we find this at the council we will work to challenge and overcome it by carrying out analyses, reviews and audits of our current practices and our future proposals. We will challenge institutional discrimination if we find it in other organisations that we might or do work with. From the results of this work, we will make any changes that we think are necessary to meet our legal obligations.
Where it is useful or where it is necessary we will ask local people or groups to assist us with this. We will listen to and take their advice where we can. If we can't we will say why we didn't take the advice.
This statement is the responsibility of the Managing Director and his Service Directors, Managers and staff.
Equal & Diversity Policy Statement (Employment)
This statement which can be seen in the Downloads section highlights our commitment to protect our most valued asset, our workforce.