Introduction
We have developed a four-year corporate equality plan covering 2024-28 as part of our commitment to:
- avoid and remove discrimination
- increase opportunity and promote fairness and belonging
- foster good relations between different groups and communities.
What it is
A corporate equality plan sets out how we, as a council, make sure that everything we do is fair, inclusive, and accessible to everyone in our communities. It’s about making equality part of our everyday work, whether that is:
- providing services
- shaping policies
- managing teams.
It is also a tool for accountability, so we can measure our progress and show our local communities how we are meeting our equality objectives.
Our corporate equality plan
The plan aims to demonstrate our:
- Commitment – why equality matters and the values we expect all staff to uphold.
- Legal duties – what we must do under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty.
- Equality objectives – the priorities we’re working towards to reduce barriers, improve access and build a fairer East Riding.
- Actions for services and staff – practical steps, such as how we design services, how we engage with communities and how we support colleagues.
- Workforce diversity – how we recruit, support and develop staff so that our workforce reflects the communities we serve.
- Progress monitoring – how we track what’s working and report on improvements.
Equality objectives
There are three objectives which have been agreed within the plan. These are:
- protected characteristic groups are listened to and are involved
- our information, services and buildings are accessible
- our culture and practice is inclusive and non-discriminatory.
Under each of these objectives there are a number of key priorities that have been identified.
Yearly progress reporting
We have a responsibility, under the Public Sector Equality Duty, to produce a yearly report on our progress against our equality objectives. This report is published on our website and is an important opportunity to show the achievements and progress that have been made.
Corporate EDI group
We have a dedicated corporate EDI group made up of various colleagues from across the council, covering a wide range of services and expertise. The group currently includes leaders and specialists from:
- Senior leadership team (SLT) - our EDI champion.
- Corporate policy, strategy and performance - drive corporate EDI approaches.
- Organisational development and inclusion - champion diversity and engagement across the workforce.
- Corporate communications - maintain accessibility across our online platforms and support EDI related communications to our residents.
- Adult social care - make sure specialist care is provided and safeguarding in place for vulnerable residents.
- Housing, transportation and public protection - lead on community cohesion.
This diverse representation makes sure the group reflects the council’s commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion across all service areas. The aims of the group are to: