Equality, diversity and inclusion

Our vision is to make West Lindsey a better place to live, work, invest and visit. Understanding that communities in the district have diverse needs is fundamental to our capacity to deliver services to suit everybody and we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion in both employment practice and service delivery.

To discuss any issues raised on this page or associated pages please contact the Corporate Governance Officer on 01427 676676 or by email at engagement@west-lindsey.gov.uk.

Equality Act 2010

The Equality Act 2010 came into force on 1 October 2010. This legislation combines previous legislation such as The Equal Pay Act 1970, The Sex Discrimination Act 1975, The Race Relations Act 1976 and The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 to name a few. The purpose of this Act was to simply, strengthen and harmonise the previous legislation while providing a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all.

The main principles of the Act are:

  • Diversity – Diversity is about the ways in which people differ; these differences should be recognised, celebrated and treated as a natural part of society
  • Equality – Equality is a natural extension of diversity and is based on the idea of fairness, whilst recognising that everyone is different
  • Inclusion – Inclusion means that all people, regardless of their abilities, disabilities or health care needs, have the right to be respected and appreciated as valuable members of their communities

Equality Strategy and Policy

West Lindsey District Council are committed to promoting equality and to help bring about an inclusive society, where no one is marginalised through personal circumstances and where everyone is offered the best opportunity to realise their potential.

Read the West Lindsey District Council Equality Strategy [pdf / 370 KB] which helps us find ways to combat discrimination and thereby enable everyone, from all sections of our community, to participate in social, cultural and economic life. The action plan to the Equality Strategy [pdf / 511KB] is updated on a yearly basis. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy [pdf / 588 KB] outlines the principles we will follow.

Equality Reporting

As a council we are committed to valuing people’s differences, treating people fairly, being a good employer and meeting our public sector duty.

Further information on our equalities work can be found in our annual equality, diversity and inclusion report.

We have a process of analysis which looks at the equality impact for our policies and procedures and has been undertaken for many years. Analysis begins prior to the introduction of, or change to, any policy or procedure. Officers assess at this very early stage the impact our decisions could have on the people we serve. We look for both positive and potential negative outcomes relating to the introduction of policies. If negatives are highlighted we look to remove them if possible and mitigate their impact if they remain.

We recognise that the impact our policies and procedures have on people is not always defined because of a single protected characteristic. The need to look at a person as a whole, rather than component parts, is imperative when applying fairness to systems and decision making.

Equality Impact Assessments are taken into account throughout our committee processes by our Members to ensure that their decisions are fair and equitable for the diverse communities they have been elected to serve.

Equality of Opportunity

Acknowledging the diversity of staff and customers and treating them with respect; ensuring there is no discrimination on the grounds of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion or belief, nationality, age, marital status or disability in our delivery services and employment practices.

We want to make sure that all our services are delivered fairly and therefore we collect information on our customers and staff so that we can analyse the use and experience of service delivery by diverse communities and take necessary and appropriate action to improve services for particular communities.

This data collected alone will not explain why a service is under or over used. However it will provide a starting point for asking questions and highlighting issues.

Just Lincolnshire

JUST Lincolnshire works to make a real difference to the lives of people from all backgrounds.