Equality & Diversity

Why does Dacorum Borough Council need Equal Opportunities

Dacorum Borough Council serves the whole of our community. We are funded by everyone in the Borough and so must provide services to everyone fairly.

The Council, like all organisations, is required by law to ensure that it provides equality of opportunity in two ways

the way in which we deliver our services
the way we recruit and treat the people who work for us

The rules which cover equal opportunities are contained within:

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975
The Race Relations Act 1976
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995

The Commission for Racial Equality and the Equal Opportunities Commission have published codes of practice which help organisations to understand the rules and how they should apply.

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What is the Council doing?

Dacorum Borough Council needs to ensure that it maintains the highest quality of service and sets standards for its employees.

To help this happen, work has begun with all Council departments to develop a programme of initiatives to improve equal opportunities in the way our services are delivered and in all aspects of employment.

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What has happened already

Equal Opportunities initiatives already underway include:

Promotional campaigns to increase take-up of benefits
Introduction of a Deaf Club
Identifying and providing training for employees
Local surgeries to advise on Council Tax and Benefits
Providing information in other languages and on tape
Consulting with minority groups
Improved access to public facilities and buildings
Customer First Policy - making services available to all
Research into why some people don’t use our services
Meals on Wheels providing for all cultural & religious needs
Recruitment of a Community Development Worker (Ethnic Minorities)
Recruitment of a Benefits Promotions Officer
Establishment of the Equal Opportunities Consultative Forum - to work with community groups and organisations in identifying and providing appropriate services and sharing good practice
Dacorum Borough Council winner of the Anglian Regional Equalities Award 1997
Establishment of the Equal Opportunities Working Party - to share information across departments
Development of a job share policy
Promotion and expansion of the Temporary Register
Establishment of the Communities Together group following on from the European Year Against Racism project
British Sign Language training course for employees
Positive action employment initiatives for secondments and mentoring
Provision of work placements under New Deal scheme
Implementation of our Equal Opportunities Policy in service delivery

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What will happen next?

The Council is currently improving the equality of opportunity, including:

Working in partnership with voluntary and community organisations and supporting projects
Providing a rolling programme of Equal Opportunities training for all employees
Investigating positive action initiatives and external funding
Development of new job share scheme
Investigation into development of structured work experience programme for under represented groups
Extension of equal opportunities monitoring in recruitment to other aspects of the employment process
Implementation of a mentoring scheme
Development of an equalities and a disability audit framework
Development of a North/South link strategy
Development of a directory of contacts of minority groups and individuals

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What will it achieve?

At Dacorum Borough Council we want to provide a culture where there is no discrimination, so we aim to:

Show how providing equality of opportunity makes good business sense
Make sure that none of our practices discriminate, either directly or indirectly, against any minority group
Ensure that everything we do complies with the law or recognised good practice
Monitor what we do so that we can make progress
Talk in depth to minority groups, to ensure that we are aware of their needs, and can identify gaps in service and work towards filling them.

If you would like to know more, have any comments, or would like a copy of our policy statement ‘Equal Opportunities in Employment’ please contact:

Anne Stunell - HR Officer
Telephone: 01442 228089
Email: anne.stunell@dacorum.gov.uk.

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Disability Support and Advice

Address:
Social Services
Hemel Hempstead

Telephone: 01438 737400
Website: www.hertsdirect.org.

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Access for people with disabilities

Address:
Building Control Manager
Dacorum Civic Centre
Marlowes
Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire
HP1 1HH

Telephone:; 01442 228578
Fax: 01442 228581
Contact: John Gavin

An access directory for many shops and public buildings in Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted and Tring is available. Our Shopmobility page provides more information on help with mobility in the Borough.

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Disability Equality Scheme

The Disability Discrimination Act requires all Councils to produce a Disability Equality Scheme.

The Disability Equality Scheme ets out Dacorum Borough Council’s aims, objectives and action plan for meeting our responsibilities. It will provide the Council with a framework for making sure that disability equality runs through our policies and practices.

It is also part of the Council's Corporate Equality Strategy.

Disability Equality - our duty

The Council has a general duty to:

Promote equality of opportunity between people with disabilities and those without.
Eliminate discrimination that is unlawful under the Disability Discrimination Act. This can either be direct discrimination which relates to less favourable treatment of people with disabilities due to their disability, or failure to make reasonable adjustments.
Eliminate harassment of disabled people that is related to their disability.
Promote positive attitudes towards people with disabilities.
Encourage participation of people with disabilities in public life.
Take steps to meet the needs of people with disabilities, even if this requires treatment that is more favourable.
Corporate Disability Equality Scheme (PDF 223 KB, opens in new window)

Give your comments or find out more

To give your views about the Disability Equality Scheme or to find out more please contact:

HR Team Leader
Telephone: 01442 228512
Email: hr@dacorum.gov.uk.

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Gender Equality Scheme

The Gender Equality duty imposes a requirement on all public authorities to eliminate unlawful sex discrimination and harassment and promote equality of opportunity for women and men.

The Council is required to ensure that the positive promotion of gender equality is mainstreamed into all of its functions, activities, policies, practices, service delivery and employment opportunities.

Gender Equality Scheme (PDF 137 KB, opens in new window)

Give your comments or find out more

To give your views about the Gender Equality Scheme or to find out more please contact:

HR Team Leader
Telephone: 01442 228512
Email: hr@dacorum.gov.uk.

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Race Equality Scheme

The Race Equality duty imposes a requirement on all public authorities to eliminate unlawful race discrimination and promote opportunity of equal worth.

Section 71, (1) of the Race Relations Act 1976 sets out the obligations of public authorities to promote race equality and ensure that it is mainstreamed into all of its functions, activities, policies, practices, service delivery and employment opportunities.