Equality and Diversity

Sedgemoor has always been committed to promoting equality of opportunity, eliminating discrimination whilst ensuring that there is greater cohesion between the people and communities of the district. The introduction of the Equality Act 2010 has reinforced the approach that the council has long taken and will enhance and ensure that equalities is at the heart of everything that we do.

What is Equality and Diversity?

Equality is about giving everyone an equal chance to fulfil their potential. It means providing equality of opportunity, equal access to services and fair and proportional treatment

Diversity is about difference. Everyone is an individual with differences that can be visible and non visible. By respecting the diversity of individuals, they can feel valued for their contribution as an individual and to the community.

The history of Equality and Diversity legislation begins in 1970 with the Equal Pay Act, and takes us right up to the present day.

Like all large organisations, we have a number of legal duties. These relate to many areas of our work, including and not least to Equality and Diversity. We also develop our own policies, to help managers and staff deliver services that are not only lawful, but that also try to give each customer a service best suited to their needs. We acknowledge and welcome our legal duties and use legislation, national guidance and our own policies as a framework for improvement.

There are a lot of organisations out there to support you if you have a concern about how you are or have been treated, if you feel you are being discriminated or if you have been a victim of crime or anti-social behaviour, then these organisations are there to help you.

Impact Assessments help us analyse the effects our policies and practices have on communities, local economic conditions, individuals, vulnerable groups and the environment in one exercise.

Sedgemoor is a diverse district with a range of neighbourhoods, from urban estates to rural villages and costal retirement homes. There is a vast amount of information, data and engagement evidence within the Council, within the County, regionally and nationally. All it plays a part in determining the impacts our services have on the people who use them, whether directly or indirectly. The information set out below gives an overview of the data and information that we have as a council.

Sedgemoor District Council is committed to delivering services to its community in a fair and equal way. Effective communication is an essential part of the Council's services and all users are entitled to access interpreting and translation services to remove communication barriers. It should be noted that interpretation generally refers to the spoken word (including British Sign Language) and translation generally refers to the written word.

Working in partnership with equality colleagues in the other councils of Somerset, and with other public sector partners allows the council to work effectively, efficiently, avoiding duplication and share good practice.