Equality and Diversity

Equality and Diversity is about recognising and valuing difference so it’s important to ask what makes Wychavon unique?  Although we don’t have a large number of different ethnic minority communities (currently 1.2% of the population) in Wychavon, there are many other factors that make our communities diverse.  These include:

• the higher than average number of elderly people in the district
• the large number of families who settle here and the general affluence of the area  
• the hotspots of relative deprivation that exist as well as rural isolation,
• the presence of Gypsies and Traveller communities
• Issues regarding casual labour and migrant workers  
• lack of transport and the social exclusion of community groups.   

To tackle these issues we need to be aware of the problems facing our communities and look at how we can tackle these through our service delivery and working with others.  

Our equality and diversity scheme (225.54 KB) was agreed in January 2009. It pulls together the various strands of equalities and places these together into a single framework.   It sets out our approach to diversity on three levels: within the council; in the way we engage with and understand the needs of our communities; and in the way we deliver our services.  

We recognise that everyone is different but this doesn’t mean that people should be disadvantaged as a result.  And we will not discriminate in any way according to peoples' age, disability, ethnicity, gender, religion or belief or sexual orientation.

Employment monitoring data in accordance with employment duties set out in Section 5 (2) of the Race Relations Act (Statutory Duties) Order 2001

Further information including our previous equality schemes:

• Read the summary of our Diversity Policy and Race Equality Scheme (70.02 KB)
• Download our origional  Full Diversity Policy (78.45 KB)
• Our 2005-2008  Diversity Action Plan (32.17 KB) is also available to view
• More information about Race Equality
• Our Annual Diversity Update (42.23 KB) for 2005/6 is still available to view.
• Our Annual Diversity Update 2006/7 (56.83 KB) is also now available.  This provides information on the progress of our  equality and diversity work over the last year.

For more information contact:

Cherrie Mansfield
Strategy and Communications
Telephone: 01386 565508 between 9am-5pm, Monday-Friday
Email: cherrie.mansfield@wychavon.gov.uk