Warwickshire Police

THE WARWICKSHIRE POLICE COMBINED EQUALITY SCHEME 2009 - 2012

Introduction to the Combined Equality Scheme

Why we have introduced a Combined Equality Scheme

This is Warwickshire Police's Combined Equality Scheme 2009-2012, which incorporates our Disability Equality Scheme. We have revised and re-published the Scheme, in accordance with our duties under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 to revise and re-publish our Disability Equality Scheme every 3 years. The revised Scheme was published on 4th December 2009, as required.

Download The Warwickshire Police Combined Equality Scheme 2009 - 2012 by clicking the title of the part you are interested in below

Having one key document we believe will enable us to better promote awareness, support and understanding within our organisation and ultimately will lead to increased progress in fulfilling our equality duties. Combining the schemes at this time has provided us with an opportunity to review existing schemes, which we regard as good practice in itself. Introducing the Scheme at this juncture enables us to ensure our equality work is fully in tune with the other Force strategic plans being launched during 2009.

A more inclusive Scheme

We have set out in this Scheme how we continue to fulfil our duties under race, disability and gender but have added to the Scheme our plans for the advancement of equality relating to the diversity groupings of age, gender identity, sexual orientation and religion and belief. In this way, we aim further our equalities agenda by building on the three duties to create a fully inclusive strategy.

We have been careful to make sure that this Scheme meets the rigours required by legislation underpinning the publication of individual schemes. We have ensured too that this Scheme recognises, understands and meets the differing needs of the communities we serve and those of our own workforce. Our aim is to enable a wider, more inclusive understanding of diversity issues within Warwickshire Police and embed equality of opportunity in all its aspects. A Combined Scheme provides a focal point for all our efforts to promote equality in everything we do.

The Equality Bill

In June 2008 the Government published the Equality Bill (Framework for a Fairer Future – The Equality Bill). This document sets out the government’s plans for: introducing a new equality duty for the public sector; ending age discrimination; requiring transparency; extending the scope of positive action and strengthening enforcement. The Bill has been introduced following the consultation work ‘Discrimination Law Review; A Framework for Fairness: Proposals for a Single Equality Bill for Great Britain’, carried out during 2007. This Warwickshire Police Combined Equality Scheme has taken account of the contents of the Bill and supports it. As more comprehensive information concerning the introduction of the Bill is published by Government, we will review and modify this Scheme to ensure it remains relevant and compliant to national requirements and best practice. This Scheme moves us nearer to what we anticipate will be a combined equality duty within one Scheme.

How we ensure the new combined Scheme complies with the general and specific legal duties for race, disability and gender.

The general and specific duties which apply to public authorities regarding race, disability and gender are very similar, but there are points of difference, which must be accounted for and transparent in the Scheme. We will make sure we meet all the race, disability and gender duties by taking the following steps:

  • In drawing up this Scheme we have adhered to guidance on race equality schemes issued by the former Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) and have used the CRE’s good practice template to check the contents and compliance of the Scheme. We have also used the guidance template issued by ACPO, the Home Office and Association of Police Authorities (APA) on gender equality schemes and the former Disability Rights Commission (DRC) template.
  • We have clearly set out the general and specific duties for race, disability and gender in this Scheme, and have outlined actions in each of the duties in the action plan section.
  • We have arrangements in place for consultation with all staff groups inside the organisation to identify issues of concern and priorities. We will also consult with members of the community to identify any barriers to accessing information or services as well as identifying any areas of good practice. We will utilise external consultation events wherever possible. We will involve disabled people both within the organisation and from the community and external groups, to identify issues of concern, barriers to accessing information and services as well as identifying good practice. Information and views gathered from all consultation and involvement will be used to improve our performance, conduct equality impact assessments and inform the action plan.
  • To develop our systems for data and information collection and analysis, in connection with race, disability, gender, religion and belief, sexual orientation and age, so that this data can be effectively used to monitor equality and inform the on-going development of the Scheme and action plan. We will also monitor and update our data on the demographic profile of Warwickshire.
  • Ensure all functions and policies are equality impact assessed for disability and gender as part of the ongoing Force programme. All are to be specifically assessed on disability by December 2009 and gender by April 2010. All new and substantially revised policies will be equality impact assessed on all strands of diversity as they are written. We have updated our list of relevant functions and policies, in accordance with the requirements of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, but have also included the relevance to disability and gender equality.
  • We have embedded arrangements for the publishing the results of assessments, consultation, involvement of disabled persons and monitoring. These can be provided in accessible formats as required.
  • We will continually review our provision of information and access to services, to ensure as far as possible that we are providing the best service to all members of the community.
  • We have reviewed all Force training to ensure it takes account of the equality duties and an ongoing awareness and training programme is featured as part of the annual Force training plan, to meet training needs as they are identified. Awareness of all staff will be assessed as part of the Police Race and Diversity Learning and Development Programme (PRDLDP). Information leaflets for reference are also sent to every member of the organisation, explaining the race, disability and gender duties.
  • Include race, age, religion and belief, sexual orientation, gender identity and disability issues as part of the Force’s community cohesion strategy and hate crime prevention and detection strategy. We will ensure that gender is included in Force strategies for domestic violence and other strategies relevant to equality between men and women. We will implement an action plan, with specific actions for race, age, religion and belief, disability, gender, sexual orientation and gender identity, which will be regularly monitored by the Confidence and Equality Board.
  • This Scheme, which sets out how we intend to meet our race, disability and gender duties, together with other key equalities legislation, has been published within the organisation and on our website. Our Previous Work on Equality.

This Scheme builds upon our earlier work and takes us forward. We have established good foundations for our equalities agenda through the completion of the Race Equality Scheme Action Plan 2005 –2008, and the introduction of the Disability and Gender Equality Schemes. Through these, we have established a sound infrastructure and processes to promote equality and diversity in our organisation. We now look to moving forward in 2009, with a new action plan which consolidates our work and keeps up our momentum in continually improving our service delivery and employment practices in relation to all strands of diversity. We have deliberately focused ourselves on outcomes, and have put in place measures in our action plan to assess our progress.

Human Rights

The following sections set out the key domestic legislation we are focussing upon in this Scheme to ensure an inclusive approach to equality in the provision of our services and within our employment practices. We recognise that this legislation has its roots in European Human Rights legislation and ultimately, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The Human Rights Declaration requires that human rights and freedoms should be protected by the rule of laws and the concept of non-discrimination is central to the achievement of human rights.

Discrimination of any kind is outlawed by human rights law, and discrimination is a corrosive attack on the rights of people to live without fear of harm. Therefore, Warwickshire Police make the link between human rights and its equality duties, and sees the embracing of diversity and the upholding of equality as fundamental to its mission of protecting people from harm. In delivering this Scheme, we will aim to deliver our obligations to promote and respect human rights in accordance with the European Convention on Human Rights. This means treating individuals fairly, with dignity and respect, while also safeguarding the rights of the wider community.