The Confidence and Equality Board has approved a Confidence and Equality Strategy 2008-2011
We have introduced this new strategy to carry us forward to meet the new challenges of the next three years in which we must value and embrace diversity, eliminate unlawful discrimination and uphold human rights. We are building upon what has been achieved during the life of our previous strategy, which we introduced in 2005/06.
Under this new strategy, we have refined and streamlined our equality and diversity groups and meeting structures, to ensure a strong focus is given to driving forward the new strategy, and that we support and consult fully with our associations, networks and IAG groups.
We plan to move forward and through this new strategy 2008–2011 increase public trust and confidence in our services, develop community cohesion and protect the public and our staff from the harms caused by unlawful discrimination. It is widely recognised that diverse organisations, whose staff understand the benefits of diversity, are more effective. Embracing diversity and treating everyone fairly are not just the right and morally correct things to do; they are essential for us to deliver our core business. We police with the consent and co-operation of the public, and this will not be fully forthcoming without confidence in our service and us. Without co-operation, we will not be given the information, assistance and intelligence to solve crime and protect the public.
A diverse workforce also gives us access to a broad range of skills, experience, education and culture, which increases our potential to provide a variety of local solutions to local problems. Only by fully embracing diversity and promoting equality, will we secure the trust and confidence of all sections of the community.
We attach great importance to the principles of ‘mainstreaming’ equality and diversity. By this we mean that we will avoid concentrating expertise and knowledge of equality and diversity issues into the responsibilities of a small number of people. Our aim is to ensure that equality and diversity is an integral part of all of our processes, functions and policy development activity. We will work to raise awareness, knowledge and understanding amongst all staff and increase the role of managers in embracing equality and diversity.
The value of diversity must be understood by the staff that deliver our front-line services for us to achieve full trust and confidence. We will refresh and re-vitalise our work in managing difference and will truly engage all officers, staff and volunteers in this important area of our work.