Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Contents
Our Equality Statement
Colchester Borough Homes is committed to treating people with fairness and respect, and appropriately to their needs.
- We strive to meet in full our responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty, and to do more.
- We are committed to opposing all forms of discrimination and unfair treatment on the basis of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.
- We aim to advance equality of opportunity, and equality of access to our services, for all groups.
- We involve our tenants and leaseholders, and we work with partners in our community to tackle prejudice and advance understanding.
- We seek to embed equality into the day-to-day business of our organisation.
- Our Equality Objectives are driven and monitored through our strategic plan and its delivery plans, and our approach and progress is scrutinised by our Board.
- We are committed to openness and transparency and we publish policies and strategies, along with their ‘Equality Impact Assessments’, which help to ensure fair treatment towards all groups.
- We aim to be a leader within our Community.
A commitment to Equality is central to our Values and Organisational Behaviours.
Meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty
Colchester Borough Homes is subject to the ‘general duty’ and the ‘specific duties’ of the Equality Act 2010.
The general duty states that we must have “due regard” to its three aims:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
- Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
The ‘specific duties’ are designed to help us meet the ‘general duty’. These say that we must publish:
- Equality Information (annually, about our staff and customers)
- Equality Objectives (at least every four years)
Equality Information
Being subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty, Colchester Borough Homes is required to publish ‘Equality Information’ on an annual basis. To meet this requirement, the document below contains data and information on staff and customers by protected characteristic.
To supplement this, we also publish below our ”Annual Equality and Diversity Report’ submitted to and approved by Board on 28th July 2021. This details how we are meeting the ‘general duty’ of the PSED.
Equality and Safeguarding Annual Report 2021
Equality Objectives
From 6 April, 2019, our new Equality Objectives are:
- Equality of Access
- Equality of Opportunity
Whilst the first objective is more externally focused (towards customers), the second is more internally focused (towards staff).
We wanted to make our Equality Objectives straightforward and memorable. Delivery is through our strategic plan and its six delivery plans. This ensures that, underneath our overall equality objectives, sit detailed, specific and measurable actions. Progress is reviewed by Board annually.
Considering Equality Impact
We are committed to equal and fair treatment for both customers and staff. This includes doing everything that we can to help ‘eliminate unlawful discrimination’. Although there is no legal requirement to conduct ‘Equality Impact Assessments’, we believe that these provide the best framework through which we can consciously and systematically consider ‘negative impacts’ upon different groups. We will always seek to eliminate, or otherwise minimise, such impacts.
- Equality Impact Assessment – Anti-Social Behaviour Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Board Members’ Code of Conduct
- Equality Impact Assessment – Board Members Expenses Scheme
- Equality Impact Assessment – Board Recruitment Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Bullying and Harassment at Work Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Business Continuity Plan
- Equality Impact Assessment – Business Development Plan
- Equality Impact Assessment – Complaints Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Covid-19 Recovery Plan
- Equality Impact Assessment – Customer Plan 2018-22
- Equality Impact Assessment – Data Protection Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Disciplinary Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Drugs and Alcohol Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Emergency Response to Covid-19
- Equality Impact Assessment – Environmental Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Estate Management Strategy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Family Leave Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Fire Safety Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Right to Request Flexible Working Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Grievance Procedure
- Equality Impact Assessment – Hospitality and Gifts Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Income Collection Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Internet, Email, Phones and Social Media Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Leadership Plan 2018-2021
- Equality Impact Assessment – Leasehold Management Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Lone Worker Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Managing Sickness Absence Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Medium Term Delivery Plan
- Equality Impact Assessment – Pensions Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – People Plan 2017-22
- Equality Impact Assessment – Performance Capability Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Pets Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Post Entry Training Guidelines
- Equality Impact Assessment – Prevention of Fraud, Corruption and Money Laundering Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Probationary Policy and Procedure
- Equality Impacr Assessment – Project Aurora
- Equality Impact Assessment – Provision of Temporary LED Heaters
- Equality Impact Assessment – Redundancy Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Remedies Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Resident Engagement Plan 2020-23
- Equality Impact Assessment – Risk Management Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Safeguarding Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Services for Older People
- Equality Impact Assessment – Special Leave Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Staff Code of Conduct
- Equality Impact Assessment – Strategic Health & Safety Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Terms and Conditions of Employment
- Equality Impact Assessment – Tenancy Audit Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Travel and Subsistence Policy
- Equality Impact Assessment – Value for Money and Technology Plan 2018-22
- Equality Impact Assessment – Website Build
- Equality Impact Assessment – Wellbeing Policy
Additional Information
Training and Recruitment
We are committed to service and staff-development, which includes providing face to face and/or online training across a variety of key areas including Equality and Diversity.
We seek to ensure that our staff profile reflects, as far as possible, the community we serve. We want to draw on a diverse pool of talent, experience and background to strengthen our organisation. We advertise vacancies through a variety of channels to try to ensure we reach all groups.
We are a Disability Confident employer, which includes our commitment that applicants with disabilities are guaranteed to be shortlisted where they meet the minimum requirements of a role.
You can see our current vacancies here.
Unfair Treatment
If you think that Colchester Borough Homes has treated you unfairly for any reason, including on the basis of age, ethnicity, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, or disability, you can make a complaint. Information on how to do this can be found here.
If you think you may be the victim of Hate Crime (hostile acts related to any of the above ‘protected characteristics’), please access our Anti-Social Behaviour page here.
Useful websites
The following organisations can give advice, support and information on equality issues:
The Government Equalities Office provides various information on legislation and equalities data.
Colchester Borough Council provides key local statistics relevant to equality. This includes census data on many of the ‘protected characteristics’ of the Equality Act 2010.
The Equality and Human Rights Commissionhelps protect and promote equality.
The Equality Advisory and Support Service provides information, advice and support on discrimination and human rights issues.
The Equality Trust promotes a shared vision for a fairer and more equal future for the UK.
Useful Links
The Government Equalities Office
Colchester Borough Council
The Equality and Human Rights Commission
The Equality Advisory and Support Service
The Equality Trust
Downloads
CBH Equality Information 2023
Equality and Safeguarding Annual Report 2021
