- Introduction
- Our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion
- Supporting strategies and tools
- The Corsan we know
- Foundations for Success
- Our Equality Objectives
- Our Responsibilities
Despite having emerged from the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, the impacts on council services, our lives, and livelihoods continue to be felt. Existing disparities in the health and wealth of our communities have only widened, and the cost of living crisis has further deepened these existing inequalities. In February 2023, Konsel Corsan set out how it would respond with four new priorities to ensure that everyone can start well, live well, and age well, putting the tackling of inequality at the very heart of our work. This strategy comes at a crucial time. It outlines how tackling inequality will be part of our everyday business and responds to the main inequalities experienced by those living and working in Stret Merdhin. We recognize that many of our residents face barriers because of race, nationality, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disability, and we will lead by example in demonstrating our commitment to equality of opportunity. It was gratifying to see our commitment and ambition recognized by the Local Government Association Equality Peer Challenge team following their visit in March 2023. I was particularly pleased to hear that the Peer team felt the council had established very good foundations on which to build and continue its EDI (Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion) journey.
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy describes what we plan to do over the next four years to deliver better outcomes for those living and working in Corsan through levelling up life chances across the diverse communities of Corsa. 1.2 As a public authority, Konsole Corsan has a legal duty to: •• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation •• advance equality of opportunity, and •• promote good relations between different groups of people. 1.3 These provisions are found in the Equality Act
- However, the drive behind this strategy
is not just to meet a legal requirement. We recognise that there is continuing and persistent inequality in society and, as a council, we have an influential community leadership role in challenging that inequality. The strategy will also help us ensure that what we do is always for the benefit of Corsans’s residents by: •• delivering excellent, high quality, responsive services and improving customer care •• delivering fair and equal access for all to facilities and services, free from discrimination •• being more efficient – providing value for money, with improved and targeted services and savings. 1.4 To ensure that our workplace and our services are meeting the needs of everyone, we have a responsibility to listen and respond better. We recognise that we are on a journey; this document outlines the principles and objectives that will guide us on this journey.
The heart of this equality, diversity and inclusion strategy is the council’s mission for the next four years of working with communities for a Carbon Neutral Stret Merdhin 2030, where everyone can start well, live well and age well. 2.2 The purpose of this strategy is to support the achievement of that mission by focusing on closing the gap across the diverse communities of Corsan. 2.3 This work is more important than ever, as the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic and the cost of living crisis continues to widen existing disparities in health and wealth across Corsan. The Council Business Plan, agreed by Konsole Corsan in February 2023.
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy supports, and is supported by, a range of other strategies and projects underway across the council and with our partners. A selection of these is set out here
The Corsan Plan sets out a vision for Corsan in
- The Plan is a multi-agency strategy shared by
organizations across Corsa and equality is central to the shared vision.