Equality and diversity
Equality of opportunity and improving life chances are at the heart of what we do. We’re committed to finding innovative ways to provide excellent services and encourage social cohesion.
Hackney is one of London’s most popular places to live, work and do business. We are committed to harnessing these new opportunities to help bridge the gap between the borough’s new prosperity and long standing deprivation, making sure everyone benefits.
On this page:
The Council
The Council:
- was rated ‘Excellent’ on the Equality Framework for Local Government in 2013 and 2018 – the assessment was based on our self-assessment and the case studies report:
- is a Disability Confident employer
- promotes the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in our workplace and services, and is part of Stonewall’s diversity champion programme
Equality and cohesion policy
Our equality and cohesion policy explains both what we mean by equality, diversity and cohesion, and our main strategies to advance equality and promote cohesion. These are:
- sustainable community strategy priorities
- the corporate plan
- equality objectives
The policy outlines relevant legislation like the Equality Act 2010 and the public sector equality duty and the way we implement them.
Equality objectives
- Increase prosperity for all and tackle poverty and socio-economic disadvantage
- Tackle disadvantage and discrimination that is linked to a protected characteristic
- Build a cohesive and inclusive borough
Underpinning this work will be a renewed emphasis in embedding prevention into service delivery and a commitment to build a culture of inclusive leadership. There are therefore two underpinning objectives:
- enabling objective 1: embed prevention into service delivery
- enabling objective 2: promoting a culture of inclusive leadership
Single equality scheme
Our single equality scheme was based on:
Knowing our communities
For information on the history of Hackney’s communities and the diversity of its residents today, see Knowing our communities.
Equality based decision making
We take equality into account when making decisions – in most cases, reports for major decisions will include an equality impact assessment. They’re normally published alongside the cabinet report.
Inclusive language guide
The inclusive language guide has been produced to help Council staff ensure that wherever possible, language is used in a way that is inclusive and does not cause offence.
Equality information collection
We regularly collect equality information from members of the public to ensure our services reach the people who need them.
Knowing our workforce
For information on the Council’s staff, see Knowing our workforce.
The Equality Act 2010
Do you need advice?
If you feel you have been the victim of discrimination and would like advice and support, contact the Equality Advisory Support Service.