Our approach to equality and diversity
Harrow prides itself in being one of the most ethnically and religiously diverse boroughs in the country. We have many people of many backgrounds and experiences living side by side.
It is the richness of this diversity, and the positive impact that it has, that we believe helps make Harrow such a great place to live, work and visit.
Our vision for Harrow is built on recognising the needs of our communities. We promote inclusion, cohesion, fairness, and justice.
As a community leader, we will continue to bring communities together. Whether they be other public partners such as the police and fire brigade, or residents who want to make a difference in their communities, like the Community Champions. We're striving to achieve this vision for our borough.
In serving a diverse population, the Council aims to make sure people have equal opportunities. This extends to:
- residents
- service users
- employees
- elected members
- stakeholders
- partner organisations.
This is irrespective of:
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- marriage and civil partnership
- pregnancy and maternity
- race
- religion or belief
- sex and sexual orientation
As an employer, we are committed to employing a diverse workforce. This helps us to understand and relate to the community we serve.
When taking on new staff we're alway looking for ways to improve on our record as an employer. We encourage applicants from all sections of the community to consider joining us.
As a service provider, we are committed to ensuring our services are open, fair and accessible. We do this by taking into consideration the needs and requirements of our diverse community. We will continue to improve our services through the use of:
- a robust Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) process
- engaging with and listening to our communities and service users
As a procurer of goods and services, we will continue to ensure our commissioning processes are fair for everyone. Moreover that those delivering a service on our behalf share our commitment to equality and diversity.
Our Principles and Values
Our Equality of Opportunity Policy is underpinned by a number of principles and values, which are to:
- Make sure our equality policies support employment and service delivery for our diverse communities.
- Make sure our services respond quickly and are truly accessible to our service users.
- Work in partnership with the Trade Unions and workforce. Plan, develop and maintain good communication and information solutions. This supports us to deliver cost effective and accessible services and enable appropriate work-life balance for staff.
- Ensure our workforce has the skills required to deliver a high quality service. This is achieved through effective recruitment, selection and development of employees.
- Encourage partnership and participation in the development and application of our policies, practices and services.
- Work actively to eliminate all forms of unlawful discrimination, both direct and indirect that is prohibited under the Equality Act 2010.
View our Equality of opportunity policy.