June is Pride Month, and as we take this opportunity to celebrate diversity, what better time to have your say on our proposed new Equality Objectives?

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is currently celebrated each year in the month of June to honour the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan.

Sexual orientation and gender reassignment are just two of the protected characteristics under the Public Sector Equality Duty, with the others being age, disability, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sex.

We are reviewing its Equality Objectives and wants to hear your views. All local authorities are required to publish Equality Objectives every four years (the things they should achieve in order to meet the Equality Duty).

Councillor Christine Carter, Cabinet Member for Corporate and Community Services for Torbay Council, said: “As we celebrate Pride Month and the diverse communities that make up Torbay, we wanted to take this opportunity to review our Equality Objectives and ask local residents to have their say.

“As a Council we are absolutely committed to respecting equality and diversity and doing all we can to improve our services for all our residents, so please do get in touch and let us know what you think of our Equality Objectives.”

Councillor Jermaine Atiya-Alla who is leading the Torbay Racism Review said: “We look forward to hearing from you about our proposed new Equality Objectives.

“In addition to this new consultation, once we get the recommendations from the ongoing Torbay Racism Review, they will be considered as part of the Equality Objectives.”

Following research into the Equality Objectives of other local authorities and based on our own local needs, these are our proposed Equality Objectives for Torbay:

1. Ensure a wide range of voices are reached and heard in decision making and designing and delivering services.
   • Ensure all relevant groups are included in consultations
   • Improve the accessibility of our events, meetings, information and communications
   • Strengthen our relationship with the community and encourage participation.

2. Reducing inequalities so Torbay and its residents thrive.
   Delivering on our Community and Corporate Plan ambition we will work to:
   • Ensure that all children are given the best start in life and families are supported
   • Tackle lifestyle and economic issues which lead to inequality and poor health
   • Ensure that older people age well and are physically, mentally and socially active.

3. Consider and if approved implement the recommendations from the Torbay Racism Review Panel
   • Maintain a legacy of the review
   • Strengthen engagement networks

4. Supporting the diverse needs of our workforce
   Our staff are one of our biggest assets and our employees come from a wide range of backgrounds with a variety of skills and knowledge. We are committed to supporting our staff and enabling them to provide the best possible service to our customers.
   • Demonstrating our Core Values, we will always be approachable, calm and respectful.
   • Create an environment where we act professionally and treat everyone with respect.
   • Ensure that policies and initiatives are in place so our staff can feel safe at work and carry out their duties without feeling bullied or discriminated against.

Please let us know if you agree or disagree with our proposed objectives, and share any other relevant feedback with us. To have your say on our proposed Equality Objectives please email engagement@torbay.gov.uk.