Equality and Diversity

Equality and diversity are important to North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service and we are fully committed to delivering our services and employing staff in accordance with the Equality Act 2010. In doing this, we will have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act.
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share protected characteristics with those who do not.
• Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

In doing this, due regard for advancing equality means:

• Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people with protected characteristics.
• Taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people.
• Encouraging people from a protected group to partake in public life or in other activities where participation is low.

Our own core values, which support these equality and diversity duties, are included within our Corporate Report.

Our policies and procedures also reflect our commitment to equality and diversity.

To make sure that we deliver against the Equality Act and our core values, the Service’s Corporate Equality Group meets regularly to manage, monitor and report on progress. They consider evidence of engagement with people, staff, service users and others to evaluate the effect of what we do on the whole community. We will also publish annually information that demonstrates our compliance with the general equality duty.

For information about our workforce, you can find our equality profile in our latest Corporate Report (Appendix B)

If you have any questions relating to equality and diversity, contact Marinder Kaur Singh, Equality & Safeguarding Officer, on 01609 788574.