Diversity - Our Commitment

Our Diversity and Race Equality Scheme 2006-8 is an important document for North Dorset District Council and provides the clear message that the Council believes in equality and fairness. The Council believes that Equality is not about treating everyone the same, but recognising and respecting differences and then treating each other with fairness and dignity. The Council believes it can do much to assist people to make a success of their lives irrespective of background, belief, age and ability.

Our vision for Equality in North Dorset aims to:

• Ensure that services are designed to manage diversity effectively by tackling inequality and social exclusion and promoting independence.
• Ensure services are accessible, welcoming, caring and responsive to the needs of our diverse communities.
• Ensure that as far as possible, we are enabling people to fully participate in consultation over the definition, planning and delivery of council services that affect them.
• Ensure that we effectively work with our partners to pursue equality and diversity objectives across the public, voluntary and business sectors of the district.
• Ensure that we respond quickly and effectively to legislation and national policy initiatives on anti-discrimination measures and practices.
• Ensure that we effectively monitor how well we are achieving our goals to eradicate discrimination and anti-social behaviour from our district council and community

Reporting Offensive Incidents

The Council has developed a procedure through which members of the public, councillors and staff can report incidents which they find offensive occurring on Council property or by Council staff. This means that if you feel that you or anyone else have been treated unfairly by the Council or its agents on the grounds of your race, religion, age, gender or disability or you want to report something that involves a Council service, you are now able to report this incident to any member of staff and the incident will be recorded and investigated.

Examples of incidents might include:

• Racist graffiti and other written insults
• Racist or other inappropriate comments in the course of discussions
• Refusal to co-operate with other people because of their ethnic origin
• Derogatory name calling, insults, inappropriate jokes and language
• Ridicule of an individuals cultural or religious differences

We will take allegations of this nature extremely seriously.

If you wish to report an incident, please complete an Offensive Incident Form and return to mwilliams@north-dorset.gov.uk

If you would like any further information please contact the Research & Performance Team on (01258) 484018.