Council Jobs and Careers

Equal Opportunities Statement

The aim of this statement is to ensure fair and equal treatment and opportunity for all users of the Council's services and Council employees.  This includes all who live, work or visit Pembrokeshire.

Duties of the Council

1. Pembrokeshire County Council will work towards equality of opportunity for all and will devote its energies and resources to the achievement of this aim.

2. The County Council will not discriminate on grounds of age, colour, disability, ethnic origin, gender, HIV status, immigration status, marital status, social or economic status, nationality or national origins, race, religious beliefs, responsibility for dependants, sexuality, trade union membership or unrelated criminal conviction. The Council will promote equality of access and opportunity for citizens who suffer from unfair treatment on any of these grounds including those disadvantaged through multiple forms of discrimination.

3. The County Council will strive to eliminate racism, sexism and all forms of discrimination. We recognise that this requires not only a commitment to remove discrimination but also action through policies to redress the inequalities produced by past discrimination.

4. We are committed to promoting equality of access to all the services we provide. Services (and information about services) should be designed to be appropriate to the needs of all who live, work or visit Pembrokeshire.

5. The Council will act to ensure equal access to our jobs at all levels and to develop all employees to a level that is commensurate with their
responsibilities.

6. The Council values the diversity of all who live, work and visit Pembrokeshire and sees this as a positive force to build community cohesion through its commitment towards equality of opportunity.

7. The Council is committed to opposing harassment and victimisation of residents, service users and employees on the grounds stated above and will take action to counteract harassment in the community, in the provision of services and facilities and in the workplace.

Why have a statement?

1. The Council has a legal duty to provide all services and employment opportunities fairly and without discrimination.  This includes the Council's specific responsibilities in education and social services.

2. This duty focuses on those areas where discrimination occurs more often specifically on grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation as well as legislation about human rights, rehabilitation of offenders and equal pay.

3. The adverse effects of being excluded from opportunities by discrimination and harassment can be severe.  Pembrokeshire County Council acknowledges that exclusion from opportunities not only disadvantages those who experience discrimination and harassment but also deprives our communities of the full contribution of their talents and energies.
Empowering people to contribute more fully enriches our communal life and contributes towards community cohesion.

The statement in more detail

The Council recognises that the discrimination affecting different groups in our community takes specific forms and has particular effects. We are committed to taking action to combat direct, indirect and institutional discrimination, and to afford people with a disability equality of opportunity.

1. Age

Discrimination against people because they are "old" or "young" is endemic in our society. Inaccurate assumptions based on prejudice and stereotypes are often made about the abilities and characteristics of younger and older people that adversely affect them. Too often, younger and older people are denied full involvement in decisions about their lives and are not allowed the independence and responsibility that is their right.

Exclusion from employment is experienced by many and with other factors leads disproportionately to poverty, low income and inability to enjoy the good things in life. The Council will take action to combat this discrimination and to afford equality of opportunity for all citizens, irrespective of their age.

2. Disability

As with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA), to be protected from disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010, an individual has to have a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on his or her ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Many people in our community have a disability and the needs and wants of those with different disabilities vary considerably.

The Council commits to act in accordance with the relevant legislation.

3. Gender Reassignment

The Council is opposed to discrimination against employees who are proposing to undergo, are in the process of undergoing or have undergone gender reassignment.  It is equally opposed to unfair and unequal treatment of transsexual members of our communities.

4. Marriage and Civil Partnership

The Council will protect employees who are married or in a civil partnership against discrimination in accordance with the legislation

5. Pregnancy and Maternity

The Council protects employees against discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy
and maternity during the period of their pregnancy and maternity leave.  It maintains polices to support women when they return to work.

6. Race

Racism is a powerful destructive force in our society. Prejudice and stereotypes about black people and people from the many different minority ethnic communities lead to both direct and indirect discrimination.  This discrimination is experienced as a daily fact of life.

The Council welcomes the diverse communities and cultures in the county and surrounding region and sees them as a positive force for the good of all. We are committed to promoting understanding and co-operation between our various communities and to the combating of racial discrimination in all its forms. The Council is opposed to discrimination against all minority ethnic communities.

7. Religion or Belief

People can experience discrimination because of their religious beliefs, membership of faith groups or that they have chosen not to adhere to a religious belief or group. The Council is committed to eliminating discrimination and exclusion on the basis of religion or belief.

8. Sex

Both women and men in our communities can face disadvantage in a variety of ways.  They can experience disadvantage from both direct and indirect discrimination which can prevent them from reaching their full potential.

Our staff may sometimes be disadvantaged due to their responsibility for caring which may prevent them from reaching their full potential in the workplace.

The Council is committed to promoting equal opportunities for men and women and it will take action to remove direct and indirect discrimination in the services we provide, in our employment policies and practice and in access to local democratic processes.  The Council is committed to having employment policies and procedures which will protect the principle of fair and equal treatment for all employees in the workplace.

9. Sexual Orientation

The Council is committed to creating a positive working environment where lesbian, gay and bisexual employees are treated fairly.

It is also committed to eliminating hostility and fear towards these groups where they are service users of the Authority aiming to reach a position where there is acceptance of lesbians, gay men and bisexual people as equal and valued citizens.

10. Trade Union Membership and Activity

The Council respects the right of all its employees to become union members. As an employer, the Council recognises a number of trade unions and is committed to an open and constructive relationship with them. The Council is also committed to taking action that helps to ensure that all who live or work in the community can benefit from trade union membership.

11. Education

Schools have obligations under the Equality Act 2010 in respect of staff, as bodies which carry out public functions and as service providers.

Pembrokeshire County Council is the Admissions Authority for all maintained Community and Voluntary Controlled schools in Pembrokeshire.  The Equality Act 2010 does not require the Admissions Authority to act in any way which is inconsistent with other legal obligations relating to schools admissions.  The County Council is compliant with the guidelines contained in the School Admission Statutory Code.

12. Equality Act 2010

The Council complies with the Equality Act 2010.