Barnet Council has agreed a policy setting out its clear commitment to advancing equality, tackling discrimination and ensuring diversity and inclusion is integral to everything the council does.
Image of multiple people
The Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Policy was agreed by the council’s Policy and Resources Committee on Wednesday 16 June and provides an overall vision and action plan for the next four years which aims to ensure the borough is a place which is fair, inclusive and safe for all its communities.
The action plan sets out how the council will shape services for residents which actively address inequality and exclusion, as well as the high standards the council will continue to expect of itself.
The policy highlights how diverse the borough is and the importance of the local authority reflecting this diversity.
It also outlines the council’s commitment to go above and beyond the legal duties which local authorities must fulfil.
The policy was developed in collaboration with a range of external stakeholders and included a consultation held between October and December of last year which offered an opportunity for people to express their views.
Council Leader, Councillor Dan Thomas, said: “The diversity of our borough is something we are immensely proud of and is without question one of our greatest strengths.
“We want to make sure that our residents find the borough to a fair, inclusive and safe place to live, work and worship.
“This policy will play a central role in helping to guide us over the coming years. We expect the highest standards of ourselves and it will help us shape the services we provide, ensuring that diversity and inclusion is integral to everything that we do.
“I would like to thank all those who have contributed to its development.”
The full EDI policy can be viewed online.