Equality & Diversity - Working for Essex
Everything is built on strong relationships.

Proud to be recognised

We expect everyone who works at Essex County Council to be treated and to treat everyone else with dignity and respect.

We are proud to have been recognised as ‘Excellent’ by the Local Government Association (LGA). We were commended in all five areas of the Equality framework for local government, first awarded to us in 2012.

Our aim is to maintain and exceed the requirements of the public sector duty (Equality Act 2010). And we are now a Disability Confident leader in our community. Essex County County is also developing a Faith Covenant agreement, working jointly with faith leaders and partners to support our communities.

Our workforce

We monitor the make up of our workforce, and listen to feedback through surveys, panels and network groups.

You can find out more about our workforce in our Annual Workforce Equality and Diversity Report 2018-19 and our Gender Pay Gap Report 2018.

We have a range of support networks to support staff and promote change. These include:

  • Ethnically Diverse Employee Network (EDEN)
  • Carers Forum 
  • Christian Network 
  • Disabled Employees Network 
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Network
  • Parents Network 
  • Women’s Network
  • Men’s Network
  • Young People and Apprentice Network

Our approach

We celebrate difference and work to ensure that no one is disadvantaged when accessing services, employment or public life in Essex. The Equality Act 2010  sets out our duty in this area.

We provide information about how we comply with our equality duties each year and we review our equality objectives at least once every 4 years.

Our People Plan

Our new People Plan 2021 – 25 sets out how we will support you to be the best you can be. It also aims to make Essex County Council a desirable place to work.

It builds on the foundations of our first People Plan, which we launched in late 2018. Work already accomplished from this has set us on a course to succeed. These foundations mean we can rise to the current and new challenges that face us.

Everyone’s Essex

Everyone’s Essex sets out our 20 commmitments for the next 4 years.

We have focused on 4 areas where outcomes really matter for the quality of life for all people in Essex. They are:

  • ​the economy
  • the environment
  • children and families
  • promoting health, care and wellbeing for all ages

Embedded in our plan is a renewed commitment to addressing inequalities and levelling up life chances for residents.

Read ou​r plan for levelling up the coun​ty.​

Assessments

Our services are assessed by the Local Government Association using the Equality Framework for Local Government.

Our last inspection was in June 2019 and we were reaccredited as ‘excellent’.


Accreditations & Awards


Peter
Head of Essex Highways Commissioning
Future of Essex
It’s amazing what you can achieve when you are open minded.