Equality and Diversity
The Council is committed to furthering equal opportunities and values diversity. These pages provide information about how we demonstrate these commitments in our working practices.
The Equality Act 2010 replaced many separate anti-discrimination laws with a single Act. It also strengthened the law in important ways and extends protection against discrimination on the basis of: race, disability, sex, gender re-assignment, marriage and civil partnership, sexual orientation, age, religion or belief, and pregnancy and maternity.
Public bodies and other organisations carrying out public functions have an Equality Duty. This Duty consists of a general duty and specific duties. The general duty has three aims which requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to:
- eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation;
- advance equality of opportunity between people from different groups; and
- foster good relations between people from different groups.
The specific duties are requirements designed to help public bodies meet the general duty. They require public bodies to:
- publish information to show their compliance with the Equality Duty annually;
- set and publish at least one measurable equality objective that furthers the three aims of the Equality Duty and then again at least every four years.
The Council has adopted two Corporate Equality Objectives for 2022-2026. Information about these objectives, what we hope to achieve and how we will measure our progress can be found here. (Word doc) [15KB] .
The Council has met these specific duties. The Council's overall approach to equality and diversity is set out in its Statement of Commitment to Equality & Diversity Statement of Commitment to Equality & Diversity 2024 (PDF) [195KB] .
EASS Helpline - advice available on equality & human rights issues
The Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) advises and assists individuals on issues relating to equality and human rights across the UK. It also accepts referrals from organisations which may not have the resources to provide in-depth advice to users of their services.
The helpline is available Monday through Friday from 9am to 7pm and on Saturday from 10am to 2pm.
Telephone 0808 800 0082 Text phone 0808 800 0084
Web chat is also available via the EASS website here.
Understanding Diversity
The Council works closely with many other service providers, both voluntary and public, across the Borough to understand the needs of service users from minority or marginalised groups. Sharing knowledge and experiences with partners improves understanding among local service providers of the needs of local people.
The Diversity Profile for Gosport provides a snapshot of information about the Borough's population against the protected characteristics covered under the Equality Act 2010 based on available data from the 2021 Census and other reliable sources.
Equality Impact Assessments
The Council tries to understand the diverse needs of its staff and customers when developing and implementing policies and strategies and when making key decisions. To do this, equality impact assessments (EIAs) are valuable tools to help understand the affect these may have on different groups of people and to help us ensure no discrimination is taking place. The Council uses EIAs during the development stage of new policies and strategies, when considering significant changes to existing policies and strategies and when considering financial decisions.
We are always interested in improving the information we provide on these pages and welcome any comments. If you have any enquires or comments you wish to make, please contact us on equalities@gosport.gov.uk or ring the Corporate Policy and Community Safety Section on 023 9254 5695.
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