Decision details

Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, and the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requires public bodies to have ‘due regard’ to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act;
• Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not; and
• Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

In October 2011 the Government Equality Office (GEO) issued guidance on what public bodies are expected to publish in order to show how they meet the Duty. The guidance states that public bodies:

• Must publish their first equality objectives by 6 April 2012, with subsequent objectives published at least every four years
• Must decide how many equality objectives it should set and what they should be
• Objectives should take into account evidence of equality issues across all of the authority’s functions, consider issues affecting people sharing each protected characteristic, and take into account the three aims of the Duty.

The Equality & Human Rights Policy meets the requirement of the Public Sector Equality Duty and supporting guidance.

As Cabinet Member for Corporate and Democratic Services, I agree the

Equality and Human Rights Policy and Objectives 2016-2020.