We are committed to becoming an organisation that places equality, diversity and inclusion at the heart of what we do both as an employer and as a regulator. To ensure that we achieve this aim and meet our responsibilities under the Public Sector Equality Duty, we work towards equality objectives.
Our equality objectives for 2020 to 2021 were to:
- establish an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee to strengthen leadership, accountability and governance around equality, diversity and inclusion
- develop a longer-term equality, diversity and inclusion strategy and action plan
- complete existing external diversity benchmarks, eg Disability Confident and Stonewall Workplace Equality Index
We have made significant progress towards achieving our organisational equality objectives to establish an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and develop a longer-term Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and action plan.
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee became operational in July 2020. It is responsible for leading and directing our internal and external equality, diversity and inclusion agenda, providing direction championing inclusion, and taking decisions on equality, diversity and inclusion matters, both in our workforce and in the community we regulate.
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee is a sub-committee of the Executive Committee and is co-chaired by two executive directors. Members include representatives from a range of roles and levels from the business.
The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee is responsible for achieving our equality objective to develop a four-year strategy and action plan, ensuring all elements of our internal and external equality, diversity and inclusion obligations and aspirations are identified, with accompanying strategy, action plans and measures put in place to monitor progress. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy was published for consultation on 24 June 2021.
Work to complete both existing external diversity benchmarks was suspended during the year, as key resources were diverted to respond to the ongoing challenges of responding to COVID-19. However, we remain committed to working towards national equality, diversity and inclusion charters and benchmarks.