Wokingham Borough Council’s new Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy is now coming to the Council for approval, with our Equality Objectives for the next four years.
This policy describes how we’ll ensure that we are serving all of our residents, whoever they are. Wokingham residents range from newborn babies to an increasing number who have celebrated their 100th birthday. Residents may have a disability or long term health condition, they may be pregnant, and they may practice a religion. Wokingham Borough Council has legal duties to consider the diversity of our residents, to ensure that all of you can access our services.
It may be, for example, that you need to use a wheelchair. If you do – are our buildings accessible to you? If not, what can we do so that you can access services? Do we need to install ramps and lifts, for example?
You may need other assistance from us so that you can get equitable access to services. This could be, for example, because you don’t use the internet, need help with forms, or have a hearing impairment.
We need to be conscious that some parts of our community are likely to need additional support or have particular needs. Young people who have spent time in care may need more support in their early adult lives than their peers. Former members of our armed forces may need support as they transition to civilian life.
Wokingham Borough Council is committed to recognising and understanding the diversity of our residents. We aim to provide equal access and treatment so that all of our residents are included. This is in line with Wokingham Borough’s new Council Plan, which includes a key ambition for us to be fair – for residents have equitable access to opportunities, services, and support.
These principles also apply to our workforce. We want to make sure that we’re a fair employer, that we treat our workforce with dignity and respect, and that they don’t face discrimination in the course of their jobs. Alongside this, we are committed to ensuring that our suppliers meet the requirements of the Equality Act 2010.
When we started work on this policy and the objectives, we wanted to make sure that residents from across our diverse community were part of the process. We have therefore co-produced these with VINE – the Wokingham Borough Voice of Inclusion and Equality – and WBC staff groups. We also went out to consultation twice, so that our residents could make a direct input. The policy and objectives therefore represent what Wokingham people want to see. I’d like to thank everyone who took part in this process over the last few months.
I also want to highlight some of the things that we’re promising in our objectives: We will:
Use both data and insights from our residents on their experiences, to understand what they need. This will help us to ensure that our services are designed to meet their needs.
Set priorities which focus on those who have the greatest need.
Build trust between different groups of residents. This isn’t just a nice thought – last summer, we saw how mistrust and misinformation led to violence, looting and arson in several towns across the UK, costing communities millions of pounds. The cost of additional policing alone came to over £30 million.
Strengthen our partnerships with different groups within our community and workforce.
Share the results and progress with residents.
Our next steps are to work with the Wokingham Borough Voice of Inclusion and Equality to produce a delivery plan. This work will start in August 2025.
This work is an investment for Wokingham’s future. It will ensure that all residents can enjoy and make a full contribution to the life of the Borough.
Cllr Rachel Bishop-Firth, Executive Member for Equalities, Inclusion and Fighting Poverty
