Equality & Diversity

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 our plan for levelling up the county.

Organisation Strategy

These objectives are set out in our Organisation Strategy which is aligned to our strategic aims.

Enable Inclusive Economic Growth
Help people get the best start and age well
Help create great places to grow up, live and work
Transform the Council to achieve more with less

Enable Inclusive Economic Growth
- Help people in Essex prosper by increasing their skills
- Enable Essex to attract and grow large firms in high growth industries
- Target economic development to areas of opportunity
We will tackle the causes of disadvantage, ensuring that all Essex residents can access good jobs and an excellent education, regardless of their background.
Help people get the best start and age well
- Help keep vulnerable children safer and enable them to fulfil their potential
- Enable more vulnerable adults to live independent of social care
- Improve the health of people in Essex
We will remove the obstacles that hold Essex residents back, tackling inequalities between children and supporting older people to live independently with dignity.
Help create great places to grow up, live and work
- Help to secure stronger, safer and more neighbourly communities
- Help secure sustainable development and protect the environment
- Facilitate growing communities and new homes
We will help make it easier for people to travel across Essex, bringing communities together and connecting people to services, employment and learning opportunities.
Transform the Council to achieve more with less
- Limit cost and drive growth in revenue
- Develop the capability, performance and engagement of our people
- Re-imagine how residents’ needs can be met in a digital world
We will employ a diverse workforce, drawing on the different values and experiences that reflect the communities we serve.