Council launches consultation on its equality objectives

Equality Diversity and Inclusion Strategy front cover

Cheshire East Council is asking residents, staff and communities for their views on its refreshed equality objectives as part of a duty to comply with the Equality Act 2010.

The Equality Act 2010 aims to ensure that all public bodies play their part in making communities and society fairer, by tackling discrimination and providing equality of opportunity for all.

The public consultation on the council's draft equality objectives, runs until 31 July. Responses will shape and direct the equality, diversity and inclusion strategy and provide opportunities to build on the work that it has delivered so far.

The council's aspiration is that Cheshire East is an area of equal opportunity where everyone has a fair chance, and people from all backgrounds take part in community life.

The four draft strategy objectives are:

• Include – listen and involve all voices;

• Inspire – celebrate and promote diversity and the positive opportunities it brings;

• Integrate – deliver and promote accessible services for all; and

• Inform – empower people to respectfully challenge discriminatory and poor behaviour

Councillor Jill Rhodes, Cheshire East Council cabinet member for public health and corporate services, said: "Our vision is to make Cheshire East a welcoming place, where equality, freedom, fairness and opportunity are open to all. We want everyone to feel valued, to celebrate diversity and to understand people's different needs and aspirations, whether they are living, visiting or working here.

"This proposed equality objectives and supporting strategy builds upon the significant progress we have made and outlines our ambitions and plans to continue to promote opportunities for all throughout Cheshire East.

"Equality, diversity and inclusion really does matter as every single person that we all work with, whether a fellow councillor, member of staff, resident or one of our many customers deserves to be treated fairly and with respect."

Councillor Marilyn Houston, Cheshire East Council's new equality, diversity and inclusion member champion, said: "We know that Cheshire East is becoming an increasingly diverse area, as people recognise it as a great place to live and work with excellent schools and great transport links.

"Towns across the borough are home to varied communities from Eastern Europe, East Timor, Syria, India, Bangladesh and the Caribbean to name but a few, and there are currently 108 languages spoken across the borough.

"The current coronavirus pandemic has exposed health inequalities in the population. Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and those experiencing poverty and social exclusion, are more at risk. This makes our work around equality, diversity and inclusion of even greater importance.

"That's why talking to and listening to our residents and communities should be at the centre of everything we do. I urge everyone to have their say and provide feedback before the deadline of 31 July."

Residents can submit their views online

If residents would like to receive the survey in a different language, an alternative format or enquire about taking part in a telephone survey, please contact [email protected] or call 0300 123 5038.

Tags:
Cheshire East Council
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Terry Bowes
Tuesday 2nd June 2020 at 5:06 pm
I think the council should be spending money on more appropriate things at this time. They’ve already told us this virus has cost them at least 60 million. Wasting tax payers money on political bull may make them look good but it is just more waste. Concentrate on the services we pay for!
Alan Brough
Tuesday 2nd June 2020 at 8:22 pm
@ Terry,

I don’t think it makes them look good - except to other money-swigging, box-ticking politicos.

It’s the wrong time to be even considering a review of equality / diversity issues and again, completely misjudges the priorities of the tax-paying public.
David Hadfield
Wednesday 3rd June 2020 at 11:04 am
Terry and Alan,
I entirely agree with your comments.
This council just don't get it, do they ?
Pete Taylor
Wednesday 3rd June 2020 at 12:37 pm
I filled this survey in out of curiosity (being an elderly white male I’m wondering if I am now a minority, in terms of being represented).
As I understand it, this survey is not of CEC’s making but they are legally mandated by the Westminster government to undertake it. That being the case, you are shooting the messenger, rather than complaining to the instigator, your MP.
Alan Brough
Wednesday 3rd June 2020 at 2:31 pm
@ Pete Taylor

I have also had a look at the survey - It makes my heart sink.

It's a confection of PC terminology and obfuscation designed to confuse and confound the public into believing that action is being taken over a profoundly nebulous issue.

If as you say its an edict from Westminster, its' a case of "The Emperors New Clothes."

CE Council should be the brave little boy (or girl) that tells them it's dishonest, that they are strolling around in the "altogether" and that they refuse to spend our money on stuff that adds no value and doesn't serve the local community.
Alan Brough
Wednesday 3rd June 2020 at 2:34 pm
@ Pete Taylor

I have also had a look at the survey - It makes my heart sink.

It's a confection of PC terminology and obfuscation designed to confuse and confound the public into believing that action is being taken over a profoundly nebulous issue.

If as you say its an edict from Westminster, its' a case of "The Emperors New Clothes."

CE Council should be the brave little boy (or girl) that tells them it's dishonest, that they are strolling around in the "altogether" and that they refuse to spend our money on stuff that adds no value and doesn't serve the local community.
Tony Haluradivth
Saturday 6th June 2020 at 5:21 pm
We are being softened up as many dinghies are crossing the Channel and we will be told we are not taking our fair share of Economic migrants. I very specifically use the term economic migrants as a former refugee myself we were welcomed into the UK before the war, fleeing both the Stalinist and Nazi scourge in Eastern Europe. Our family paid the legal passage and my older brother donned the Kings colours and fought proudly as a Jew in the British army in our adopted country. I make the distinction between Economic Migrant and Refugee as there are NO refugees fleeing oppression in France as France is a safe country. They choose to come to the UK because of our generous welfare system and no questions asked manner. I am sorry to say there are very dark forces at work in the world today and this vile pandemic is helping the wrong people with agendas. (Look up UN Agenda 21 it exists folks you will shape up or be cancelled). Our family regarded the Leftist Stalinist scourge as equally dangerous and evil as the Nazis. I am afraid I have zero tolerance for Marxism by the back door and I have a low regard for a Labour leader squatting in CEC and I urge everyone to be vigilant and clamour for the repeal of all Emergency laws post pandemic
Tony Haluradivth
Saturday 6th June 2020 at 6:11 pm
I have just perused said document and it is a shocking waste of our money seeking to sow division where there is none. Full of nonsense jargon and utterly appalling grammar errors which were approved for publication. I urge residents to look at the "Cheshire Village" section I do NOT believe the number referenced for people transitioning in Cheshire East and WHAT is a "pegnant" woman? There is going to be " a hard rain coming" post pandemic and this waste of money comes across comes across as patronising, self indulgent and plain preachy, laced with copious amounts Woke jargon. CEC will be needing to make huge cutbacks in the awful "new normal" world so I suggest they start the cutbacks with the people responsible for this appallingly bad Marxist pamphlet.
Kriss Coombes
Sunday 7th June 2020 at 11:16 am
Tony,
I think Pete Taylor is correct and maybe you should direct your comments to our M.P. not
Cheshire E. Council, who have little choice but to comply with The Public Sector Equalities Duty, (part of The Government Equalities Office). Should you get a response it would be lovely if you could share it with us.
Tony Haluradivth
Sunday 7th June 2020 at 1:26 pm
Thanks I will try Kris though do not hold out much hope in the current febrile atmosphere where because Glasto' is cancelled the hordes have discovered they are all BLM activists and social distancing goes out the window. Authorities are running scared of Activists at the moment. ( Plus, why are Police Horses are targeted violently for the deeds of a Psychotic Cop 3000 miles away.) I stand by my comment that someone at CEC should have proof read that dog's dinner mess of a brochure. The world is now truly mad even JK Rowlings is being called a TERF by trans activists...one mother complained to her on Twitter about her son being brainwashed in School by the Trans activists as he questioned his Mum as to whether she really was a woman despite the fact she had birthed him. This chaos being stirred up by the hard left at the moment is very deliberate folks. They are trying to create divisions with their identity politics and it starts in the Schools . Read some Solzhenitsyn...my parents lived through the early Stalinist madness in the 20's and 30's where you were not just de-platformed for the wrong views but you wrre disappeared also (after a very public shaming). All tactics of hard left bullies which is why I find the phrase "cancelling" someone to be very sinister.
Chris Jones
Monday 8th June 2020 at 8:10 am
This survey is nothing more than a document to help protect the thugs that were causing social unrest, violence, looting, across major cities this weekend.
Tony Haluradivth
Monday 8th June 2020 at 7:51 pm
Chris Jones well said. Some of the aims of groups like BLM and the white middle class anarcho groups who hang on their coat tails include abolishment of prisons and defunding the Police. The Police in UK are very temperate almost passive compared to 20 or 30 years ago. We have made great progress since the Macpherson report and are bending over ourselves to be inclusive and tolerant . I have had a good life in the UK (not a rich life but a safe and welcoming life here) . Churchill, the RAF and the RN and Army kept me safe as a boy from the dreadful rampage of Hitler. One uncle chose the safety of Antwerp pre war and would not come to London as refugees with us. Sadly he and his family perished in a death camp. The UK kept me and my family safe it is the most tolerant country imaginable and yet some WILL NEVER BE HAPPY it was truly dusgusting to see some brat climb on the Cenotaph and try and burn the flags and on DDay memorial weekend, the contrast between hi. And the young men ,( many compatriots of my brother) sacrificed their lives on those dreadul Normandy beaches, the cowardice and nonsensical thuggery and vandalism on display made me want to weep . These protests are all about causing division and unrest and the level of hypocrisy on the far Left is truly mind boggling
Robin Pye
Thursday 25th June 2020 at 8:48 am
I am please to read that the Council has a vision to 'to make Cheshire East a welcoming place, where equality, freedom, fairness and opportunity are open to all. We want everyone to feel valued, to celebrate diversity and to understand people's different needs and aspirations, whether they are living, visiting or working here'.

Let us consider the opposite of this.

Imagine of it was the vision of the Council 'to make Cheshire East an unwelcoming place, where inequality is the norm and some people are denied fairness and opportunity. We think some people will feel valued here and others, not so much. We think diversity is a bad thing, if you don't fit in with the majority then what are you even doing here? We will never meet everybody's needs so we will just continue to meet the needs of those whose needs are already being met'.

It would be terrible wouldn't it if this was the vision of our Council? Who could support such a position?

It would be almost as bad if this was the reality of living in Cheshire East for some of our neighbours. I wonder if it is? I think we should find out. Because if it is we should do something about it. Don't you think?