Commited to equality
We want the Department to be a place of diversity, fairness and equality. Whether dealing with staff or members of the public, we aim to treat everyone with respect and to be an organisation that values cultural richness and ethnic diversity.
Part of this commitment is publishing an honest appraisal of how well we have done.
We are legally obliged to review our progress on racial equality every three years - a review that covers the effects of our policies as well as how we act as an organisation.
This document is our review. It looks at what we have achieved since our progress report last year, and outlines our plans for the next three years. It also includes an assessment of our performance on other aspects of diversity - like disability and sexual equality.
We want this document to be as clear and simple as possible. If any part of it does not make sense, or you have any questions about it, please get in touch and we will be happy to tell you more.
What we are doing
Each part of our Department including our customer-facing businesses:
- Jobcentre Plus;
- The Pension Service;
- Child Support Agency;
- Disability and Carers Service;
- Appeals Service; and
- The Rent Service
has its own action plan. In each case, we publicise and explain our plans to our staff.
We have recently received feedback from the Commission for Racial Equality on our last scheme and some recommendations from the Department's Select Committee in their report 'Department for Work and Pensions: The Delivery of Services to Ethnic Minority Clients'. We will take these into account when we review our plans.