Opportunities for all at Cheltenham Borough Council

At Cheltenham Borough Council we are committed to promoting equality, diversity and inclusion and to eliminating unlawful discrimination, both in our workforce and in the way we provide our services.

Job applicants

We view diversity as a strength to be harnessed and aim to create an inclusive workplace culture that respects and values difference. We can always do better and know that we are under-represented in some areas. We therefore want to encourage applications from all backgrounds and all sections of the community and we welcome feedback on how we can improve.

As a public body, we know how important it is for us to be able to demonstrate our compliance with the Equality Act 2010.  We will continually monitor the make-up of job applicants and employees in terms of the protected characteristics in the act: age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion and belief; sex and sexual orientation.

Monitoring the data and regularly reviewing policies and procedures will help us to assess how well we are doing and what action we need to take to make improvements and address any issues.

Using our applicant tracking system, we give all applicants an equal, unbiased opportunity to showcase themselves. Job applications are screened anonymously and therefore only reveal personal details when shortlisting for interviews has been completed. 

In our workplace

We recognise that individuals still experience discrimination and inequality in our society, and as an employer we will take a pro-active approach to identifying and redressing this in the workplace.

We are committed to creating a working environment that is free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination. We promote dignity and respect for all, where individual differences and the contributions of all our people are recognised and valued.

To help us achieve this commitment, we will provide training in equality, diversity and inclusion for all employees. Our e-learning module guides them through their responsibilities, identifying protected characteristics, highlighting key concepts of discrimination and underlining the benefits of equality. Our leadership programme, which is available to anyone who wishes to apply for it, provides further development in this area.

We take seriously complaints of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination by fellow employees, customers, suppliers, visitors, the public and any others in the course of the organisation’s work activities. Such acts will be dealt with as misconduct under our grievance, disciplinary or other appropriate procedures and necessary action will be taken.

We aim to promote equality of opportunity as an employer to enable all our people to develop and maximise their true and full potential. Opportunities for training, development and career progression are available to all staff, so their talents and resources can be fully used to maximise the efficiency of the organisation.

We are a disability-confident employer, committed to removing barriers to employment for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions. As with all our employees, we ensure disabled people have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their career aspirations.