Equality & Diversity

Shetland Islands Council is committed to promotting equailty of opportunity and good community relations. Shetland’s community statement contains the following statements:

We’ll seek to create fulfilling, well paid jobs for all, whatever their talent
Foster confident, thriving communities across Shetland
Promote justice and equality, here and overseas
Expand knowledge, extend opportunities and improve access

Shetland’s community statement can be found here: The Shetland Resolution

Shetland Community Planning Partnership, as part of their obligations under the Local Government Act (2003), is committed to promoting equalities, and through the Single Outcome Agreement approach, all Community Planning Partners have committed to embedding equalities in their service delivery. Local outcomes within Shetland’s Single Outcome Agreement seek to promote equality of opportunity across the whole population of Shetland and contribute to the indicators that have been developed to monitor progress. The Council’s Corporate Plan 2010-2012 commits to deliver on the Single Outcome Agreement.

The Equality Framework is the Council's single equality scheme.

The Equality Act 2010 puts new reponsibility put on Local Authorities regarding Equality and Diversity.

The Equality Act 2010

A new Equality Act came into force on 1 October 2010. The Equality Act brings together over 116 separate pieces of legislation into one single Act. Combined, they make up a new Act that provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all.

The Act simplifies, strengthens and harmonises the current legislation to provide Britain with a new discrimination law which protects individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a fair and more equal society.

Under the Act there is now a single public sector duty covering eight protected characteristsics. The protected characteristsics are:

Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Pregnancy and maternity
Race
Religion and belief
Sex
Sexual Orientation

The Act also:

Strengthens disabled people's protection from discrimination
Protects people from discrimination by association and perception
Introduces Positive Action in recruitment and promotion which gives greater scope to address deficits in the workforce
Strengthens the powers of employment tribunals
Strengthens the protection for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers
Bans discrimination in private members' clubs

Policy
Shetland Islands Council
Town Hall
Hillhead
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0HB

Phone: (01595) 744510
Email: policy@shetland.gov.uk