Policy

Following wide consultation, and with the help and input of our partners, service users and different Shropshire communities, Shropshire Fire and Rescue Authority has now produced the final version of our new Single Equality Scheme. This Scheme sets out the framework and plans for our work on seven equality and diversity issues over the next three years. The issues are:

• Age
• Disability
• Gender
• Race
• Religion and belief
• Sexual orientation
• Transgender

This new scheme sets out our approach to tackling any areas of inequality in service delivery or employment. It contains our three-year action plan dealing with each of the issues, to remove any discrimination that may occur and to make improvements in all of these areas.

Until now we have been required by law to have three separate equality schemes covering disability, gender and race.

These Schemes set out how we met our legal obligations in these areas. They were intended to eliminate any inequalities, and three-year action plans stated the improvements we were making The purpose was to ensure that we eliminated any discriminatory practices in these areas, to promote equality and to make improvements in our service delivery and employment.

The law has recently been revised, and we are now able to combine within one all-encompassing Scheme and Action Plan the issues of disability, gender and race with those of age, religion and belief, sexual orientation and transgender.

The new Scheme contains sections explaining:

• The policy background and legal requirements which apply to the Scheme
• How we will plan and measure our progress on the issues
• Background information about the communities we serve, the people who use our services and our staff
• The structure, leadership and work of the Fire and Rescue Service
• How we will make sure our services are responsive and meet the needs of our communities
• How we will make sure the Scheme and Action Plan are updated, and how local people will be able to have their say in this
• A three-year Action Plan, which gives us a range of different actions to which we have committed ourselves in order to maintain and improve on our progress on equality and diversity.

Please download and read our Single Equality Scheme document.