Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
View vacanciesWe are committed to providing equal opportunities and expect everyone who works at Southend City Council to be treated, and to treat others, with dignity and respect. Being inclusive is one of our four core values and this applies to everything we do as an employer, a service provider and a community leader. We target specific outcomes to enhance improvements towards greater equality and more diversity within our city.
We aim to maintain and exceed the requirements of the Equality Act and Public Sector Equality Duty (Equality Act 2010) and we have a zero tolerance policy to any form of discrimination, victimisation, harassment or bullying.
Further information on how we promote diversity within our workforce is included on this page.
We are proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and a supporter of fair recruitment practices. Our aim to draw from the widest possible pool of talent and to secure and retain high quality staff who are skilled, loyal and hard working.
As a Disability confident employer we are committed to employing and retaining disabled people at all levels of the organisation. We recognise that demonstrating that we treat all employees fairly is key to maintaining the morale and commitment of our employees.
Under this scheme the Council is committed to guaranteeing an interview to applicants with a disability who have demonstrated that they meet the minimum criteria for getting the job. The Council is required by law to make reasonable adjustments where necessary, to ensure that no candidate is disadvantaged unfairly, including where this is due to a disability or impairment.
We are proud supporters of the Armed Forces community and have signed the Armed Forces Covenant. We have also received our ERS Bronze Award and as part of our pledge to support current and former service members in securing lasting employment, we have an interview guarantee scheme for service members and reservists.
To be eligible for our Armed Forces Guaranteed Interview Scheme, applicants must:
- be a reservist in the Reserve Forces; or
- be currently serving in the regular Armed Forces and are within 12 weeks of their discharge date; or
- their last long-term employer was the Armed Forces, and no more than two years has elapsed since they left; and
- meet the essential criteria set out in the person specification
Please note that this commitment is to guarantee an interview for those eligible for the Scheme. It does not guarantee employment with the Council.
Care Leavers are the young people who have spent time in foster or residential care or in other arrangements outside their immediate or extended family before the age of 18, with the support of the Local Authority. As a Corporate Parent for the Care Leavers, Southend City Council takes its parenting role seriously, helping and supporting the Care Leavers as they make their transition to adulthood.
We also offer all Care Leavers within the City a guaranteed interview if they apply for a vacancy and meet the minimum criteria.
The Council is actively working towards becoming an accredited White Ribbon employer. White Ribbon is a leading charity that is seeking to end male violence against women by engaging with men and boys to make a stand against violence. Their mission is for all men to fulfil the White Ribbon Promise to never commit, excuse or remain silent about male violence against women. The accreditation marks our commitment to make a difference in our communities to end all forms of Domestic Violence.
We have a range of staff forums to support staff and promote change. The forums provide an opportunity for members to get together, share ideas and make friends in a safe environment. They also play an important role in helping shape Council policies. Our current staff forums are:
- Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) Staff Forum
- Disability & Carers Staff Forum
- OUTreach Staff Forum (LGBTQ+)
- Multi-Faith and Belief Staff Forum
- Green Staff Forum
- Early Careers Network
- Women’s Network
