Further information

Valuing difference

Diversity means understanding and appreciating one another’s differences. More importantly, it means recognising that you are a unique individual with your own talents and needs.

Valuing difference brings many benefits. It helps us to understand our customers better and it also allows us to compete for the best staff.

We treat all those we provide services for, employ and work with, fairly and with respect. We also try to promote fairness and diversity. We expect all our staff, voluntary members, residents and their families to value diversity and to highlight and challenge any form of discrimination. We endeavour to support people to deliver this commitment.

Our equalities statement

Our definition of equality and diversity is best summed up by our Equalities statement: 'In all its activities South Norfolk Council will ensure equality of provision by treating all people fairly'. There are 10 messages in our Equalities Statement, which we have published on this website.

The challenges

South Norfolk is a rural area made up of market towns and villages. The sparseness of our local population creates additional challenges in providing services that are suitable and accessible to all.

The communities living in our district are becoming more diverse and this brings an ever–increasing responsibility to make sure that everyone is being treated equally. During 2005 we developed a Communication Cohesion Strategy, to recognise the benefits of diversity in South Norfolk.

Community Strategy

Our Community Strategy highlights our vision for the district as 'a place where a wide diversity of local people take a central role in making decisions about their community and its development.' Our Community Strategy is currently under revision and our new ten year plan will be published in June 2008.

We work closely with our Local Strategic Partnership, the South Norfolk Alliance, to deliver our priorities

Racial equality

Racial equality is incorporated into our strategies and plans through the 'golden thread', which binds the Council's work into a strategic whole. Through our visions in the Community Strategy, the Corporate Plan through to our Service Plans and beyond, equality is a major issue.

Throughout this 'golden thread' everyone who works for South Norfolk Council takes shared responsibility for ensuring that the Council achieves its objectives and promotes a cohesive community where people share a common vision and sense of belonging.

Related pages on this website

• Equalities Statement
• South Norfolk Equalities Group
• Equality Plan
• Community Strategy
• Corporate Plan

External links

Equality and Human Rights Commission
The Equality and Human Rights Commission champions equality and human rights for all, working to eliminate discrimination, reduce inequality, protect human rights and to build good relations, ensuring that everyone has a fair chance to participate in society.

Congress of Racial Equality (CORE)
The Congress of Racial Equality is one of the oldest and biggest civil rights groups in the United States, and has been going since 1942. As well as information on the Commission's civil rights work, the website has some interesting feature articles on subjects equally relevant to equalities issues in the UK.

Stonewall: equality & justice for lesbians, gay men & bisexuals
Founded in 1989, Stonewall has put the case for equality on the mainstream political agenda by winning support within all the main political parties and now has offices in England, Scotland and Wales.

DisabledGo.info
Launched to mark the European year of Disabled People, DisabledGo is an Internet sewrvice aiming to transform the daily choices available to millions of diabled people, their family and friends. You can search by town/city in the UK, and filter the results fo the topics you're interested in - and there's everything from banking to weather forecasts for the location you've chosen.

About links to other websites.