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Equality and diversity


The UK Border Agency believes 'diversity means business'. The Home Office is dedicated to promoting equality, fairness and respect. We will create a working environment where diversity is recognised, valued and celebrated.

In delivering our business to our diverse society, we will take care to assess the impact of our policies on race, religion and belief, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation and age equality.

Specifically we will aim to:

To create a working environment within the Home Office Group where:-

  • Our staff feel empowered, valued and respected for their contributions;
  • We are truly diverse in our workforce;
  • We nurture the potential of all our people to perform at their best;
  • We are recognised for our commitment to tackling inequality and championing justice and fairness.

We support the Home Office Three Year Diversity Strategy, which has provided an effective framework to ensure that there is a consistent approach across the UK Border Agency to delivering to the following five aims:

  1. Managers at all levels demonstrate effective leadership on equality and diversity
  2. The potential of under-represented groups is developed to create a representative workforce at all levels.
  3. We have a working environment where staff respect and value each other's diversity
  4. There is effective implementation of our statutory obligations on equality and diversity.
  5. Services are delivered in a way that promotes equality and respects diversity.

Leadership

Lin Homer is the Chief Executive of the UK Border Agency. She is the diversity champion for the Agency and believes that a diverse workforce at all levels, which reflects the diversity of the communities we serve will enable us to provide the best service possible to the public.

Actions

  • The Agency has a strategic team to promote equality and diversity throughout the organisation.
  • There is a network of approximately 170 equality and diversity advisers throughout the organisation to raise awareness of equality and diversity issues in the business.
  • A blended programme of diversity learning is available for all staff.
  • The Agency supports the staff networks for disability, race, women, sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • The Agency is a holder of the Disability Symbol (two ticks)
  • The Agency takes part in annual benchmarking exercises with race for opportunity, opportunity now, stonewall and employers' forum on disability.

For more information see the UK Border Agency's race, disability and gender equality scheme, 2008 to 2009.

Employment Monitoring Report

The Home Office is required by law to monitor the make up of its staff and how procedures impact on staff in relation to gender, race and disability.

Employment monitoring report 2006-07 (PDF 557K opens in new window)