Equality is about removing barriers and making sure people from all sections of the community have fair and equal opportunities to access services.
Diversity is about respecting and valuing people’s differences and treating them in an appropriate way.
Inclusion is about making sure that people feel comfortable to be themselves and feel that they belong.
We are fully aware of our responsibility towards customers falling within the protected characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010 and are committed to ensuring that no group receives less favourable treatment from us when accessing services.
There are nine protected characteristics:
- Age
- Disability
- Gender reassignment (we also include gender identity and gender expression)
- Marriage and civil partnership
- Pregnancy and maternity
- Race
- Religion and belief
- Sex (The UK Supreme Court’s judgment in For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers (April 2025) found that in the Equality Act 2010, “sex” means biological sex.
- Sexual orientation.
Why it is important?
By law, we must make sure that we do not discriminate against anyone for any reason.
As a successful organisation, we encourage diversity because if we have a wider range of people working for us, we are more likely to have someone who understands our customers’ specific needs and how to tailor services.
Everyone is responsible:
All colleagues have a responsibility to ensure that equality, diversity, and inclusion is put into practice. We expect a commitment from everyone to ensure that their actions do not lead to unlawful discrimination.