Sussex Police is absolutely committed to promoting equality and respect for diversity in the way it serves Sussex in delivering policing and also as an employer. Appreciating this is the best way to get a motivated and capable workforce.

Sussex Police has published its first single equality scheme. This is a public commitment demonstrating how Sussex Police intends to meet the duties placed on it by equality legislation. The purpose of the duties is to address institutional and systematic inequalities affecting certain groups of people.

The equality scheme is based around six strands. Sussex Police has made a clear decision to go beyond the general and specific duties to promote equality in the areas of disability, gender and race by adding areas of age, religion or belief and sexual orientation. Progress with the equality scheme will be reported annually.

The scheme is supported by an action plan which details how Sussex Police is improving its service to the public and to its staff. This scheme and action plan are living documents and will be reviewed once new equality legislation, expected later in 2009, comes into force.

The equality scheme supports ‘Serving Sussex’; the clear vision of what Sussex Police does and sits alongside the Local Policing Plan which sets out the strategic direction for Sussex Police over the next three years.

• The steps we have taken to take better account of race equality, and equality considerations generally, in our policies and in the way we develop new policies;
• The training we have delivered so far for our staff so they are aware of their responsibilities under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act;
• The developments in and results of our monitoring of employment, recruitment and personnel policies and practices.

The Sussex Police strategic independent advisory group (IAG), which meets on a regular basis, provides a community perspective and advice on the development and delivery of our race equality scheme.

Its aim is to help us better understand the differing effects our policies and practices have on various communities and in so doing help us develop and operate policies and practices that do not exclude, discriminate or have an unjustifiable adverse impact on any particular community.

Part of the Protect & Respect strategy, it works with the board to assist it in achieving its aims. The strategic IAG offers advice at the earliest possible development stage of new, relevant policy to help ensure we deliver a citizen-focused service.

Across the Sussex Police area, each division has its own advisory group to help it better understand the differing effects local policing can have on various communities.
An independent advisory network links the strategic and divisional IAGs, assisting their communication and increasing the effectiveness of the advisory process.

» For more information on IAG follow this link

Community confidence

The formation of these advisory groups demonstrates our commitment to policies that improve public confidence and the openness and accountability needed to meet this priority.

Clearly that openness must extend to recruitment and selection of IAG members to assure the confidence of the community in its independence.

By working with the board, strategic IAG members provide advice on the development and implementation of its work and assist in monitoring its effectiveness.

IAG members are also asked to assist with community impact assessments and critical incident management when necessary.

Understanding

Members are selected for what they can bring to the process and its relevance to the task. Demonstrable links into the diverse communities of Sussex, existing networks or groups concerned with issues of diversity are needed.

Members are not selected with an expectation that they would somehow represent a community in a democratic way as consultation through representation takes place elsewhere, but that the advice a member gives is founded on an understanding of a shared or common experience within a particular community or group.



External Reference Group – Race

Sussex Police has established an external reference group made up of representatives of black and minority ethnic (BME) community groups from across Sussex as well as members drawn from our divisional and strategic independent advisory groups.

The group will meet regularly (six weekly initially) and has agreed a terms of reference to test, challenge and inform Sussex Police’s Race Equality Scheme


Policy Specialists

Nationally, the police race and diversity business area separates diversity into nine working groups.

Its terms of reference are:

"In the context of the overarching aims, objectives and guiding principles for the service, to develop in partnership with others guidance and direction for police officers and police staff to assist them to deliver a professional and responsive service to diverse, vulnerable and socially excluded and hard to reach groups in the community."

Specialists

Sussex Police, with the introduction of nine policy specialists, has mirrored this approach. They play an important part in mainstreaming diversity across the force, acting as an expert resource and working with the force protect and respect board, to assist chief officers in ensuring force policies and procedures are appropriate.

The policy specialists liaise across functional and divisional boundaries and include:

Race
Gender
Lesbian / Gay / Bisexual
Mental Health / Disability / Elderly
Refugees / Asylum Seekers
Sectarian / Religious
Social Exclusion
Travellers
Youth Issues

Policy specialists will liaise with the ACPO (Association of Chief Police Officers) working groups; examining ACPO guidance; Home Office guidance; and existing legislation relating to equalities (such as the Human Rights Act 1998, the Disabilities (Discrimination) Act 1995 and the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000) to assist Sussex Police in meeting its relevant legislative requirements.

The work of the policy specialists will also be informed through liaison with relevant internal and external groups, networks and individuals.

Identify guidance

The policy specialists will ensure new legislation, directives and ACPO guidance are brought to the notice of the force as appropriate. Through their external and internal links the policy specialists will identify new or amended guidance as required or where existing policies or practices require remedial action.

This resource will support the protect and respect board and those proposing, developing or undertaking reviews of policies relevant to equality.

The policy specialists are currently working to produce the Sussex Police diversity scheme. This will sit alongside our race equality scheme and will provide an overarching action plan of work to progress. It will highlight areas for policy revision and, where necessary, training needs.