Equality & Diversity
Merseyside Fire & Rescue Service is firmly committed and aims to create a culture that respects and values each other's differences and to secure genuine equality of opportunity in all aspects of our activities. This applies to job applicants, employees, volunteers and users of the organisation's services.
To achieve this aim MF&RS is committed to:-
- Improving equality of opportunity for all by adhering to the statutory legal requirements and, where possible, by exceeding them.
- Creating a harassment-free working environment for all.
- Continually examining and reviewing procedures for appointment, transfer, promotion and training to ensure non-discrimination in the selection process.
- Providing staff with training and guidance to ensure they understand the Equality and Diversity Policy and their responsibilities under it.
- Regularly monitoring the composition of the workforce and publishing the results.
- Where appropriate, taking positive action to encourage application from underrepresented groups within the workforce.
- Providing all reasonable facilities and adjustments to maximize access to the services provided by MFRS for people with disabilities.
- Investigating fully and swiftly all complaints of discrimination, victimization and harassment and taking appropriate action.
The Equality Act 2010
The Equality Act 2010 replaces the previous anti-discrimination laws with a
single Act. It simplifies the law, removing inconsistencies and making it easier
for people to understand and comply with it. It also strengthens the law in
important ways, to help tackle discrimination and inequality. The majority of
the Act came into force on 1 October 2010.
The public sector Equality Duty, of the Equality Act, requires public bodies to
consider all individuals when carrying out their day to day work – in shaping
policy, in delivering services and in relation to their own employees. It
requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to eliminate
discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations
between different people when carrying out their activities.
In line with the responsibilities placed upon MFRS we have developed and
published a number of Equality Objectives. These are as follows;
- In the past ten years Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service has reduced accidental
fires in the home by 37% and we will continue to build on this work through the
use of our customer insight modeling and our station planning process to target
individuals at risk and reduce accidental fires in the home and the deaths and
injuries they cause on Merseyside by a further 5% by 2017.
- We will reduce risk for people who live in rented properties across Merseyside
by continuing to build productive relationships with Registered Social Landlords
to cut accidental kitchen fires in social housing by 5% by 2017.
- We will continue to engage with young people in vulnerable areas through our
award winning youth engagement programmes with the aim of reducing deliberate
antisocial behaviour fire setting by 5% by 2017.
- We will work with at risk groups and local partners to contribute to the
reduction in the number and severity of road traffic collisions across
Merseyside to work towards achieving the local target of reducing the number of
people killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions by 37.5% by 2020.
- Our aim is to create a strong cohesive organisation which is positive about
rising to the future challenges we face. To achieve this our aim is to increase
the representation of all minority groups within the communities of Merseyside
in the Fire and Rescue Service by ensuring all future firefighter recruit
courses have a minimum make up of 20% female and 8% black minority ethnic
employees by 2017.
Our Equality Objectives have been incorporated into our Integrated Risk
Management Plan (click here). Here you can find more detail and context around
them and how they were developed in consultation with staff, stakeholders,
representative bodies and communities across Merseyside.
Documentation
Profile of Merseyside
(Demography, Equality & Diversity)
Equality Analysis of Workforce and Employment
Data as at 1.12.2012
Promoting Equalities & Diversity
on Merseyside- An Intentional Inclusion Strategy 2010 - 2013
Fire and Rescue Service
Equality Framework Pilot Peer Review at Excellent
Fire and Rescue Service
Excellence Self Assessment
Merseyside Fire & Rescue
Service Gender Equalities Scheme 2007 - 2009
Merseyside Fire & Rescue
Service Race Equalities Scheme 2006
- 2009
Reaching all Communities on Merseyside Handbook
Merseyside Fire & Rescue
Service Disability Equality Scheme 2006
- 2009
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service workforce Breakdown 16-01-2012
Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service IRMP 2011-2012
Campaigns
Liverpool Pride -
www.liverpoolpride.co.uk
World Aids Day -
www.worldaidsday.org
Homotopia -
www.homotopia.net
IDAHO - www.dayagainsthomophobia.org
Links to external agencies
Equality Human Rights Commision (EHRC) - www.equalityhumanrights.com
Stonewall -
www.stonewall.org.uk
Local Government Improvement and Development (LGID) - www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=1
Networking Women in The Fire Service (NWFS) - www.nwfs.net
Asian Fire Service Association (AFSA) - www.afsa.co.uk
National Disabled Fire Association (NDFA) - www.ndfa.info
Contact Us
If you require more information about our Equality and Diversity please:-
email:diversityteam@merseyfire.gov.uk
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