Our commitment to equality and diversity

Carlisle City Council is committed to ensuring the delivery of excellent public services to everyone living, working, studying and visiting the area.

To do this properly it means that the Council must ensure that the varied needs and circumstances of residents and employees are met and that its services are provided to all without discrimination.

The Council recognises the increasing diversity of the area and is committed to ensuring that all groups within the community are able to participate in the design and delivery of Council services. To do this effectively, the Council must promote equality of opportunity, tackle discrimination and social exclusion, challenge intolerance and widen access to services and jobs – the equality and diversity agenda.

The Council recognises that the relatively small size of our black and minority ethnic community means that it has a particular responsibility to avoid believing that there is no problem of racism. We have a responsibility to challenge the everyday racism that has been highlighted in the Cumbria Attitude Survey[1] and the Cumbria Race and Diversity Partnership’s consultation with the black and minority ethnic communities in Cumbria[2].

The Council embraces its role in promoting good community relations and recognises the need to:

• Identify a common sense of vision and belonging for all of Carlisle’s communities
• Value and appreciate the diversity of people’s backgrounds and circumstances
• Ensure that everyone living, working, studying and visiting Carlisle have similar access to services and opportunities
• Develop strong and positive relationships between people from different backgrounds and experience.

[1] Cumbria Attitudes, Neighbourhood and Diversity in Cumbria, Cumbria County Council, Summer 2004

[2] Multi-agency consultation with black and minority ethnic community in Cumbria, IODA, on behalf of the Equality and Diversity Partnership, June 2005