Staffordshire County Council is committed to tackling inequalities both in our community and workforce.
The Equality Act 2010 provides a legal framework to protect the rights of individuals and advance equality of opportunity for all. In 2011, the public sector equality duty (the equality duty) came into force. As a public body, the Council are required to:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act.
- Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
- Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
It is unlawful to discriminate against someone because of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation. These are referred to as protected characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010.
The Council is also required to:
- Publish an annual Gender Pay Report
- Publish an annual Workforce Profile
- Publish one or more objectives that it thinks it needs to achieve, to further any of the aims of the general equality duty every four years
View the Council’s latest Gender Pay Gap report and Workforce Equality Data.
Our Equalities Objectives
The Council has developed objectives that set out our ambitions for equality, diversity and inclusion in our county, in delivering our services, and as an employer. From January 2026 our new SCC equality objectives are:
- To ensure that Staffordshire County Council is a place where equal opportunities exist for all employees regardless of their circumstances
and
- To consider the experiences of all Staffordshire people in designing and delivering services and local opportunities, and promote accessibility, regardless of people’s circumstances.
Progress against these objectives will be monitored on an annual basis.