Bexley is a changing area, and we are a changing council that is committed to equalities, diversity and inclusion.

This policy is for everyone and we will regularly refresh and update it to make sure it is effective.

Bexley has a proud history of strong neighbourhoods, underpinned by community spirit and respect for each other. We want to make sure that everyone in Bexley feels like they belong, can be themselves, and participate in all of the cultural, social and economic life in Bexley.  We consulted on this policy and heard that strong, safe and cohesive communities are important to our residents.

We aim to work together with our partners to build a fairer Bexley, now and into the future. We will do this by working to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination and strengthen good relationships between residents. And we know that by having a diverse workforce we are better serving our residents and being an efficient and effective council.

I’m proud of the progress we have made so far on equality, diversity and inclusion. We’ve created a Data Hub that pulls together data and insights about our residents, allowing us to better understand and serve. And we’re implementing the Social Care Workforce Race Equality Standard, which helps us tackle race inequalities in our workforce.

We’ve also supported our staff networks for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic, LGBTQ+, women, and disabled staff. We’ve been trying to get better at listening, learning, and working with all our staff to put inclusion at the heart of what we do. We know we can best serve Bexley residents when our staff feel they can be themselves at work and are valued.

Celebrating diversity is really important, we’ve flown the Pride Flag at our Civic Offices and curated library displays for events including Black History Month and South Asian History Month.