At Defra, we recognise there is a strong moral and business case for ensuring that our services, our policies and how we support, develop and manage our staff embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity. It is widely recognised that diversity is good for business:

• organizations perform better when their board is more diverse;
• greater diversity brings different perspectives to problems and improved decision making; and
• our staff perform better when they are able to be themselves in the workplace.

Our diversity is our strength, helping Defra to deliver positive outcomes for our customers and be a good place to work for all our staff. There is also a strong legal imperative for building diversity into everything we do.

Under the Public Sector Equality Duty of the Equality Act 2010, Defra, as a public body, has a specific duty to show how it will eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimization, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between groups of people regardless of their age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, ethnicity, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or marriage and civil partnership status.

We all have a part to play in contributing to an inclusive society. A diverse workforce means we are better informed to meet the needs of the citizen. This will make a real difference to both the citizens we serve and our employees.

Defra aims to ensure that equality and diversity objectives are not separate to our main business but are aligned to our Business and People Plans where possible. Whilst the legislation states that our objectives can last up to four years, Defra is committed to reviewing these objectives regularly, monitoring our performance against them and updating them as necessary to ensure they are relevant and meet changing business and customer needs.

• Defra’s Equality Objectives 2012-2016

Equality impact assessments

Equality impact assessments improve the work of the Department by making sure it does not discriminate in the way that it provides services and employment by assessing how a proposal or policy is likely to affect people (either positively or negatively). Under The Equality Act 2010 public bodies are no longer required to complete and publish Equality Impact Assessments but still need to show due regard to promoting equality in their policies. Defra’s senior management are committed to continue to use a light touch approach to Equality Impact Assessment as evidence of having given due regard in its policy making.  We will be working closely with the Strategy Director to ensure that due regard to equalities is embedded within our Policy Cycle and Programme and Project Management activities.  Defra is committed to being open and transparent in how we account for equalities in our policy and decision making processes and will be happy to share information about how we use our impact assessments.  For more information please contact the Inclusion and Engagement Team.

• Completed equality impact assessments (PDF 50KB)

Workforce monitoring report for diversity

The Equality Act 2010 places an obligation on all public bodies to make available equality data relating to their employees and the impact of their policies and processes on identified protected groups.  The Workforce Monitoring Report examines the diversity of our workforce and provides evidence of how we achieve our aim of offering real equality of opportunity to all our employees. The report provides a snapshot of the extent to which we have met that aim, and provides a benchmark against which to measure progress in the future.

• Workforce monitoring report 2012

Diversity membership and staff networks in Defra

Defra is proud to be a member of a number of organisations which encourage an inclusive culture for all. Membership of the following organisations provides access to an excellent resource which helps us develop our diversity strategies with concrete actions:

• Race for Opportunity
• Opportunity Now
• Stonewall (Top 100 employer 2009)
• Employers Forum on Disability
• Employers for Carers

Staff networks

Defra has several staff networks that contribute towards Defra’s diversity goals.  These networks are listed below.

• Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGB&T)
• Disability (DisNet)
• Ethnic minority
• Work-life balance

They are formally supported by the Diversity team and have the support from Bronwyn Hill, our Permanent Secretary and Diversity Champion.

Contacts for diversity in Defra

Inclusion and Engagement Team

Defra
Area 2B
Nobel House
17 Smith Square
London
SW1P 3JR

Email: diversity.team@defra.gsi.gov.uk