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Your school - your community!

• Do you think local children deserve the best possible education?
• Are you interested in helping your local school make this happen?

If you have answered "yes" to these questions, be a school governor and help make a difference!

To find out more:

• contact your local school
• ring Governor Services on 01245 436318
• or go to www.essexcc.gov.uk/governors

Diversity Overview

Colchester Borough Council is committed to achieving equality of opportunity both as an employer of people and as a provider of services.  We will strive to provide services that are appropriate, sensitive and accessible to everyone.  We will not discriminate in employment or through service delivery on the grounds of age, race, disability, ethnic origin, religion, gender, sexuality or any other unjustifiable grounds.  We are committed to working with partners and communities to promote good relations and to combat prejudice, discrimination, harassment and negative stereotyping.

It is important to us that people have the opportunity to judge whether the policy and the plan, particularly the actions, are realistic, achievable and most importantly will they translate to improvements that will ensure that the whole of Colchester's community is able to participate and access services.  Therefore, we welcome any comments you may have on this document.

You can email your comments to: Policy and Projects Officer or contact us using the other forms of communication listed below.

Diversity and Equality Plan

To find out more about the Council's commitment to diversity read the Corporate Diversity and Equality Plan

To read about the progress we have made on the actions set out in our Diversity Policy, please open the following documents.

Corporate Diversity Policy and Action Plan - Annual Review - February 2007

Appendix - Progress on actions set out in the Corporate Diversity Policy

Race Equality Scheme

The Essex Racial Equality Council has launched an advocacy services for black minority ethnic residents in Essex.  Please click here to learn more about this service

You may also like to visit our Race Equality Scheme webpage

Disability Equality Scheme

The Disability Discrimination Act 2005 places specific duties on public authorities such as the Council to improve equality for people with disabilities.  These duties include the requirement to produce a Disability Equality Scheme by 4 December 2006.  This scheme must demonstrate that actions are going to be taken to achieve appropriate outcomes that have been identified through proactive consultation with people with disabilities in the community.  Progress reports on the implementation of the scheme must be produced every year and a review with any necessary revisions to the scheme at least every 3 years.

Please click here to read the Council's Disability Equality Scheme - PDF version

Please click here to read the Council's Disability Equality Scheme - Word version

Colchester Access Group

Colchester Access Group (CAG), reformed on 26 October 1994, states the following in its constitution:  "The Access Group is here to help everyone with a disability that lives or works here, to access the services, premises or facilities provided by businesses and public authorities within the Borough".  The aims of the group as such are to:

• Endeavour to improve the quality of life for all disabled and non-disabled people and their families living within Colchester Borough Council boundaries
• Promote a barrier free environment
• Promote equal opportunities for disabled people wherever possible

To read more about CAG, please visit their website at:  www.colchesteraccess.ik.com 

Gender Equality Scheme

On the 11 July 2007 the Cabinet for Colchester Borough Council formally approved our new Gender Equality Scheme, which sets out how we intend to promote gender equality as well as eliminate gender discrimination from both a service and employment perspective.

Click here to learn more about the actions we will be implementing over the next three years

Contact Us

General feedback on diversity policy issues can be brought to our attention in any of the following ways:

Via email to: Policy and Projects Officer

Postal address: Equality and Diversity, Organisational Development Team, Corporate Services, PO Box 6290, Town Hall, Colchester CO1 1LZ

Telephone: 01206 282240

Textphone users dial 18001 followed by the full number that you wish to call