Introduction
Local authorities employ equality officers also known as advisers,
to look after the needs of people of different protected
characteristics covered by the Equality Act 2010 such as; race,
sex, disability, age, religion or belief, gender reassignment,
marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity.
Work Environment
A lot of the work is office based although equality officers will
need to be able to travel to all workplaces and parts of the
community to carry out elements of their jobs. Travelling to
mid-Wales may be a requirement of the post to attend All Wales
Equality Network meetings such as those held by the Welsh Local
Government Association (WLGA) and the Equality and Human
Rights Commission.
Daily Activities
The work of equality officers is wide ranging and can include all
or some of the activities listed below:
- identifying equality issues in the work place with the aim of
ensuring that no one is discriminated against on grounds of race,
sex, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender
reassignment, age or religious belief in either employment or
access to services;
- supporting the integration of equal and diversity initiatives
into the provision of all services by liaising with other
departments and corporate services;
- introducing (and reviewing) policies and practices to ensure
that the local authority works toward achieving a more balanced
workforce;
- encouraging equality and diversity projects within the
community, working with all kinds of groups and organisations
including women's groups, disabled people's groups, older people
and younger people's groups, faith councils, Black Minority Ethnic
groups, organisations such as Stonewall and the LGBT Centre for
Excellence Wales, transgender networks, and the Equality and Human
Rights Commission etc.;
- promoting local, national and international equality and
diversity initiatives and events such as international women's
week;
- advising on issues of recruitment, staff development and other
internal policies and procedures;
- providing or organising equality awareness training to officers
covering equality legislation, the responsibilities of the
organisation and of individuals as employees;
- providing or organising specific training to officers on
undertaking equality impact assessments (EIAs), the law, the
assessment process and looking at EIA examples.
Local authorities however adopt a wide range of equal and
diversity programmes and no one job is typical. Equality officers
have contact with people ranging from chief executives to voluntary
workers and members of the general public. They assess
community needs and examine responses to, for example, racial
attacks or the lack of facilities for ethnic minority
groups/disabled people/women/transgender people/people of different
religion and beliefs, etc.
Skills & Interests
Much of the work is in very sensitive areas where a high degree of
negotiation, communication and understanding is called for. The
success of equal and diversity programmes depends on good teamwork
and on successful promotion of the important issues. Equality
officers therefore must be able to prioritise and have a dedicated
interest in the job and equality matters generally.
They also must be prepared to be 'an agent for change' (ie,
assess where change is needed and develop strategies to ensure that
this occurs).
The role can be taxing and highly stressful at times. To
cope with this, it is useful if equality officers can demonstrate a
level of detachment.
Entry Requirements
There are no formal entry qualifications needed to be an
equalities officer, although many are members of the Chartered
Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). Employers are often
more interested in relevant background and commitment, although
work in Human Resource departments, professional training in social
work or youth and community is often an advantage. A sound
knowledge of equality and diversity issues and legislation and good
communication skills are all relevant to the job. Self motivation
and administrative abilities are also required.
Future Prospects & Opportunities
Opportunities exist in established units, particularly in larger
councils, although changes to council structures in recent times
has led to a reduction in specialist posts. More equalities
officers are now based in various departments where they take
responsibility for the integration of equalities into the work of
the services. While promotion to senior post is possible,
equality and diversity units are small and career advancement may
involve moving to another councils or to a different post in the
same council.
Further Information & Services
Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development www.cipd.co.uk
Equality and Human Rights Commission www.equalityhumanrights.com
Government Equalities Office http://homeoffice.gov.uk/equalities/
You may find further information about this area of work through
Careers Wales (www.careerswales.com/) or
in your local library, careers office or school careers
library.