Equality, diversity and inclusion in recruitment – fairness and inclusion for one and all

Fairness and inclusion are at the heart of our vision for Cornwall.  We want to make sure our recruitment and selection processes are fair to everyone.  We want a diverse workforce that is inclusive of all backgrounds, cultures and identities.  We want to attract a wider range of diverse applicants to all temporary and permanent opportunities including:

• Job vacancies
• Work experience
• Apprenticeships
• Graduate and traineeships
• Agency and volunteers

The Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy sets out the key commitments to deliver better outcomes for those living and working in Cornwall through levelling up life chances across the diverse communities of Cornwall.  The Council’s Equality of Opportunity policy sets out how we will achieve this in regard to recruitment and selection processes by:

• ensuring that we do not unfairly discriminate against any job applicant or employee for any reason
• ensuring that our recruitment and selection policies and procedures are equitable and fair so that the best people are appointed to deliver our services
• only considering applicants for jobs on the basis of their relevant experience, skills and abilities unless a ‘Genuine Occupational Requirement ’ (GOR) exists for specific posts
• considering disabled applicants for employment within the ‘Disability Confident’ commitment
• ensuring that disabled people are provided with all reasonable support, equipment and facilities 
• using appropriate lawful methods, including positive action, to address the under-representation of any group 
• making sure that we give equal consideration to people’s needs.  And we develop flexible and responsive employment opportunities to tackle those needs.

Some of our current Equality, Diversity and Inclusion activities are:

For Adults with Learning Disabilities and/ or Autism, our Proper Job Advisors - can provide support with preparing for work and during the application process.  You can find our more information on Proper Job or contact them by email properjob@cornwall.gov.uk

The framework is available in an Easy Read format.

Some of our current Equality, Diversity and Inclusion activities are:

• Disability – the Council is a Disability Confident Level 2 employer. This means we will offer an interview to all applicants with a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy.
• Gender Pay Action plan - the Council publishes and reports our Gender Pay Gap. Work is underway to close the Council’s gender pay gap. 
• Flexible working opportunities – can be discussed as part of the recruitment stage.
• Workforce Data – is available as part of our public sector duties and our commitment to achieve a more diverse workforce.
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Training – is available for all staff. This includes: Understanding Perspectives training, Racial Inequality and LGBT+ awareness. As well as Recruitment and Selection training for hiring managers.
• Anonymous recruitment – we are currently piloting this approach for specific roles in the Council. It can help to remove unconscious biases and judgements about a candidate based on their personal information.
• Supporting the development and running of employee network groups –  These include:
  • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning Employee Forum;
  • Employee Disability Forum;
  • Women's Forum;
  • Men's Forum;
  • Race Equality Forum; and 
  • the Early Careers Network.
• Internal Skills Bank – provides opportunities for staff to develop new skills by being deployed across the Council, to support other services at peak times.

Reasonable adjustments – what support can I request?

• Application stage - we are a Disability Confident employer. As part of this scheme, applicants will be asked to declare if they have a disability. This allows us to make any reasonable adjustments. Also, we can fulfil our commitment to offer an interview to those applicants with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for the role. 

Reasonable adjustments could include the way an application, interview or test takes place. Support can be requested via hrresourcing@cornwall.gov.uk. 

• Interview stage - when invited to interview, candidates will be asked if they need any adjustment to support attendance. This could include measures such as:
  • ensuring the interview room is accessible for a wheelchair user.
  • allowing a person with dyslexia additional time during a test or
  • allowing a person with autism to be accompanied.

• Starting employment - for employment into a job vacancy, the first steps are:
  • for the employee and the hiring manager to identify which parts of the role the applicant needs help with.
  • Support can be requested via the recruiting manager or hrresourcing@cornwall.gov.uk .
  • Also, we work with Access to Work in relation to making reasonable adjustments.  Go to the Access to Work website for more examples of the types of adjustments which they fund.

Find more information:

• Equality objectives
• The Equality Act 
• Equality of Opportunity Policy
• Disability Employment Policy