Ayrshire

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this document is to outline Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board's Race Equality Scheme 2006. This Scheme forms one specific element of our general commitment to equal opportunities as detailed in our Equal Opportunities Policy. Equality is not a minority issue. It is important for everyone. As the population becomes increasingly diverse, the need to address diversity and quality will become greater.

The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, has placed for the first time, a positive duty on public bodies to promote racial equality and the Government has announced its commitment to extend this positive duty to promote equality to both gender and disability. The principle of equality is also crucial to the Government's agenda to modernise Local Government. Joint Boards will have a responsibility for working with partner organisations to draw up a long term community strategy aimed at improving the social economic and environmental well being of their local community. Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of its work. Our challenge is to ensure that equality considerations are central to all that we do.

In accordance with the General Duty imposed by the Race Relations Act, when we carry out our functions we will “have due regard” to the need to: -

The Joint Board therefore aims to make race equality a central part of the way it works by putting it at the centre of policymaking, service delivery, regulation and enforcement and employment practice.

It has been drawn up in consultation with South Ayrshire Council and we will continue to consult with them in the development of appropriate action plans in order to package our commitments into a coherent strategy and delivery plan.

As an employer, the Joint Board will also make arrangements to monitor areas of its employment policies by ethnic groups, including existing employees, leavers and applicants for employment, promotion and training.