The Dorset Probation Trust is committed to building a workforce that is valued because it is inclusive and the diversity of its workforce reflects the community it serves - thereby enabling it to deliver the best possible Probation Service.  

Since 2002, Dorset Probation, like most major public bodies, has had a statutory duty under the Race Relations Act 1976 and other supporting legislation to publish a Race Equality Scheme setting out how we intend to fulfil our duty to promote race equality.  We produced our first scheme to cover 2002-2005 and a second scheme after that for 2005-8.  Following changes to the equality laws, additional obligations have extended our duties to include publishing a Disability Equality Scheme and a Gender Equality Scheme.  Dorset Probation published its first Disability Equality Scheme in Dec 2006. It’s obligations under the Gender Equality legislation are covered in this scheme.Dorset Probation agrees with the national initiative to produce a Single Equality Scheme because we believe it will avoid unnecessary overlap between separate schemes, increase our focus on achieving positive outcomes, and also make what we are doing to tackle issues of equality more accessible to the public. 

We see other advantages, too and believe that having a Single Equality Scheme is the right thing to do and not just a statutory obligation.  Publishing a Single Equality Scheme allows us to encompass other areas of equality and diversity where there are laws forbidding discrimination in certain activities such as employment, but where there is as yet no positive obligation on public bodies to promote equality.  This is the case with discrimination on grounds of religion and belief, sexual orientation, age and gender reassignment/gender recognition. Dorset Probation is committed to ensuring that in all its functions it avoids discrimination on these grounds.  We also accept that we should treat these areas in the same way as we do race, gender and disability and pro-actively seek to promote equality and diversity. 

We have therefore given these areas both explicit recognition and treatment on a par with the statutory duties in this single Equality Scheme. We have chosen to follow this approach not because there is a statutory duty to do so but because we believe it is the right thing to do. We recognise, however, that some areas of work may need to be prioritised over others.

In relation to these specific diversity strands the Board is committed to:

• Eliminate unlawful discrimination
• Eliminate unlawful harassment
• Promote equality of opportunity
• Have regard of individual's specific disability requirements