Policy paper

SIA equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Published 6 May 2021

1. The Public Sector Equality Duty

The Equality Duty means that public bodies have to consider all individuals when carrying out their day-to-day work – in shaping policy, delivering services and in relation to their own employees.

The duty also requires that public bodies have due regard for the need to:

• eliminate discrimination
• advance equality of opportunity
• foster good relations between different people when carrying out their activities

Compliance with law is a given. We will ensure we continue to meet the core statutory requirements on us as a public body. We want to go beyond minimum requirements by taking positive action, actively promoting equality and building a culture that champions diversity and inclusion. There are some things we are doing and doing well but we also recognise that there is more we must do beyond this to understand and act on equality, diversity and inclusion both internally and externally.

2. Our Approach

We recognise the importance of us playing our part in ensuring equality of treatment of others, promoting equality of opportunity, and valuing the individual skills, attributes and diversity each employee brings. We also want to work in a truly inclusive culture which continues to adapt and develop.

These equality, diversity and inclusion aims affect us not just as an employer, but also as a regulator too. The diversity of our employees enriches us and enable us to better carry out our role as regulator. We recognise and value the diversity of those we come into contact with as part of our regulatory work; applicants, licence holders, and those who work in and form part of private security industry. We also see the importance of and benefits to an industry that is inclusive in its approach, and valuing of diversity and promoting equality in all its forms.

This is why our approach to understanding, valuing and acting on equality, diversity and inclusion is across the following areas of focus:

• how we ensure as an employer and internally we move beyond our core obligations and obvious areas (including improving staff demographic representation in areas where we need to and welcoming scrutiny on it) to ensuring we have an inclusive culture engrained in every part of the organisation; not just role modelled from the top of the SIA, but a culture which is led, owned and championed by our employees, across all business functions
• as a regulator; ensuring compliance in and equality of treatment in our regulatory actions and decision making, that we have the necessary controls and safeguards in place to ensure that is the case and that our policy thinking and development takes due consideration of this too, all with continually improving awareness and understanding of the nature, features and demographics of those we provide services to, regulate or otherwise engage with
• externally with the industry, collaborating with and supporting them; how we stimulate or contribute to their own debates, progress and actions in our engagement with the industry and those who work in it to promote and improve industry equality, diversity and inclusion

We will need to place different emphasis and focus at different times on these strands. However, we will ensure equality, diversity and inclusion is an integral part of our thinking about what we do and how we carry out our work and actions now and as we go forward, learning as we do.