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MyTWBC

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

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Our Commitments

We want people to have the opportunity to reach their potential and access services that meet their needs.  We want our Borough to be a place where people feel valued, included and respected in their communities.  The Council’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy sets out the objectives we will work towards for our communities and employees.  We will do this by following these commitments:

  • Considering equality when making decisions about our policies and services and mitigating any potentially negative impacts;
  • Working with Members of the Council (Councillors) to set and publish specific, measurable objectives and measure our performance against them;
  • Publishing information annually, as part of the Council’s performance monitoring, showing how we have met the Public Sector Equality Duty;
  • Listening to residents, stakeholders and staff and taking the views of people with protected characteristics into account when making decisions about our policies and services, where appropriate;
  • Collecting and analysing information about our communities and staff and their protected characteristics;
  • Considering equality in our procurement processes so that contracts take account of the different needs of users and looking for opportunities to enhance the value of contracts to the wider community;
  • Monitoring community tensions, including hate crime, and working with partners to take appropriate action when needed to support our communities to be inclusive;
  • Seeking to play a transformative role in the lives of residents who experience socio-economic and geographic inequality;
  • Making sure that our recruitment, pay and recognition policies are inclusive, avoid discrimination and are fit for purpose;
  • Meeting our obligations to report gender pay gap information;
  • Having policies in place for leave and flexible working intended to avoid discrimination for our employees;
  • Understanding the importance of mental health in the workplace and taking action to support staff wellbeing;
  • Having procedures in place to support the provision of reasonable adjustments for staff with disabilities;
  • Promoting a working environment that treats people with dignity and respect;
  • Having procedures in place for dealing with harassment, disciplinary and grievance matters; and
  • Providing regular equality and diversity training for our staff and making sure that our training and induction opportunities are inclusive.

Our Objectives

Under the Equality Act (2010) we are required to prepare and publish one or more objectives.  Our Equality Objectives for 2024-2028 are:

  1. To enable provision of housing that is suitable for our ageing population, young people, ethnic groups, disabled people and people who experience socio-economic disadvantage.
  2. To understand the barriers to employment faced by working-age people with protected characteristics so as to support community activity and partners to reduce socio-economic disadvantage.
  3. To support our communities to feel safe, inclusive, connected and healthy for all regardless of their age, sex, disability, race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.
  4. To deliver our People Strategy to make TWBC an inclusive place to work.

Equality Information

Under the Equality Act (2010) we are required to publish information to show how we comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty.

We do not routinely ask for equality information when people access our services as we deem this unnecessary and intrusive, but we do collect some information in certain instances when it is appropriate to do so.

Our main source of information about the people who live in our Borough is from the Census (2011) and from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) administrative data and statistical releases.

We also ask our employees to provide information, on a voluntary basis, at the point of employment.

Our population

The Borough population on 21 March 2021 (Census day) was 115,300.  This is a 0.3 per cent increase since 2011.

The population in the Borough grew by very little, compared to across the South East.

Sub National Population Projections (ONS, 2018) indicate that the Borough population will increase to 121,700 by 2028.

Age

In 2021, the Census recorded that 20 per cent of the population was aged 0-15, 61 per cent were aged 16-64 and 19 per cent were aged 65 and over.

Since 2011, there have been percentage decreases in those aged 0-15 and 16-64 and a percentage increase of 17.3 per cent in those aged 65 and over. This contrasts with Kent, and England and Wales, who have seen percentage increases in all age groups.

Sub National Population Projections (ONS, 2018) suggest that 22 per cent of the Borough’s population will be aged over 65 by 2028.

Disability

The Census (2021) recorded that 10, 788 people or 15 per cent have their day-to-day activities limited a little or a lot by a long-term illness or disability. The percentage of people with a disability remains similar to that recorded in the 2011 Census.

Tunbridge Wells has a lower proportion of people disabled under the Equality Act than in Kent, and England and Wales

Race

The Census (2021) recorded that 92 per cent of people in the Borough were from a White Background. This has decreased from 95 per cent in 2011. The proportion of those from Asian, Black, Mixed and Other ethnic groups increased between 2011 and 2021.

Tunbridge Wells Borough is less ethnically diverse than Kent, and England and Wales.

Sex

The Census (2021) recorded 59,364 females (51.5 per cent) and 55,947 males (48.5 per cent) in Tunbridge Wells. The number of females increased slightly in 2021 whilst the number of males decreased.

Females account for a higher proportion (55 per cent) of the population aged over 65.

Gender reassignment

The Census 2021 was the first ever census to collect data on gender identity. In Tunbridge Wells Borough 94 per cent of people describe themselves as having a gender identity the same as their sex registered at birth. Five per cent of residents declined to confirm their gender identity and 0.4 per cent had a gender identity different from that registered at birth.

The proportions of those who identify/do not identify with the sex registered at birth are similar across Tunbridge Wells Borough, Kent, and England and Wales.

Religion or belief

The Census (2021) recorded that 50 per cent of people in the Borough described themselves as Christian. This has decreased from 63 per cent since 2011. The corresponds with an increase in people (40 per cent) who describe themselves as having no religion. The proportion of people who describe themselves as Buddhist, Hindu and Muslim increased between 2011 and 2021.

Tunbridge Wells has a slightly higher proportion of people who describe themselves as Christian than Kent or England Wales.

Pregnancy or maternity

The ONS Birth Summary Tables (2022) show that the total fertility rate for Tunbridge Wells Borough was 1.6 which is slightly lower than the Kent average of 1.7 and higher than the national average of 1.5.

Sexual orientation

The Census 2021 was the first ever census to collect data about sexual orientation. In Tunbridge Wells 91 per cent of people in the Borough describe themselves as straight or heterosexual. One per cent of people describe themselves as gay or lesbian and one per cent described themselves as bisexual. Seven per cent of people declined to confirm their sexual orientation.

The proportions of people who describe themselves as straight or heterosexual, gay or lesbian, or bisexual are similar in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, and England and Wales.

Marital or Civil Partnership status

The Census (2021) recorded that 50 per cent of the Borough’s population are married or in a registered civil partnership. The percentage of people who are married or in a registered civil partnership remains similar to that recorded in the 2011 Census.

This proportion of people who are married or in a registered civil partnership is similar to the Kent average and higher than the national average.

Socio-economic status

The Census (2021) recorded that 61 per cent of people were in employment. This has decreased from 63 per cent in 2011. The number of people who are retired (23 per cent) or economically inactive for other reasons (2 per cent) has increased since 2011.

Tunbridge Wells has a higher proportion of people who are economically active than in Kent, and England and Wales.

The Indices of Multiple Deprivation (2019) showed that 7.3 per cent of the population in Tunbridge Wells Borough was income-deprived. Tunbridge Wells Borough is ranked 255th most income deprived out of 316 authorities.

The Census (2021) also measures deprivation across four dimensions. Overall, 45 per cent of 48,223 households are deprived in one or more dimensions. This has decreased from 49 per cent in 2011. In Tunbridge Wells Borough, there are more households deprived in the health and disability dimension (28 per cent) followed by the education dimension (17 per cent) the employment dimension (9 per cent) and the housing dimension (7 per cent).

Tunbridge wells has a lower proportion of deprived households than in Kent or England and Wales.

Employees

As at April 2024, 43 per cent of our employees were male and 57 per cent were female. The average age of the Council’s workforce is 47.

Gender pay gap data for the last three years can be viewed here: Gender pay gap (tunbridgewells.gov.uk).

Equality Advisory and Support Service

The Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) is a national advice and support helpline for individuals who have experienced incidents of discrimination. More information is available on their website.

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