Home Living Housing Housing Strategy Equality and Diversity in Housing Gypsy and Traveller Partnerships Rural Housing Strategies and Plans

Equality and Diversity

Our housing department is committed to ensuring that people accessing housing services will not be discriminated against on the grounds of gender, race, colour, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, language choice, age, religion or belief or transgender status.

The principles of tolerance and understanding and respect for others are central to what we believe.

Rainbow Mark

The Rainbow Mark is an equality mark sponsored by the Welsh Assembly Government and supported by the Welsh Local Government Association and Tai Pawb – a signifier of good practice, commitment and knowledge of the specific needs, issues and barriers facing lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in Wales.

In order to gain a Rainbow Mark, the LGBT Excellence Centre provide assessment criteria to work from and on-going guidance and advice to help collect evidence and develop good practice, including support services (where required) with rewording forms, policies and procedures.

By achieving the Rainbow Mark the Vale of Glamorgan Council will demonstrate that it is:

Working in line with statutory requirements and promoting best practice in engaging with the LGBT community.

Identifying and addressing the difficulties the Council might face in addressing the needs of the LGBT community

Making services accessible to the LGBT community

Raising awareness among staff with regard to the particular issues that affect LGBT people in housing need

Beginning to monitor services in terms of sexual orientation and gender identity

Raising awareness of particular issues in addressing the needs of LGBT people through good management practice

Benefiting from existing models of effective working practice and development of our own

Identifying innovative new ways of working to meet the needs of LGBT people

Fully aware of all legislative frameworks which impact on service delivery

Reviewing existing policies and procedures on a regular basis so that they are in line with statutory requirements and promote best practice.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council Public Sector Housing department is currently working towards achieving the Rainbow Mark.

Vale Equality Scheme

The Vale Equality Scheme was developed to mainstream equality objectives across all directorates and within the Councils performance management framework.

The Vale Equality Scheme also helps the Council work towards achieving the Equality Standard for Local Government.

The Vale Scheme divided into 6 areas:

Leadership and Management
Communication
Consultation and Monitoring
Access (buildings/information)
Language
Employment and Training

Stonewall Cymru

Our councils make decisions about the schools we send children and young people to, the care our parents and grandparents receive, and the kind of communities we live in.

The decisions they make affect lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) people’s lives – whether our schools talk about LGBT issues, the quality of care LGBT older people receive, how we respond to hate crime in our communities.

In the 2012 council elections, more than 60 per cent of those who could vote, chose not to. That’s over 1.3 million people in Wales - including LGBT people and their allies - who didn’t make their voicesheard.

Stonewall Cymru aims to help shape a Wales where people are free to be themselves, where organisations help drive change, and public attitudes improve, prejudice is challenged, and laws protect LGBT people.

Read how you can stand up for LGBT equality in local government:

Your Voice Matters

scores
Level	Status with the Council	Public Sector Housings Progress
Level 1	Available	Achieved
Level 2	Available	Achieved
Level 3	Available	Achieved
Level 4	Available	Achieved