Tameside Council and NHS Tameside and Glossop Clinical Commissioning Group (TGCCG) have achieved high praise for their “exceptional” efforts to improve equality and inclusion and support diversity.

The organisations have jointly achieved ‘Role Model’ accreditation from the All Equals Charter, Manchester Pride’s equality, diversity and inclusion programme. The All Equals Charter assists businesses and organisations in understanding, recognising and challenging any form of discrimination in the workplace. The charter aims to make the workplace inclusive, diverse and equal for marginalised people. 

All Equals Charter members strive towards accreditation of various levels, beginning at Entry Level and ending with Role Model Level. The members are invited to follow a set of commitments and principles which they are regularly assessed on to ensure their services and company promotes equality and diversity for all members of marginalised communities. 

Tameside Council and TGCCG volunteered to become members of the All Equals Charter in 2019. Volunteering to take part in the All Equals Charter assures efforts to improve diversity in the workplace are effective and support an inclusive working environment. The feedback provided by All Equals Charter facilitates organisations in developing an action plan to further improve equality in the work place and services for the LGBTQ+ and other marginalised communities.  

The All Equals Charter summarised in latest assessment that the inclusion work undertaken by Tameside Council and TGGC was “beyond exceptional”. 

Several different initiatives across Tameside Council and TGCCG were implemented achieve Role Model status. This included the Equality One Scheme, the Inequalities Reference Group and the Equality Impact Assessment. The Equality One Scheme is the first joint Equality Scheme of the Tameside and Glossop Strategic Commission (Tameside Council and TGCCG). This joint scheme ensure both organisations publish certain pieces of equality related information which is in line with the Equality Act 2010. 

These initiatives aim to provide LGBTQ+ staff with an empowered and democratic voice within the organisation. Both organisations strive to promote intersectional inclusion, which means understanding how and why people’s identities influence their lived realities, resulting in different groups of people across the borough. This proactive and ever evolving approach ensures that intersectional inclusion of a marginalised groups is a main priority within the organisations. 

Cllr Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council’s executive member with responsibility for equality, said: “The accreditation of Role Model status for Tameside Council’s work to improve equality and diversity is a great achievement. Volunteering to be a member of All Equals Charter has been beneficial as it means we receive guided support and feedback on how to create a truly diverse and equal workplace as well as inclusive services for local people.

“The next steps for us include a continuing effort to sustain the initiatives we have already established, such as the continuation and improvement of the Equality One Scheme. But we are also looking at where we can improve, to create a safe working space and services for all LGBTQ+ people and other marginalised people.’’

Dr Christopher Owen, Inclusivity Development Manager - Manchester Pride said: "I am really impressed with Tameside Council and NHS Tameside and Glossop Clinical Commissioning Group’s conscious, multifaceted and intentional procedures for ensuring that their practices are inclusive for a wide variety of marginalised communities.

"By listening to and engaging with their differing communities, they have created intersectional programmes that respond directly and authentically to the needs of their service users. I am very proud to have worked with them and look forward to witnessing how others will learn from such exceptional role models."

The All Equals Charter provides Tameside Council and TGCCG with a framework to further improve inclusivity and diversity within the workplace. The action plan is to include the establishment of a staff reference group, the use of pronouns on emails and the provision of training and awareness activities. The feedback provided by the AEC has clarified the organisations’ next steps towards improved intersectional inclusion and ensures equality is at the forefront of all procedures and practices. 

___

The All Equals Charter is Manchester Pride’s programme to help businesses and organisations recognise and challenge any form of discrimination in the workplace. 

The All Equals Charter is a positive space for business and organisations to grow and learn. Supported by Manchester Pride’s Inclusivity Development Manager, Charter members have access to expert knowledge to develop and adapt everything from policies and procedures, to training and education offered to their workforce. 

Accreditation allows businesses and organisations to indicate to employees, clients and suppliers that they meet a set of values and principles of intersectional inclusion.

Find out more about the All Equals Charter here