Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (DIAP) 2024-27
Our Aims and Objectives
This document provides a summary of our headline ambitions for promoting, embedding and advancing diversity and inclusion, and brings together actions that were previously being undertaken through 3 separate plans: – our Equality Action Plan, Tackling Racism and Racial Inequality Action Plan and Board Diversity Action Plan.
Our aim is for Active Kent & Medway to represent all backgrounds and ensure opportunities to engage with sport and physical activity are inclusive, open and accessible.
Our Ambitions
1. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is embedded throughout our functions, procedures, policies, and planning. (Governance)
We will:
- Ensure key policies and activities consider EDI, are in line with current legislation and undergo Equality Impact Assessments.
- Adopt and embed EDI objectives in our work programmes.
2. We are promoting a safe, inclusive and supportive culture in all that we do.
We will:
- Increase awareness of our EDI ambitions and aspirations through our external communications.
- Demonstrate positive inclusive behaviours, shared beliefs and ways of working.
- Undertake an annual staff satisfaction survey to listen to our staff and identify areas for improvement.
3. Our Board, Senior Leadership and Staff Team have the knowledge, skills and confidence to work to improve diversity and inclusion in sport & physical activity. (Strategy & Leadership)
We will:
- Demonstrate leadership at every level of our organisation and take responsibility for embedding equality, diversity and inclusion through all our work.
- Ensure that there are EDI leads within our staff team and an EDI Board Champion to provide strong governance.
- Facilitate WES (Workforce, Equality & Safeguarding) briefings, EDI training and discussion opportunities for our staff and Board to build confidence, develop skills and improve knowledge.
4. Our Board, Senior Leadership and Staff Team are reflective of our local community and with diversity of thought and background. (Representation)
We will:
- Undertake an Equalities audit with our staff and Board to help us understand and acknowledge the diversity within our team.
- Collect EDI data at point of application and promote vacancies widely using a variety of methods and via key equality stakeholders, contacts and networks.
- Increase the diversity of our staff and Board by focusing recruitment on reaching and engaging with culturally diverse communities and people with disabilities.
5. We are proactively engaging stakeholders to support, influence and champion change. (Strategy & Leadership / Stakeholder engagement)
We will:
- Share local and national insight, resources and learning to improve knowledge and proactively tackle under-representation.
- Promote stories and positive experiences that highlight people from diverse backgrounds being active.
- Co-ordinate networking and learning opportunities to enable stakeholders to share good practice and learn from each other.
6. Through our work and that of our system partners we are proactively engaging with our diverse communities and ensuring that their needs are heard and understood. (Data collection)
We will:
- Listen and learn from the lived experiences of under-represented communities to gain a deeper understanding of the inequalities and barriers faced and how to address these.
- Utilise insight and data to inform our decision making and project planning.
- Create positive experiences and provide stepping stones for under-represented communities to become part of the workforce through volunteering and leadership opportunities.
Contact Us
Our DIAP details the actions we will take to achieve our aims and ambitions through short, medium and long term actions.
An annual progress update will be shared and published on the Active Kent & Medway website which you can access via the button below:
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy
If you require further information, please get in touch with us at: activekent@kent.gov.uk.