Stonewall ranking improves
Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service has climbed more than 130 places on the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index in the last 12 months, putting it within grasp of the Top 100 employers in the UK.
The dedication and commitment of staff throughout the whole Service in promoting equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) staff and service users has been officially recognised with a ranking of 119 out of 363 organisations.
This is a major improvement upon its position in 2011 (253 out of 370) and in 2010 (303 out of 350).
"This is excellent news for our Service," said Deputy Chief Fire Officer Andy Beale. "We have been working hard to improve the Service's awareness and understanding of issues relating to lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) members of the public and employees, and I feel that Stonewall has, again, recognised this. The Service is committed to LGB equality and we are keen to promote this across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.
"This great achievement is a result of the hard work of staff, unions and managers who have strengthened our performance in this area, and I thank them for this."
The Service was required to give Stonewall clear evidence of how it provides a safe and inclusive environment and how it supports LGB staff. This evidence included the flying of rainbow flags on fire stations during International Day Against Homophobia, our joint sponsorship of Nottinghamshire Pride and the increased declaration of sexual orientation within the workforce.
Efforts will now be focused on breaking through into the Top 100 employers in 2013.
