Equality, diversity and inclusion

We want to attract, retain and develop the very best people to build a diverse and talented workforce.

Welcoming you

We welcome applications from individuals of different backgrounds, identities, and experiences, as we know that this strengthens our ability to serve our community.

We know that when people feel respected, valued and included they can do their best work.

When you join us, we will listen to your ideas and the different perspectives you bring to the workplace. We celebrate diversity and understand its benefits. We want you to bring your whole self to work.

Fair recruitment

Our recruitment process is open and fair to everyone. We treat all candidates fairly and with respect. We believe our workforce should be representative of local people.

Our selection process is based on the quality of a candidate’s application and interview. You will be assessed on how your experience meets the requirements of the job.

We are committed to promoting equality. All applicants will be considered equally regardless of age, care experience, disability, gender reassignment, marriage/civil partnership, pregnancy/maternity, race, religion/belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Find out more about our recruitment process.

Our commitment to equality

Disability Confident Employer

We are proud to be part of the Disability Confident Scheme. The scheme helps to remove barriers for people with disabilities seeking employment.

If you are considering applying for a role with us and have a disability, we encourage you to let us know as part of your application. If you meet all the essential criteria, you will be offered a guaranteed interview, meaning you will be automatically invited to attend an interview alongside all other shortlisted applicants.

We can also provide reasonable adjustments at any stage of the recruitment process to help you feel comfortable and be able to perform at your best.

This may include providing you with extra time at your interview or providing information in a different format or changes to interview arrangements.

Some examples of the changes we could make include:

providing job descriptions and application forms in different formats such as print, large print or braille
providing additional time during an interview
sharing interview questions in advance of the interview

If you would like to discuss any reasonable adjustments we can make to help you with your application please contact our Human Resources Team via email recruitment@torbay.gov.uk or phone them on 01803 207392. They can discuss with you what adjustments can be made to make sure your needs are met.

People with care experience

We recognise that individuals with experience of the care system are more likely to face barriers to securing employment, alongside facing additional challenges throughout their lives. In light of this, we treat care experience as though it is a protected characteristic.

In practice this means that applicants with experience of the care system, who are aged under 25 and under the Care of Torbay Council and meet all the essential criteria for the role they are applying for will be offered a priority interview.

A priority interview means eligible applicants will be invited to interview ahead of all other candidates. If a priority applicant is successful at interview they will be offered the role.

If a priority applicant is not successful, the recruitment process will continue with the wider pool of applicants.

Armed Forces Covenant

If you are serving, or have served in HM Armed Forces, the Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation to make sure you and your family, as part of the Armed Forces community, are treated fairly when you access services, and do not suffer a detriment compared to other citizens. Special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given most, such as the injured and the bereaved.

Our commitment to you is if you are a military veteran applying for a role and you meet all the essential criteria, you will be offered a guaranteed interview. This means you will be automatically invited to attend an interview alongside all other shortlisted applicants.

Find out more about the covenant

Fostering friendly

We are a proud member of the Fostering Network. This means that we actively support our employees who are foster carers, through schemes such as additional paid leave. We also provide a flexible working pattern for our foster carers. Having this accreditation means we can support those who are already foster carers and encourage our colleagues who may be thinking of taking the step to do so.

Our commitment to carers

We understand that many of our colleagues have duties outside of their working hours, and that some provide unpaid care for a family member or friend. We know how difficult it can be to combine caring for someone with full-time or part-time employment. Find out more about the support we have put in place to help our employees who are carers

Mindful Employer

We've been recognised by Mindful Employer since 2011 as an employer which is committed to supporting the mental health of staff.

Why we ask about you when you apply for a job

When you apply for a job with us, we ask you to consider providing information such as your age, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity and if you have a disability. We use this information to analyse the diversity of job applicants and assess our recruitment practices.

Providing this information is voluntary. We value your privacy and will treat your sensitive information confidentially and with care. It will not affect your job application.

We publish data about our workforce, not only to help us meet our legal duties, but also to help us to best support our workforce and address any areas of under representation.