Equality and diversity at Brent

The council's new Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) strategy shares the Council’s ambitions for Brent to become a borough that is truly inclusive; where people of all cultures and backgrounds are represented, celebrated and most importantly feel that they belong.

Our borough is a tapestry of cultures and experiences, enriching our collective experiences and identity. However, diversity alone is not enough. We must actively strive for a fair and just borough where everyone feels they are valued, respected and most importantly, they feel that they belong. We want to ensure that all members of our community have equal access to opportunities and resources, regardless of their backgrounds.

Our equality objectives 2024-2028

Brent’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2024 - 2028 is a commitment to tackle inequalities and support individuals and families to reach their full potential. It is at the heart of our vision to move Brent forward together and ensure no one is left behind. We engaged with people through focus groups, workshops and staff events to capture the voices of people who live and work in Brent. The findings from these conversations have helped to prioritise the key issues and shape our three key EDI objectives:

• Inclusion: Accessibility and cohesion
• Narrowing the gap: Tackling inequalities
• Establishing an inclusive workforce

View the consultation and engagement findings.

Through the delivery of our Strategy we will:

• provide accessible and responsive services to cater for the diverse needs of our communities
• raise awareness of equity, diversity, and inclusion, fostering a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by marginalised groups and encouraging greater levels of togetherness across our community
• continue the dialogue and engage with residents, community organisations, and stakeholders to create solutions that address barriers enabling everyone to be included and feel they belong, empowering local people to thrive
• tackle inequalities by focussing on those who are experiencing the worst outcomes and differences in life chances. This not only includes people with protected characteristics, but also those from other backgrounds experiencing disproportionate inequalities, such as carers, care leavers and people from lower socio economic backgrounds. We will do this by improving our understanding of where and why inequalities exist, by looking at data, insights and community voices. Through this targeted focus, we will establish mechanisms to monitor progress, collect feedback, and evaluate the impact of our activities, enabling us to adapt and refine our approach over time
• establish a more inclusive workforce by reviewing our policies, practices, and decision-making processes, ensuring that they reflect the needs and perspectives of all residents and staff and by providing opportunities for council staff to enhance their cultural competency and understanding of Brent’s diverse communities through our learning and development programmes.

For more information about our objectives and how we implement these, please read our Equality Strategy 2024 - 2028.

• View accessible version of the Equality Strategy 2024 - 2028
• View easy read version of the Equality Strategy 2024 - 2028

Anti-racism action plan

An important component of our EDI ambitions is our commitment to tackle racial injustice. To help realise this we are striving to become an anti-racist organisation and have developed an accompanying Corporate Anti- Racism Action Plan that describes the organisation’s anti-racism journey. With a steadfast commitment to inclusion and equity, we recognise our central role in the fight against racism in all its forms and ensuring that every individual feels safe, respected, and valued. The action plan complements our focus on inclusion, particular in relation to our workforce.

In embracing this Strategy and Action Plan, we reaffirm our commitment to creating a borough where everyone feels a sense of belonging and has the opportunity to thrive. We recognise that achieving equity, diversity, and inclusion requires sustained effort, collaboration, and accountability from all members of our community.

Note: Some documents on this page may not be suitable for users of assistive technology. To request an accessible format or a print version of the above documents, please email: equality@brent.gov.uk

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion 2024/2025 Achievements

In the first year of our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion strategy, we have taken important steps to make Brent a more inclusive, fair and connected borough. From improving how we train staff to listen and act inclusively to launching new services and adapting existing ones to better support residents different needs, we have begun turning commitments into meaningful change.

Highlights from Year 1 of the strategy include:

• Launch of the community wellbeing hub at New Horizons, bringing together housing, health and wellbeing services under one roof
• Successful accreditation of 19 venues under the dementia friendly venues charter
• Delivery of over 37,000 books to vulnerable residents through the home libraries and outreach service
• Engagement of 51 schools in the Brent Schools race equality programme to tackle disproportionality in education
• Nearly 1,000 digital devices distributed to residents facing digital exclusion.
• Internally, the council has introduced mandatory anti-racism training, relaunched staff networks and reduced the gender pay gap.

These achievements reflect Brent’s commitment to building a fairer, more inclusive borough, one where services are accessible, communities are empowered and our workforce reflects the diversity of the people we serve. As we move into Year 2, we remain focused on embedding equity into everything we do, ensuring that our policies, partnerships and practices continue to deliver meaningful change for all Brent residents.