Surrey Police receives Gold award for commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion at work

This year, Surrey Police received a Gold award from Stonewall, the world’s second-largest LGBTQ+ charity.

This year, Surrey Police received a Gold award from Stonewall, the world’s second-largest LGBTQ+ charity. The award comes as part of LGBTQ+ equality charity, Stonewall’s Bring Yourself to Work campaign which highlights the importance of inclusive work environments. For 20, the charity has been supporting employers to create welcoming workplaces for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer people.

Liz Ward, Director of Programmes at Stonewall (she/her) said: “We spend so much of our time at work, and our career can be a huge part of how we define ourselves. Every single lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer person should be able to be themself at work. From understanding how HR policies, such as parental leave, will affect them, to being reassured that they can speak openly about their lives and partners at the coffee machine, the impact of inclusive workplaces can be life-changing.

“It’s fantastic that Surrey Police has gained a Gold award for their efforts and commitment to creating an inclusive work environment, and we look forward to seeing and supporting the rest of their inclusion journey.”

Alongside the awards, Stonewall has also published its Top 100 Employers List which ranks best organisations for LGBTQ+ employees, to which Surrey Police has ranked at 37.

Surrey Police Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp said: “We are extremely proud to have been awarded this position. It is recognition of our dedication to making Surrey Police a welcoming, supportive and inclusive organisation. We know that this makes us a stronger performing more diverse team across a wide range of characteristics and an organisation that is more representative of the people we serve. Ultimately it contributes towards our overriding aim of keeping people in Surrey safe and feeling safe.”

This year’s WEI was the largest ever, with 403 organisations taking part, with each demonstrating their expertise in eight different areas including employment policies and procedures, leadership, staff network groups, career development, internal training and engaging with local communities.

Lucy Parsons, Inclusion Lead for Surrey Police said: “Having our Force recognised in the WEI for the fifth year running is testament to everyone’s commitment to creating a workplace that is accessible, diverse and where everyone can be themselves and thrive.

“We are continuing to focus on fostering a culture of inclusion with all of our officers, staff, and volunteers taking responsibility to think about and contribute to inclusion. We all have differences, but genuine inclusion means we are celebrated and valued because of those differences, this award is testament to the progress we have made, and all of our officers, staff, and volunteers should take real pride in this accomplishment.”

At Surrey Police, the LGBTQ+ Staff Network provides support for its officers, staff, and volunteers and raises awareness of LGBTQ+ issues. Surrey Police also has LGBTQ+ Liaison Officers as part of its workforce to specifically advise and support members of LGBTQ+ communities in the county.

Surrey Police engages in a broad range of initiatives to progress equality and inclusion across all protected characteristics, including becoming HeForShe Thematic Champions for UK Policing, which involved a formal commitment to achieving parity in senior leadership and creating communities free from domestic abuse.

Other affiliations include in the Disability Confident scheme which has led to significant improvements in our policies and awareness across the organisation, and in 2021, the Force continued its commitment to racial equality by signing up to the Race at Work Charter. Whilst the initiatives described above provide examples of our approach to progressing inclusion in the workplace to improve the experience of colleagues, they also support our ambition to attract and recruit candidates from the widest pool of talent; so that we are better equipped to provide an effective policing service to our communities.

To find out more about equality, diversity, and inclusion at Surrey Police visit: https://www.surrey.police.uk/police-forces/surrey-police/areas/careers/careers/equality-diversity-inclusion/