North Wales Police put diversity at the top of its agenda

North Wales Police put diversity at
the top of its agenda

North Wales Police has teamed up with equality experts Chwarae Teg, to tackle under-representation of women and ethnic groups in specialist departments of the force

The force has been working with Chwarae Teg as part of the £12.5 million European Social Fund and Wales Assembly Government funded Agile Nation project, which aims to advance women’s role in the workplace by tackling inequality

A workshop held at the force’s firearms range in Ruthin saw 20 participants from across all departments gather to discuss the reasons why some groups are under-represented in specialist divisions such as firearms and dog handling.

Diversity Officer at North Wales Police, Sue Davison said:

“We want to dispel the myth that the firearms department is a macho environment unaccommodating to female officers. It is important that women and people from other minority groups understand that there are rewarding career opportunities available for everyone in the force in a wide variety of areas and we are proactively working to get that message across.

“There are common misconceptions that firearms personnel need to be extremely physically fit and have to work anti-social hours, which may put off staff who have caring responsibilities for example. In reality, we employ people with varying levels of fitness and offer training and support to enable all officers to fulfil their role. Our employees come in different shapes and sizes and we can make practical adjustments to the firearms to take this into account.

“The workshop helped us establish what misconceptions and perceived barriers to entry exist among potential applicants. This essential information will help us strengthen our recruitment process and ensure we have a diverse and representative workforce.”

North Wales Police is one of 600 employers the Agile Nation project is working with, offering guidance on diversity issues and raising awareness of the business benefits of flexible working

Debbie Bowe, for North Wales said:

“Interactive workshops such as this are vital to successfully identifying and tackling equality issues.

“North Wales Police have always been proactive in tackling inequality and promoting inclusion. By encouraging staff to have candid discussions on stereotyping and explore solutions the force is making real headway in ensuring its specialist units become a more attractive career option to minority groups.