Merseyside Police celebrates National Inclusion Week 2020

Everyone who works for Merseyside Police is unique. We have different life experiences, think differently and have different ethnicity, religion, sexuality and gender. Some of us have disabilities, or work flexibility to achieve our goals.

So this week we will be celebrating the diverse nature of the people who work across the force by taking part in this year's National Inclusion Week (Monday, 28 September – Sunday, 4 October).

The national theme for the 2020 is “Each One, Reach One”, and it has been designed to bring people and organisations together to inspire each other to celebrate and support inclusion.

Across the week each department within the force will be taking part in a range of different activities to get the whole force sharing, learning, promoting and celebrating inclusivity. The activities include: webinars; talks from key speakers from a diverse range of backgrounds and local community groups; discussions on unconscious bias, neurodiversity, and the menopause.

Head of People Services, Chief Superintendent Claire Richards said: “All of our officers, staff and volunteers share one common goal - an overwhelming desire to improve the lives of our communities, and every day we work together to make this happen.

“Our People Strategy sets out how we will continue to recruit and keep diverse talent in all parts of our force and how we will continue to develop a culture that increasingly values diversity and inclusion.

“We realise that the organisation will only be truly inclusive when each and every Merseyside Police officer and staff member recognises, appreciates and champions difference so that people across our force, individually and as one team, can do their best work.”

Detective Chief Inspector John Williams, head of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion team, added: “I have served the people of Merseyside for over twenty nine years and I have been lucky enough to work with or for some of our most creative minds.

“I believe that the best way to understand our community is to be a part of the community, so it is imperative that we attract people of different backgrounds and create an inclusive and productive environment where they can be the best version of them self.

“This won’t work without inclusion. All staff should always feel included, as this promotes a sense of belonging, which in turn will increase collaboration and enhance team performance.

“People who feel included are more likely to be positively engaged within the organisation and the wider community.

“It is imperative that we maintain the community at the epicentre of everything we do as public servants.”