We aim to ensure that our services for residents are inclusive and that our employees feel respected, allowing them to bring their whole selves to the workplace.
We must legally publish information about our workforce under the Public Sector Equality Duty. We share examples of our work with residents and employees to bring our new values, behaviours and equality objectives to life.
Proportion of employees by:
Dorset council employees compared to all residents by the age group 14 to 74 living within Dorset, South West and England/Wales by working age.
| Age | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Dorset Council Area residents 14 to 74 | South West residents aged 17 to 74 | England and Wales residents aged 17 to 74 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 to 24 | 5% | 4.3% | 4.5% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.3% | 14% | 17.1% | 17.5% |
| 25-39 | 24.1% | 24.8% | 25.1% | 24.6% | 24.8% | 25% | 20% | 24.6% | 27.1% |
| 40-49 | 23.9% | 23.6% | 23.4% | 23.4% | 23.1% | 23.2% | 14.3% | 15.8% | 16.7% |
| 50-59 | 31.1% | 31.4% | 31.3% | 30.5% | 29.7% | 29.7% | 20.2% | 18.5% | 17.8% |
| 60-64 | 10.1% | 10.4% | 10.1% | 11.1% | 11.7% | 12.1% | 11.2% | 9% | 8.1% |
| 65-74 | 5.7% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.6% | 6.1% | 5.7% | 20.3% | 15.1% | 12.8% |
Dorset council employees compared to residents by the age group 15 to 74 living within Dorset, South West and England/Wales by disability.
| Disability | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Dorset Council residents 15 to 74 | South West residents (15 to 74 in households) | England and Wales ( all residents 15 to 74 in households) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disclosed disability | 2.8% | 2.8% | 3% | 3.6% | 3.5% | 3.9% | 17.9% | 17.6% | 16.9% |
| No disability | 58.8% | 59% | 57.6% | 54.8% | 53.7% | 53.2% | 82.1% | 82.4% | 83.1% |
| Not declared | 31.4% | 31.6% | 32% | 34.6% | 36.4% | 37.2% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Prefer not to say | 7.1% | 6.7% | 7.5% | 7.1% | 6.4% | 5.7% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Dorset council employees compared to residents by the age group 25 to 64 living within Dorset, South West and England/Wales by ethnicity.
| Ethnicity | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Dorset Council Residents 25 to 64 | South West residents aged 25 to 64 | England and Wales (all residents) 25 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arab | 0% | 0% | <0.0% | <0.0% | 0% | 0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Asian | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 1.5% | 3.2% | 9.7% |
| Black | 0.3% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.4% | 1.3% | 4.2% |
| Mixed | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 1.6% | 1.5% | 2% |
| Other | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 1.8% |
| White: Gypsy/Irish Traveller | <0.0% | <0.0% | <0.0% | <0.0% | <0.0% | <0.0% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% |
| White: Irish | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 0.9% |
| White: Other | 1.7% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.6% | 1.7% | 1.9% | 3% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| Ethnic minorities | 3.5% | 4.1% | 4.2% | 4% | 3.9% | 4% | 7.6% | 13.9% | 27.6% |
| White: British | 69.1% | 67.7% | 65.6% | 63.5% | 62.2% | 61.5% | 92.4% | 86.1% | 72.4% |
| Not declared | 19% | 20.6% | 22.2% | 25.1% | 27.7% | 28.9% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Prefer not to say | 8.4% | 7.7% | 8% | 7.4% | 6.2% | 5.6% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Source: Please note the data provided by the ONS at the time of publication does not cover ethnic minority residents aged between 15 to 74.
We are following the guidance by the government concerning ethnicity, which states that the term ethnic minorities should be used to refer to all ethnic groups except the white British group. Ethnic minorities include residents who are Black, Asian, Arab, Mixed Ethnicities, White (Non-British), Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller Group.
Dorset council employees compared to residents 16 and over who are living within Dorset, South West and England/Wales by legal partnership status.
| Legal partnership status | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Dorset Council Residents 16 and over | South West residents 16 and over | England and Wales residents 16 and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic partnership | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Divorced or civil partnership dissolved | 2% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.3% | 10.8% | 10.1% | 9.1% |
| Married, civil partnership, separated but still legally married or still legally in a civil partnership | 24.2% | 24.4% | 23.9% | 22.9% | 22.5% | 22.6% | 53.7% | 48.6% | 46.8% |
| Single, never married and never registered a civil partnership | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.4% | 6.2% | 5.9% | 5.7% | 27.4% | 34.7% | 37.9% |
| Widowed or surviving civil partnership partner | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 8.2% | 6.6% | 6.1% |
| Not declared | 66.5% | 66.3% | 67% | 68.2% | 68.8% | 68.9% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Dorset council employees compared to residents living within Dorset, South West and England/Wales by nationality.
Nationality |
2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Dorset Council Area residents | South West | England and Wales (all residents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom |
98.9% | 98.7% | 98.7% | 98.7% | 98.8% | 98.8% | 96.8% | 93.8% | 90.2% |
European countries |
1% | 1% | 1% | 1% | 0.8% | 0.9% | 2.3% | 4.3% | 6.1% |
Non-European countries |
0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 1.9% | 3.7% |
Dorset council employees compared to residents by the age group 16 to 74 living within Dorset, South West and England/Wales by religion and belief.
| Religion and Belief | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Dorset Council residents 16 to 74 | South West 16 to 25 | England and Wales 16 to 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buddhist | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% |
| Christian | 12.4% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 12.4% | 11.9% | 11.6% | 49.5% | 51.6% | 45.4% |
| Hindu | <0% | <0% | 0.1% | <0% | <0% | <0% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 1.8% |
| Sikh | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.9% |
| Other | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.8% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Jewish | 0% | <0% | <0% | <0% | <0% | <0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% |
| Muslim | 0% | 0% | <0% | 0% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 1.3% | 6.0% |
| No religion | 9.8% | 10.5% | 11.4% | 11.8% | 11.9% | 12.7% | 42.1% | 40.1% | 38.4% |
| Not declared | 72.9% | 71.4% | 70.3% | 70.8% | 71.5% | 71.2% | 6.3% | 6.5% | 5.9% |
| Prefer not to say | 4.2% | 4.3% | 4.2% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 3.3% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Proportion of Dorset Council employees who live in areas of rural isolation.
| Rural isolation | Dorset Council employees 2025 |
|---|---|
| Employees living within areas of rural isolation within the Dorset Council area | 39.2% |
Source: This percentage represents employees of Dorset Council who live within areas in Dorset Council defined as gmesseographically access to services deprived nationally. This data is based on the Indices of Deprivation released in 2019. HR employee data as of 6 January 2025.
Dorset council employees compared to residents by the age group 16 to 74 living within Dorset, South-West and England/Wales by sex.
| Sex | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Dorset Council residents 16 to 74 | South West 16 to 74 | England and Wales 16 to 74 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | 62.3% | 62.9% | 63.9% | 64.2% | 64% | 64.3% | 52.4% | 50.8% | 50.8% |
| Male | 37.7% | 37.1% | 36.1% | 35.7% | 35.8% | 35.7% | 47.6% | 49.2% | 49.2% |
| Prefer not to say | N/A | N/A | N/A | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Dorset council employees compared to all residents by the age group 16 and over living within Dorset, South West and England/Wales by sexual orientation.
| Sexual Orientation | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | Dorset Council Residents 16 and over | Dorset Council area residents 16 and over | England and Wales residents 16 and over |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and other | 1% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 3.2% | 3.5% |
| Heterosexual | 39.7% | 41.1% | 41.7% | 42% | 42.8% | 44.3% | 90.6% | 89.5% | 89.4% |
| Not declared | 48.6% | 47.6% | 46.4% | 46.3% | 46.3% | 45.4% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Declined | 0.1% | <0.0% | <0.0% | 0.0% | <0.0% | 0.1% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Prefer not to say | 10.6% | 10.2% | 10.5% | 9.9% | 8.9% | 8.6% | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Not answered | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N?A | 7.2% | 7.3% | 7.1% |
The proportion of Dorset Council employees and Socio-economic deprivation.
| Socio-economic deprivation | Dorset Council employees 2025 |
|---|---|
| Employees living within the geographical area of Dorset Council who are defined as living within the most deprived areas | 21.9% |
Source: These are employees who live in areas of Dorset Council, which are most likely (Highest 20% in Dorset) to meet the criteria for our socio-economic deprivation measure. We have drawn on socio-economic status, as defined by the Office for National Statistics. The figures cannot be precise as the Census does not go to postcode level. HR employee data as of 6 January 2025.
Equality, diversity and inclusion activity
We are pleased to share that our Cabinet has approved the new Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy and Action Plan covering the period 2024 to 2027. It is based on 5 priorities:
- equality, diversity and inclusion is everyone’s business
- services and facilities are accessible to all
- we will strengthen our relationships with communities
- we celebrate and support our diverse workforce
- the council celebrates the diversity of Dorset
To complement this work, we have published our new council values, which embed the organisational commitment to EDI by focusing on fairness, dignity, and understanding and ensuring inclusion is the heartbeat of the organisation
Work which has an impact on our residents
We have continued to increase our support for families. The Vale Family Hub has been opened in North Dorset, and we plan to open a new family hub in Portland. This work builds on the hubs available in other parts of the council, which are at:
- Ferndown
- Wimborne
- Bridport
- Wareham
- Swanage
- Dorchester
We have started work on improving day services provision by launching a three-month consultation on a new way of delivering day opportunities across Dorset. We aim to support activities within local communities, thereby reducing the need for people to travel.
As the council has adopted care experience as a local protected characteristic, work has been undertaken to understand the experience of young people via the ‘Bright Spots’ survey. The survey found some bright spots of practice where Dorset’s care leavers were doing significantly better than care leavers in other local authorities. For example, 91% of care leavers felt involved in planning their future compared to 87% of care leavers nationally.
The Kirtleton Avenue hub in Weymouth was opened, providing a new place for care leavers to get support and advice.
Our number of digital champions has now reached fifty, with volunteers covering most corners of Dorset. The value of this service for residents is that our champions can support anyone who needs help with a digital device or getting online.
A new online tool has been launched to give residents a clearer idea of how long they may need to wait for a social housing property. The social housing wait time calculator has been designed to provide people with an estimate of the time they may wait to secure a social housing property in a particular area, based on current housing data – all at the click of a button.
We have looked to improve our road infrastructure by improving Maumbury Cross junction in Dorchester by providing a new layout and upgrading the existing signalling equipment. It is anticipated that this will improve the experience of residents with mobility or visual impairments.
The council has awarded £277,000 to food projects across the Dorset Council area through the Household Support Fund, Cost of Living Fund, Shared Prosperity Fund and Community and Culture Project Fund in 2024.
Published a new policy which provides updates to support residents in improving or adapt their properties. The Private Sector Assistance policy aims to help people live independently by providing them with access to national grants and funding.
We were one of the organisations that provided funding for the first Pride in Sherborne.
For Carers Rights Day 2024, a Carers Journal was launched. It is designed to act as a helpful aid in keeping all relevant information in one place. It serves as a record, with sections covering:
- contacts
- emergency planning
- health conditions
- GP and hospital appointments
- financial issues
In response to national incidents in the summer, the council leader issued a statement confirming the commitment to Dorset being a welcoming and inclusive county.
An employee who works with LGBTQ+ young people (Chesil Youth Pride) in Dorset has had their work recognised at the prestigious Social Worker of the Year Awards.
Funding has been provided to 44 voluntary organisations that support young people living within Dorset. The grants, which ranged from £1,000 to £10,000, aimed to help young people engage in positive activities and have a safe place to go.
The council received 5-star registration status from the National Portage Association for the ‘Best Start in Life’ Pathway, which aims to aid young children with additional needs.
The council has formed a new group for young people called ‘The Dorset Unstoppables.’ It aims to capture the voices of young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Work which has an impact on our employees and members
Most of our Employee Networks have continued to increase in size. We have also seen our Armed Forces Employee Network come back to life.
| Employee Networks | March 2024 | March 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Armed Forces Employee Network | N/A | 19 |
| Carers Employee Network | 53 | 67 |
| Disability Employee Network | 100 | 109 |
| Ethnic Minority Employee Network | 22 | 38 |
| LGBTQI Employee Network | 70 | 67 |
| Men’s Employee Network | 27 | 35 |
| Women’s Employee Network | 275 | 300 |
Employee Network operating guidelines have been developed, which have helped clarify how a network can support employees and provide feedback on council policies, procedures, and practices.
In response to the legal duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, the council has provided regular updates via the intranet and have confirmed what support is available.
91% of our employees and 95% of our members have completed mandatory Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion training.
Equality Impact Assessment (EqIAs) work has continued in 2024/2025 to ensure that our decisions consider the needs of our employees and communities living within the Dorset Council area. The EqIAs have considered topics such as housing, libraries, and the support of young people with complex needs or who are disabled aged 0 to 25 and their families.
We have completed the Wellbeing Service Review. A key outcome of this work was to source a new provider to deliver the wellbeing offer to employees.
New policies have been created covering the support for Transgender employees in the workplace and the provision of Translation, Interpretation and alternative formats.
Work has begun on encouraging employees and members to share demographic data, and this effort will continue into the new financial year.
The council has a pathway to employment scheme with 10 young people undertaking apprenticeships and nine young people starting our first 18 week pre employment scheme.
Adult Social Care have worked with Partners in Care and Health (PCH) to apply the Diverse by Design for Adult Social Care - the community and workforce relationship self-assessment tool.
Employees and members have attended Sherborne, Chesil Youth and Bourne Free Pride events.
A submission was made to the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. We ranked 185 out of 246 and achieved a Bronze Award. We also decided to renew our membership of Stonewall.
9 employees have agreed to share their experience of a specific learning difference (ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia and dyscalculia) as part of the South-West Leading for Inclusion Project.
19 employees have become Dignity at Work Advisers. This voluntary role offers employees the opportunity to support the council in advancing the EDI agenda.
What the data tells us
We are aware, based on an analysis of workforce data, that a large proportion of our workforce has chosen not to share their demographic information. As a result, it isn't easy to make area, regional and national comparisons. Work has begun on encouraging employees and members to share demographic data, and this effort will continue into the new financial year. Whilst recognising the above analysis of the workforce data tells us:
- the age group with the highest proportion of our workforce is aged between 50 to 59, which reflects previous years
- the proportion of employees who have shared that they have a disability has seen a slight increase of 0.4% from 2024 and is now 3.9%. We do not currently mirror the working age population of the Dorset council area that has reported a disability, which stands at 17.9%
- a small proportion of our workforce identifies as being from an ethnic minority, which has mainly remained consistent at 4.0% since 2020. Most of our workforce identify as White British, which was 61.5% by 2025
- the majority of our workforce have consistently not shared any information concerning the legal partnership status or their religion and belief
- most of the workforce continues to identify as female and being from the United Kingdom
- the proportion of employees who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or other has increased (1% in 2020 and reached 1.7% in 2025)
- 21.9% of employees living within the geographical area of Dorset Council who are defined as living within the most deprived areas
- 39.2% of employees are living within areas of rural isolation within the Dorset Council area
- the data concerning our workforce has identified that we currently do not accurately reflect the communities we serve in terms of several protected characteristics.
Read about our gender pay gap work.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) programme of work for 2025 to 2026
The following priorities have been identified. In 2025 to 2026, we will:
- communities/workforce
- continue to ensure EDI is a core element of transformation work
- develop a set of web accessibility principles to show the council is meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WGAC) 2.2 AA standard and the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018
- continue to deliver an organisational approach to translation, interpretation and alternative formats
- continue to ensure Dorset Council workplaces are accessible and inclusive for all
- communities
- continue collaborating with partners/community and voluntary sector on EDI issues
- develop a community cohesion strategy for the council
- workforce
- ensure the council is meeting the new duties concerning sexual harassment
- publish a Disability Employment policy and process which outlines how the council supports disabled employees in the workplace
- develop a ‘People passport’ which considers national/local protected characteristics
- publish information for Line Managers/Employees concerning Access to Work
- deliver a joint programme of EDI training in partnership with Trade Unions. The training is based on an organisational needs analysis