Equality in Housing

 

Equality in Housing

Housing and Building Services provide a diverse range of services to people throughout West Lothian. Housing Services wants to ensure everyone has the same opportunity to access services and that the services we provide meet the needs and value the diversity of all our customers. This policy has been developed in accordance with the principles of West Lothian Council's 'Policy for Equality in Service Provision', the vision statement of which is:

"West lothian Council is committed to working with the people and communities of West Lothian to enhance the quality of life by providing, both directly and in partnership with others, a comprehensive range of quality and valued services that meet peopls' needs and aspirations, and which are delivered on a basis of fairness and equality."

 It also takes into account the legal duties and recommendations contained within the following:

  • Race Relations Act 1976, Race Relations (Amendment Act) 2000
  • Sex Discrimination Act 1975
  • Disability Discrimination Act 1995 & The Disability Equality Duty 2006
  • Gender Equality Duty 2006 Protection from Harassment Act (1997)
  • CRE Code of Practice for Rented Housing Recommendations from the McPherson Report Human Rights Act (1998) 

As well as equality legislation to protect you from being discriminated against, the Human Rights Act 1998 gives you a number of human rights that are particularly relevant to housing and property:

  • The right to own, and enjoy the ownership of, property
  • The right to respect for private life
  • The right to respect for family life
  • The right to respect for your home

 In developing this approach, Housing and Building Services has 5 main aims:

  1. To ensure all services are delivered, and facilities provided, in a positive and inclusive way
  2. To eliminate discrimination in accessing or receiving services
  3. To promote each individual's right to their share of our services delivered in a way appropriate to their needs
  4. To ensure its employees take an active role against all forms of discrimination
  5. To ensure action will be taken against anyone breaching the policy Equality Schemes

 West Lothian Council has produced equality schemes (new window) on Race, Disability and Gender. Please click on the link to see these in more detail and to view each individual services action plans and priorities. You can also view the completed impact assessments for housing within the Downloadable Documents section at the bottom of this web page. This is how we examine our policies and procedures for any form of discrimination ? any improvements we have identified will be found here.

 

For Public Consultation

You can read the latest available assessments we have within the Downloadable Documents section at the bottom of this page. Any comments or suggestions you have on the contents or our findings, please forward to:

Assessment & Review Team
3rd Floor West Lothian House
Almondvale Boulevard
Livingston
EH54 6QG

 

Interpretation and Translation

We can provide all our information in a variety of formats and languages; we have several translated forms in our offices in Polish and can arrange for the translation of any required documents within a reasonable timescale.

 

Performance

See Downloadable Documents section.

 

See our service information leaflets in the Downloadable Documents section below.

Our contact details are available from the Contact Us panel at the right of this web page.

 

Downloadable documents

Contact details