Corporate Equalities Adviser

Discover yourself in Lewisham where what you do makes a difference to our vibrant and culturally diverse communities!

We have a rich history of welcoming people from all over the world and are proud to be recognised as the UK’s first Borough of Sanctuary, for our work in championing the rights of refugees and migrants.

Introduction

Are you an expert in equalities with a passion for making a difference and driving positive change? 

This unique role offers the opportunity to act as Lewisham Council's expert in all-things equalities related, leading a diverse range of policies and projects, engaging with our community and providing advice and training to both senior officers and elected Members.

What’s the role?

You will be our in-house expert on equalities matters. Acting as the lead officer in providing advice and support on the governance around equalities, ensuring we meet our statutory duties and providing advice to colleagues on a range of issues. 

You will also take the lead on key projects and programmes of work, bringing your expertise and experience to the Council to ensure we're delivering things that really matter for residents, tackling inequality and creating a fairer borough. 

The role will be both outward and inward facing; working closely with colleagues to support and improve the work they do, whilst owning your own projects and policies, delivering key priorities within the borough.

What’s in it for you?

Excellent training and development opportunities, plus a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance 


• Local Government Pension scheme 


• Flexible working and family friendly policies 


• Season ticket and bicycle loans 


• A range of staff discounts including local subsidised gym memberships 


• Supportive staff networks

What we’re looking for 

You will be an expert in equalities. Someone with a sound understanding of the statutory duties Council's operate under, knowledge of what effective equalities policy look like and an awareness of the key equalities issues that face local government and the borough of Lewisham. 

You will need to have demonstrably experience of delivering policies or programme of work which have had a tangible impact on people's lives, ideally in a comparable organisation. 

You will also need the confidence and personal authority to drive forward this agenda within the Council; delivering training, inspiring confidence in your expertise and regularly presenting your work to both senior officers and elected Members.

Location 

The job is primarily based in Laurence House, Catford, but we operate a hybrid approach where you will be expected to work in the office a minimum of 40% of your time.

Please note

The recruitment process is anonymous and we don’t accept CVs.

Applicant handbook - please read the guidance in this handbook when applying. It is essential that you complete the application fully and that your supporting statement covers how you meet each of the person specification criteria listed. 

For an informal discussion about this job, please contact Alex Glanz (Head of Policy, Strategy and the Chief Executive's Office): [email protected]

Please click here to view the Job Description and Person Specification

Salary

£57,495 - £59,574 per annum (P06)

N.B: All appointments will be offered at the minimum spinal column point (SCP) for the grade of the role. The only exception to this will be when matching current salary (up to the maximum of the scale), which is subject to evidential proof.

Diversity 

Lewisham Council is a Disability Confident employer. We welcome and encourage job applications of all abilities. If you require any reasonable adjustments in the application or interview, please contact the lead contact on this advert. We will make reasonable adjustments to make sure our disabled applicants and those with health conditions are supported throughout our recruitment process. We support the access to work scheme, further details are available at www.gov.uk/access-to-work/apply 

The Council reserves the right to close adverts early if there is a large response.

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