Hayley steps up as our new Corporate Sponsor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
Hayley Barnett our Head of Corporate Support has volunteered to take on this newly established position of Corporate Sponsor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion alongside her regular duties. As part of the Council Leadership Team, Hayley works closely with other senior leaders, including Chief Executive Lawrence Rockey, and will play a key role in continuing to ensure our workplace is one where everyone feels valued and included.
When asked about the role, Hayley said: “I wanted to take on the role of Corporate Sponsor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) because I believe that creating an inclusive workplace is fundamental to delivering excellent services for our community.
"EDI can sometimes be seen as a policy or an add on but it’s about people. It’s about making sure every colleague feels respected, valued and supported to bring their best to the job. In a local authority, this matters even more because the diversity of our workforce should reflect the communities we serve. A key part of my statutory role is to ensure legal and ethical decision making and when we embrace different perspectives and experiences, we make better decisions and deliver better outcomes for our communities.”
Some of Hayley’s commitments as EDI Corporate Sponsor are:
- leading by example to champion our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for all employees
- listening to the insights of underrepresented groups within the council and advocating for their needs and perspectives within corporate and leadership spaces
- working to embed EDI into our strategy, structure and working environments
Embracing EDI within our organisation relates to our East Lothian Way values of enabling and encouraging everyone we work with to be able to achieve their full potential, leading by example and taking responsibility to improve ourselves and our services and caring for each other, our community and the work that we do.
Read more about the East Lothian Way on the intranet.
Related: Meet Emma, our new HR Advisor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion