Equality Objectives Annual Report 2025-26

  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. Equality Objective 1: Plan and shape services to support equality using data and local insights
  3. 3. Equality Objective 2: Support strong, inclusive communities
  4. 4. Equality Objective 3: Provide accessible information and services
  5. 5. Equality Objective 4: Embrace equality and inclusion as an employer

2. Equality Objective 1: Plan and shape services to support equality using data and local insights

Consideration of equality matters and effective use of data and local insights is important for all decision making. Not all decisions will necessarily have significant equality implications, but there is a screening process in place to help identify where further analysis should be completed and help make sure aspects aren’t overlooked.

As identified earlier in this report, the Financial Resilience project using the LIFT (Low Income Family Tracker) tool was an excellent example of the conjunction of data, insight and equality support this year, analysis data to help make sure all residents are able to access the support they are entitled to.

Also as identified, there was detailed consideration of equality implications as part of key decisions during the year. This included:

  • For the Horley Open Space decision, potential impacts relating to age, disability, pregnancy, maternity and deprivation. Considerations included improved ease of access to facilities and open space, design choices supporting those with visual impairment, PiPA (Plan Inclusive Play Areas) accreditation, and location of seating.
  • For the Community Governance Review, consideration of the potential financial impacts of additional parish precepts on deprivation and correlated characteristics, and the potential benefits of improved local representation.
  • For the Budget for 2026/27, potential implications of stopping publication of the physical borough magazine and ensuring key information remained accessible, and risks of impacts around increases to car parking fees and supporting mitigations and monitoring.

A document containing information on the borough and the equality characteristics of residents is prepared annually, with demographic data and links to sources of additional information. This can be accessed by officers, services and councillors to help inform decisions and understand potential resident needs.

The residents’ survey conducted in February 2026 was designed this year to capture additional information on social isolation and accessibility. This information will help inform the work of services to address issues, make improvements where required, and liaise with others to escalate concerns.

The survey also made additional effort to help engage with less heard from groups. This was successful in increasing participation from younger people, who have historically been underrepresented in survey responses. Where possible, similar approaches are used across all consultations, with consideration given to how to secure engagement from across the community.

In alignment with this approach, the Council’s consultation toolkit is also being updated, and will include additional guidance around maximising research with residents and service users, and upholding best ethical practices within engagement and consultation. Consultations in general provide valuable information to understand resident needs and provide local insights to shape services.

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