Open to all - Diversity & Equality in Public Appointments
Our approach to recruitment goes beyond providing equality of opportunity. We are actively encouraging greater diversity amongst board members because we know it will strengthen the capability and credibility of our boards.
In the past, and unfortunately even today, many people may have presumed that they are not the right 'type' of person to be appointed to a board, possibly making the assumption that that they do not fit the 'standard' person specification or stereotypical image that may be closely associated with a traditional board member image. It may even be as straight forward as thinking that their application would not be taken seriously having not worked in either the civil service or a government role before.
But these are myths. Our message is simple and that is that if you have the right skills, the right qualities and the required knowledge, then your application is positively welcomed.
Diversity Statement:
We are committed to ensuring diversity across our public bodies so we can better represent the communities we serve. To support this we positively welcome applicants from all walks of life and backgrounds including applications from women, disabled and Black, Asian and Ethnic Minorities. All public appointments are made on merit following a fair, open and transparent process as regulated by the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
Please click onto the expandable links below to hear more about our partners and key stakeholders in the quest for diversity and equality across Public Appointments.
Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA)
Defra follows the Commissioner for Public Appointments code of practice when making board member appointments and as such the recruitment and selection of suitable individuals is based only on merit after a fair, open and transparent application and assessment process. For more information on the work of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) and their governance over the process please click here.
Defra Diversity
Additionally within Defra we have our own policies and practices around ensuring that both Defra and the bodies we work with operate within an inclusive society with equality for all. More information on this can be found be viewing the Diversity pages of our website or clicking here to go there now.
Government Equalities Office (GEO)
Right at the top of our agenda, is the work we are doing with the Cabinet Office and Government Equalities Office (GEO) to strengthen the representation of all communities on the boards of our NDPBs.
As a result of recent studies into the balance of our boards we can clearly see that not all of the boards of the bodies serving the public represent and mirror the people they serve. This is particularly prevalent in terms of female, disabled people and ethnic minority representation. So whilst we are extending our opportunities to all those that are suitable we are particularly keen to hear from people who could better represent any of these
areas
on our boards.
That said, in Defra, we are achieving more and more greater representation in these areas as we go and a number of our NDPB boards include, and are chaired by, women and additionally we have a range of people from the black, asian and ethnic minority communities and a small number of disabled people. However we do need to do more otherwise we do not believe that we can offer our wider community the balanced views and service that they require and deserve.
Please click here to read more about the wider work that the GEO are doing across all government departments to support us in our quest for inclusiveness and diversity.
Interview Access Scheme
We also offer an interview access scheme which guarantees an interview to those with a disability, whose application meets the minimum criteria. We don't see this as any kind of 'special treatment', but rather as a way to make our disable colleagues feel more encouraged to apply and to appreciate that we value your application as much as anyone else's. For any applicants that would like to be considered for the scheme all we ask is that you declare this in a covering email or letter with your application.