Inclusion, Diversity, Equality and Access (IDEA) Strategy

Surrey Arts (Surrey County Councils Arts service), is the lead delivery organisation for the Surrey Music Hub and as such we align to the Surrey County Councils ambitions for IDEA. 

A copy of this can be found on the Surrey County Council Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion webpage

Our commitment to inclusion, diversity, equality and access (IDEA)

Tackling inequality so no-one is left behind is our guiding principle. We commit to being a fair, compassionate and inclusive partnership that genuinely values difference and makes everyone feel safe and that they belong. We will be open and transparent with all stakeholders about our intentions and will be accountable for achieving them. 

All children and young people should have equitable access to high quality musical opportunities. We will champion our most vulnerable young people, including those who may suffer from prejudice or discrimination because of who they are or their circumstances. 

We are committed to supporting all staff at Surrey Arts to feel they belong within the council and have opportunities to succeed. We will work with staff to identify and remove barriers that get in the way of inclusivity and diversity. We are committed to supporting the development of a dynamic and well-trained workforce across Surrey to deliver inclusive music education opportunities for all young people. 

We take a zero tolerance approach to bullying, discrimination and harassment. Employees are expected to behave in ways that help us support all stakeholders. We will hold staff to the high standards required, dealing decisively with instances of discrimination. 

How we’ll meet our commitment 

Focusing on equality, diversity and inclusion is vitally important to engage and improve the experiences of participants and staff. We also have a legal responsibility under the Equality Act 2010. We aim to eliminate discrimination, increase equality of opportunity and foster good relations across people from all groups protected by law*. To do this, we will: 

  • Proactively look for potential discrimination and work with stakeholders to co-design services so they are inclusive, accessible and fair; 
  • Eradicate bias in our employment practices, including recruitment, and support staff to carry out their responsibilities under this commitment; 
  • Champion the council’s wider initiatives that support and enable staff from protected groups  
  • Develop a workforce that reflects Surrey’s diverse communities; 
  • Ensure all contractors providing goods and services on our behalf share our commitment; 
  • Influence music hub partners to work with us on this agenda through joint initiatives to tackle inequality; 
  • Use complaints feedback to identify unfair treatment and take steps to correct this. 

*Protected groups cover Age, Disability, Sex, Gender Reassignment, Race, Religion and belief, Sexual orientation, Marriage and civil partnerships, Pregnancy and maternity. Carers are protected by association.  

In addition to the legally protected characteristics, we will also seek to eliminate discrimination and increase equality of opportunity for children and young people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. 

Our IDEA plan is divided into eight areas that encompass all aspects of provision, leadership, workforce and governance:

We recognise the importance of turning aspirations into actions. We are currently revising our IDEA Action Plan (2020 – 23) to incorporate these eight pillars with detailed actions, timeline, accountability and impact against each pillar.

Last reviewed December 2022