A note from the Positive Action Team
We are Jill O’Neill and Michelle Cunningham and are Equality, Diversity and Positive Action
Officers in Merseyside Police.
Part of our role is to provide Positive Action in the form of support and advice to underrepresented groups who are looking to join Merseyside Police. The Equality Act 2010 permits
the use of Positive Action for members of the community who have a Protected Characteristic
and are underrepresented within Merseyside Police.
The groups that are identified as under-represented in Merseyside Police are:
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Disabled – If you have a disability which would still allow you to fulfil the role such as
dyslexia etc (please note that we are not able to advise if a disability would preclude you
from joining the police this can only be decided by our Occupational Health Unit during
your medical assessment which all applicants undertake).
Ethnic Minority Groups
Females
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual
Minority Religious groups – such as Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh
Transgender
If you fall within one or more of the Protected Characteristics as identified above we are able to
provide you with support and advice throughout your application to Merseyside Police. The
positive action provisions in section 158 of the Equality Act 2010, enable public sector
organisations to take proportionate steps to help people overcome their disadvantages or to
meet their needs. “up until the recruitment and appointment decisions are taken”.
Positive Action is not about giving certain groups of people any advantage, but creates a level
playing field - statistics show that under-represented groups are often disadvantaged in
employment. Overall it is simply to give every candidate a fair chance.
Why use Positive Action?
As a whole society and the make-up of our communities are changing. To be able to Police
effectively we must understand the needs of our different communities
To do this we must have a workforce which is diverse as the communities we serve, a diverse
workforce brings with it many advantages
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It provides more adaptability in terms of problem solving by offering a wider array of
possible solutions;
Multi-cultural organisations are better positioned to serve multi-cultural communities, by
overcoming language and cultural barriers.
The aim of Positive Action is to achieve this diverse workforce
Please turn over
What can we do for you?
If you fall within one of more of the Protected Characteristics within Merseyside police as
stated above, we would welcome you to attend one of the workshops we are holding to
provide an overview of the application process, where we will also provide you with advice and
guidance on completing your application form.
These workshops will be held in Merseyside Police Headquarters on the followings dates and
times:Tuesday 1st March 2016
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10am – 12pm
Tuesday 1st March 2016
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2pm – 4pm
Wednesday 2nd March 2016
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6pm – 8pm
Please note that there will be no parking available for the Tuesday sessions, however there
maybe parking subject to availability on Wednesday, requests for a parking space must be
made when completing your registration form.
Due to the anticipated high volume of applicants it may not be possible to offer you one to one
support with your application therefore we recommend that you do try and attend one of these
sessions.
If you are interested in this workshop and these dates are not suitable for you, please email us
as per our details below and we will contact you if we will be holding any further workshops.
What’s next?
To attend a session and to receive positive action support you must complete and return the
Positive Action Registration Form and send it to us via the email below.
Once we receive your form you will receive an email confirming your attendance at the
workshop. Please ensure you have received confirmation of your attendance prior to
attending your requested workshop.
For security purposes all candidates must register to attend one of these sessions to
the email below:[email protected]
Meanwhile, may we take this opportunity to wish everyone the very best of luck with your
application to the Merseyside Police.
Jill O’Neill and Michelle Cunningham
Merseyside Police Equality, Diversity and Positive Action Support Officers
Merseyside Police Headquarters, 4th Floor, Canning Place, Liverpool, L1 8JX
Email: [email protected]