Foreword
The Covid-19 pandemic has brought huge challenges to the city and to the Council, but also valuable lessons as to how we can better deliver services to the people of Edinburgh.
It has highlighted the spirit, energy, kindness and creativity of our communities and the benefits of more flexible and innovative approaches to reaching and supporting them. It has also, sadly, magnified the existing disadvantages that some groups face for reasons including their age, gender, race or experience of poverty.
We recognise that to meet our 2050 Vision of being a sustainable, fair and thriving city, we must build back better, holding on to the many positives of our collective response to the crisis. This will include structuring and delivering our services differently and working with communities, including equality groups, to consider the needs of all our residents
In phasing the reopening of services, we’ll prioritise our most vulnerable residents and those most disadvantaged by the pandemic, whether that be through isolation, abuse or threat, poverty or exclusion from a lack of access to greenspaces or online resources.
We want this framework to underline our commitment to these communities – be that through investing in safer, inclusive and more affordable communities; ensuring our services are welcoming and accessible to all; or making improvements to how we work and engage with our colleagues and as well as our residents.
We’re living through times with an ever sharper focus on equalities and inclusion, through debates on gender neutrality, Black Lives Matter, the representation of race in our public spaces, the Me Too movement and the safety of women in our public spaces. Communities’ expectations of the Council and other public bodies have rightly been raised, and we’ll continue to do our best to understand and address these challenges.
This framework was developed in partnership with NHS Lothian, Midlothian Council, West Lothian Council, Midlothian Health and Social Care Partnership and East Lothian Integration Joint Board. This reflects our shared commitment to prioritising and addressing inequality while recognising that residents often rely on support from across our range of services.
Together, we’re committed to improving equality, inclusion and diversity across Edinburgh.
Councillor Adam McVey Leader of the Council
Councillor Cammy Day Deputy Leader of the Council
Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive
Get this document in other formats
You can get this document on audio CD, in Braille and large print. We can also give information on community language translations. Email its@edinburgh.gov.uk and quote reference number 21-7052.
You can get printed copies of this document by contacting strategyandinsight@edinburgh.gov.uk.