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3 December 2008
CAB/116/08
Civil servants from across the country have been honoured by the Cabinet Secretary in the second Civil Service Diversity and Equality Awards.
The awards, held in Birmingham, celebrated individuals and teams who have shown outstanding achievement in promoting equality and diversity in the Civil Service and the delivery of public services.
Sir Gus O’Donnell, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service said:
“Tonight we celebrate and reward achievements. Tonight is also an opportunity to highlight and share good practice.
“I want the Civil Service to embrace a full range of perspectives, backgrounds, experiences and skills - that is the best chance we have of understanding our customers and meeting their needs. Improving diversity is one of my key priorities.
“These awards recognise the diversity of the Civil Service. We come from all sections of society but we share common values. Honesty, objectivity, integrity and impartiality are the values enshrined in the Civil Service Code.
“Adherence to these values has served the Civil Service well, ever since they were proposed by Northcote and Trevelyan over 150 years ago. I believe they are crucial to the ability of the civil service to serve effectively whatever Government is elected by the British people, no matter what are their own political beliefs.
“Our work touches all groups of society. We go out of our way to reach the most vulnerable. We improve opportunities, raise aspirations and fulfil potential. But we can always do more.
“I value these events so highly because I really believe a diverse Civil Service will help us do more for all parts of society. Your stories and successes exemplify the values set out in the Civil Service Code and are an inspiration to us all.”
Sir Gus, who presented the awards, also chose an overall winner who had shown exceptional commitment in inspiring others. The winner, Amir Waseem, was commended for breaking down the stereotypical view of wheelchair users, demonstrating that people with disabilities can have the same aspirations and achieve the same goals as an able-bodied person.
The judges said Amir never let his disability stop him from succeeding in his job at the HM Revenue and Customs contact centre, where he has secured promotion and given up his free time to work on community projects.
Sir Gus said:
“Amir Waseem is a remarkable and motivated individual. He has triumphed over personal difficulties to change the perception people have of disability and to encourage other to achieve their own goals.
“It is right that a modern Civil Service has to meet the needs of the society we serve. The Civil Service should be an exemplar among employers, setting new, higher standards in the way we value our people, invest in their development and create a culture that is inclusive and welcoming to all.”
Bill Jeffrey, Civil Service Diversity Champion and Permanent Under Secretary Ministry of Defence, said:
“The number and quality of nominations we received for these awards is a testament to the importance that the Civil Service places on diversity.
“As Civil Service Diversity Champion, I was delighted to be a member of the judging panel that had to make the difficult decisions to select the winners from a particularly high calibre shortlist.
“The civil servants who have won these awards provide a show case for a Civil Service that is inclusive and confident about diversity, and that values people for who they are and what they bring.”
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Tonight we celebrate and reward achievements. Tonight is also an opportunity to highlight and share good practice.
I want the Civil Service to embrace a full range of perspectives, backgrounds, experiences and skills - that is the best chance we have of understanding our customers and meeting their needs. Improving diversity is one of my key priorities.
These awards recognise the diversity of the Civil Service. We come from all sections of society but we share common values. Honesty, objectivity, integrity and impartiality are the values enshrined in the Civil Service Code.
All civil servants serve the Government of the day. We are politically impartial and our actions are governed by the Civil Service Code. Political impartiality means we must serve the Government, whatever its political persuasion, to the best of our ability, no matter what are own political beliefs. To quote from the Code, this means acting “in a way which deserves and retains the confidence of Ministers, while at the same time ensuring that you will be able to establish the same relationship with those whom you may be required to serve in some future government.”
The Code provides ways for Civil Servants to raise matters of concern or things we think could conflict with the Code either with managers or by reporting the matter directly to the independent Civil Service Commissioners. Importantly in the context of these Awards, the Code also makes clear that civil servants must carry out their responsibilities in a way that reflects the civil service commitment to equality and diversity.
Adherence to these values has served the Civil Service well, ever since they were proposed by Northcote and Trevelyan over 150 years ago. I believe they are crucial to the ability of the civil service to serve effectively whatever Government is elected by the British people.
Our work touches all groups of society. We go out of our way to reach the most vulnerable. We improve opportunities, raise aspirations, fulfil potential. But we can always do more.
I value these events so highly because I really believe a diverse Civil Service will help us do more for all parts of society. Your stories and successes exemplify the values set out in the Civil Service Code and are an inspiration to us all.