Equality and diversity
With Inclusion as one of our Constabulary Values, we are committed to ensuring the CNC is a fair, equitable and inclusive place to work.
Our Vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is to build an inclusive and supportive organisation, with a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination in any form. We actively celebrate difference and encourage diversity and equity across the organisation.
Below is some of the ways we are incorporating EDI into everything we do, including our new EDI Strategy, published in June 2023.
EDI Strategy
As part of UK policing, the CNC is committed to having a workforce that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and the stakeholder environment we operate within. A truly diverse makeup demonstrates to the public that police are there to serve everyone and this in turn builds trust. Valuing people as individuals and harnessing differences is simply the right thing to do.
Everyone deserves to be treated fairly and with respect and should not suffer disadvantage or discrimination because of who they are. Diversity in our workforce means we have people from different backgrounds and with different personal circumstances bringing a wide range of experiences and perspectives which enables us to perform better as a team. With the diversity of experiences within our workforce we will enjoy insight, innovation, and improvements. The EDI Strategy outlines our aims and vision in this area and how we will achieve a fully inclusive workplace for all.
Our Affinity Networks
A diverse workforce means our team has a wider range of skills, abilities, and experiences. This helps us to be more effective and agile in the service we provide and represent the communities we serve and work within.
The CNC has four Affinity Networks, whose aim is to provide social and professional support to our diverse team. They are the Diverse Ability and Wellness Network (DAWN), the Faith and Multi-Ethnic Network (FAME), the Gender Affinity and Inclusion Network (GAIN) and PRIDE, representing all LGBTQ+ employees.
Our Affinity Networks provide opportunities to:
- Learn about different cultures, identities, and practices
- Identify gaps in understanding of the varied needs of people from different backgrounds and groups
- Generate dialogue and innovative ideas to inform and improve current and future needs and services
- Effectively embed good practices through lessons learnt and shared
- Help to establish and promote an inclusive culture that values differences in our organisation and communities we serve
- Provide support to the organisation to ensure we are as inclusive as possible
- Secure advice and guidance for all parts of our organisation
We were pleased to announce that CNC was also named in 2024/25 Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List. The award recognises employers whose culture ensures diversity and inclusion are embedded into everything they practice with the judges looking for organisations which show consistent activity and evidence of sustainable change.
Our EDI data
We publish our Gender Pay Gap report annually, and this can be found on the GOV.UK reporting website
Other EDI data will be published in due course and will be loaded into this section of the website.
Culture at the CNC
An organisation’s culture defines the proper way to behave within it. This culture consists of shared beliefs and values established by leaders and then communicated and reinforced through various methods, ultimately shaping employee perceptions, behaviours and understanding. Culture is extremely important in a police force, as we police by consent and must set the highest standards and lead by example to the public we protect and our stakeholders.
Since the shocking murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer, trust and confidence in the police has been shaken and the police service, of which the CNC is part, has some work to do to rebuild this trust and ensure the public we serve know we will do so in a fair, professional and honest manner. The culture of the CNC is a priority and work has been ongoing for a number of months to establish what our culture is and if we need to make changes as an organisation. A number of reviews have been ongoing, including:
Cultural Review
Commissioned by CNC Chief Constable Simon Chesterman, this full cultural review was carried out by an external consultancy, who ran workshops, focus groups and individual interviews, as well as an all employee survey to give people opportunity to speak openly and honestly about our culture.
Independent internal review into culture and gender at the CNC
An independent HR Consultant undertook a full review of our culture in three phases. The key findings of this internal report were that the CNC does not have a culture that made it impossible for women to thrive and it recognised that, for many, the CNC is a rewarding, supportive and enjoyable place to work, with areas that the organisation should rightly be proud of. It also acknowledged the significant work that has been carried out across the organisation in terms of gender.
There are, of course, areas that we need to improve on including our recruitment and training practices, and we have developed a detailed integrated cultural action plan to make these improvements.
Gender Responsive Policing Strategy
Alongside this, the CNC was proud to launch our Gender Responsive Policing Strategy (GRPS) – the first of its kind across policing in the UK.
The strategy sets out the clear vision for the CNC to be a gender responsive police force with a fully inclusive workforce. We are committed to embracing all gender identities, ensure we all practice inclusive behaviours and challenge harmful practices and views that damage both the individual experiencing them and the organisation as a whole.
HMICFRS Inspection
The Civil Nuclear Constabulary requested to be one of the eight forces who took part in His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) review of vetting, misconduct, and misogyny in the police service, which was commissioned by the Home Office. Their report was published in November 2022 and was highly critical of the police service as a whole, making a total of 43 recommendations across five areas.
The report clearly shows that police vetting, misconduct and misogyny are an issue across the police service, and we continue to work with our national and Home Office counterparts, including the HMICFRS, College of Policing and National Police Chief’s Council to ensure lessons are learnt from the report and vetting and misconduct practices are tightened improved and enhanced across the board. We have already taken steps since the inspection took place and are determined to raise standards, both in vetting and misconduct, and ensure any officers with sexist or misogynistic views are rooted out. They have no place at the CNC or in UK policing.
Angiolini Inquiry part 1 – one year on
Where are we now?
The Angiolini Inquiry was established to investigate how an off-duty police officer was able to abduct, rape and murder a member of the public. The findings and recommendations of this investigation were presented in part 1 in February 2024.
Policing accepted all recommendations made and over the last year much work has been ongoing to develop and take forward these recommendations, building the necessary steps to embed them in processes and culture.
Recommendation 14 focussed on “Positive culture and elimination of misconduct or criminality often excused as ‘banter’”. The Inquiry stated that every police force should commit publicly to being an anti-sexist, anti-misogynistic, anti-racist organisation. It was agreed by all police chiefs in England, Scotland and Wales that we commit to a police service that is anti-discriminatory, placing inclusion at the heart of culture and today this statement is underlined.
ACC Kerry Smith our lead on Professionalism said: “CNC is building a strong, inclusive and positive culture and has made a commitment to being an anti-racist, anti-misogynistic, anti-sexist organisation. Our Vision for Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) is to build an inclusive and supportive organisation, with a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination in any form.
“We will not tolerate any sort of discriminatory behaviour. Those shown to have participated in this type of conduct cannot expect to remain as a member of the police service. Across CNC we are working hard to restore public trust and confidence in policing, encouraging our officers and staff to be upstanders and report discrimination, and we will continue to challenge any behaviour that falls short of our values and standards.
“People considering or pursuing a career in the CNC will only join us if they know they will have equal opportunities and be treated fairly. The culture for existing employees must be free from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation. If employees do experience any of these, they must feel able and confident to raise their concerns knowing that they will be supported and issues will be dealt with properly.”
So, what does this mean in the Civil Nuclear Constabulary?
We have developed and are delivering a comprehensive Cultural Action Plan and have invited independent scrutiny and review.
We have invested in our Professional Standards Department, and we are more capable than we have ever been in conducting robust investigations and proactively identifying inappropriate behaviour. We will deal with discrimination wherever we find it, ensuring all cases are dealt with.
Ensuring we have the right people, with the right values, is key and we have enhanced our approach to recruitment, vetting of new and existing staff, and training. We have also enhanced our approach to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and this influences everything we do.
We actively celebrate difference and encourage diversity and equity across the organisation. We are incorporating EDI into everything we do, including our EDI Strategy, published in June 2023.
National Policing Culture and Inclusion Strategy 2025-2030
The College of Policing and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) have developed a five-year culture and inclusion strategy for policing.
The strategy sets the vision for policing to have a representative workforce that is a trusted profession, demonstrating the highest levels of integrity, fairness and respect towards each other and the public we serve.
The strategy is available for police forces to implement from 1 April 2025. It establishes new standards focusing on two interconnected priorities: evolving police organisations and improved working with the public. As part of the strategy there will be practical guidance and tools available to support forces to create lasting cultural change.
The strategy will be owned by a chief officer in each force who will maintain sign-off and oversight of force performance on an annual basis.
The NPCC and College of Policing will work with His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to enable effective scrutiny of progress against this strategy and the culture and inclusion standard for policing.