Following some coverage in the media and on social media over the last week on our approach to inclusivity, specifically toilet facilities for staff which is not factually correct, we have published a statement to provide clarity.
Susan Halliwell, chief executive at Bracknell Forest Council, said:
“We can confirm there are single sex and unisex toilets available for our staff in our Time Square office. We have single sex toilets and an accessible toilet available on floors one to four, which are only available to staff. Additionally, the toilets on the ground floor are unisex – there are separate unisex toilets for staff and the public, plus there is an accessible toilet for people with disabilities and separate baby changing facilities.
“The council is committed to creating a safe, inclusive, and supportive work environment for all our staff and visitors. We take the safeguarding and wellbeing of our employees extremely seriously and have robust policies in place to promote equality and diversity across our organisation. We continuously review and improve our practices to ensure every employee feels valued and supported and we maintain an environment of dignity, courtesy and respect.
“Additionally, we are always looking at opportunities to understand and celebrate all protected characteristics as well as educate on differences. This is a vital part of our approach to inclusivity, so everyone feels valued and welcome. Over the past year we have marked many key events and activities including, International Women’s Day, Movember, Pride, Black History Month, St George’s Day, Armed Forces Day, many religious festivals, menopause awareness and much more."
Please note, while the ground floor toilets are unisex, the toilets on all other floors have always been single sex toilets.
The Progress Pride Flag
There are a diverse range of pride flags that have been designed over the years, and the Progress Pride flag integrates many of these into one which is substantially more inclusive.
The flag includes stripes to represent the experiences of people of colour, as well as stripes to represent people who identify as transgender, gender nonconforming and/or undefined.
In recent years, the Progress Pride flag has become one of the most widely used pride flags due to its inclusivity, given the evolving nature of the LGBTQ+ community and society at large.
One of our values is Inclusive and as such, it is appropriate for us to use the most inclusive pride flag so that everyone is represented, valued and heard. We have been using the Pride Progress flag for the last few years during Pride month, our Bracknell Forest Pride celebrations and other relevant Pride awareness campaigns. We fly the Progress Pride flag alongside many other organisations nationally.