Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

PoliceLatest NewsEquality, diversity and inclusionRace discriminationPre-employment screening

Avon and Somerset police chief admits to recruitment blunder

by Michael Millar 7 Mar 2006
by Michael Millar 7 Mar 2006

The chief constable of Avon and Somerset Police has admitted that a recruitment scheme which relied on positive discrimination to increase the proportion of women and ethnic minorities in the force was “not appropriate”.


The Commission for Racial Equality (CRE) began an investigation into recruitment at the constabulary following reports that candidates are being turned down for being white.


The force rejected 186 white applicants because, it said, its workforce was “over-represented by white men”. Under the Race Relations Act, shortlisting or appointing on racial grounds is unlawful.


In its summer recruitment drive last year, 46% of successful applicants were white men, 49% white women and only 4% black and minority ethnic men and 1% black and minority ethnic women. Only 51 officers out of 3,314 currently working at the force are from ethnic minority backgrounds.


At the time Avon and Somerset chief constable, Colin Port, defended the policy, known as ‘positive action’.


“By randomly deselecting from a group where we were vastly over-represented, we will make a difference. The group on this occasion happened to be white men,” he said in December last year.


However, after taking independent advice, Port said he realised the policy was “not appropriate” and that all applicants who had been excluded have been given the option to reapply.


“We will continue to think and find ways of trying to recruit more men and women from groups that are under-represented,” he said. “We will have to be innovative in our thinking, but it may also include us being, again, pioneering in our approach.”

Avatar
Michael Millar

previous post
Dixons owner signs £120m outsourcing deal with Capita
next post
Some 1,800 MG Rover workers still to find jobs as taskforce folds

You may also like

CV fraudster stripped of earnings after lying about...

19 Aug 2022

Migrant workers to be asked to fill care...

19 Aug 2022

HMRC employee without driving licence wins disability discrimination...

19 Aug 2022

Huge profits at owner of P&O Ferries in...

19 Aug 2022

Personnel Today Awards 2022 shortlist: Apprenticeship Employer of...

19 Aug 2022

Women’s health, the workplace and ‘big data’ –...

19 Aug 2022

Oven-Ready HR Reheated part 1: Gethin Nadin, Charlotte...

19 Aug 2022

Will the Scale-up visa increase the UK’s flow...

18 Aug 2022

Fall in number of students accepted on degree...

18 Aug 2022

Travel disruption: employers’ questions answered

18 Aug 2022
  • 6 reasons why work-based learning is better than traditional training PROMOTED | A recent Fortune/Deloitte survey found that 71% of CEOs are anticipating that this year’s biggest business disrupter...Read more
  • Strengthening Scotland’s public services through virtual recruiting PROMOTED | This website is Scotland's go-to place for job seekers looking to apply for roles in public services...Read more
  • What’s next for L&D? Enter Alchemist… PROMOTED | It’s time to turn off the tedious and get ready for interactive and immersive learning experiences...Read more
  • Simple mistakes are blighting the onboarding experience PROMOTED | The onboarding of new hires is a company’s best chance...Read more
  • Preventing Burnout: How can HR help key workers get the right help? PROMOTED | Workplace wellbeing may seem a distant memory...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+