Our People Strategy
Our People Strategy is a critical enabling strategy for the delivery of our vision for Cambridgeshire and our ambitions. As well as ensuring this connectivity and coherence, it sets out our strategic approach to the attraction, recruitment, retention, reward, development, engagement and inclusion of a diverse, valued and supported workforce.
Our People Strategy is about what type of organisation we want to be and what the experience of being an employee of the council feels like. Our residents deserve the most talented, skilled, and committed people to deliver essential public services with and for them. In return, our colleagues deserve an inclusive, supportive, progressive and values-led organisation to be their employer, which they are proud be part of.
Our People Strategy 2023 - 2028
Our CARE Values
We have worked hard over the last couple of years to ensure that we are a purpose led organisation, very much powered by the people that work across all our teams and services. With the development and clarity brought about by our Strategic Framework and our Vision to create a Greener, Fairer and More Caring Cambridgeshire we are clear about ‘why’ we are all here. Through the 7 Ambitions that sit underneath our Vision, we are also clear about ‘what’ we need to do to achieve our Vision.
Having Vision and Ambitions is only part of the picture. We are clear about ‘how’ we will deliver these and the way that we will all work, with each other and especially with the people and communities of Cambridgeshire.
Our CARE Values guide how we work together and with our communities. They reflect our commitment to being Collaborative, Accountable, Respectful and Excellent in everything we do.
Collaborative
We recognise that we work most effectively when we work together, with partners, and with our communities, to achieve the best outcome.
We communicate effectively, by being generous with what we know and can do, and by listening and seeking to understand the roles, perspectives, and insights of others.
We use the tools available to us and keep open minds to new approaches and opportunities. We start from the position that each of us is trying to do our best, and that together we can do even better.
Respectful
We respect each other as individuals, who contribute our own skills, knowledge, and insight to the work we do. When we make decisions, we explain our reasons. When we disagree, we do this in a manner that respects each other’s experiences, seeking to understand different perspectives and what we can learn from one another.
We respect one another’s time and resources, and those of our community and our natural environment, taking only what we need and adding value where we can. Where we make mistakes, we consider how we can improve and do not seek to assign blame. Where we see the ability for others to improve, we communicate this with kindness and clarity. Where we see our own need to improve, we acknowledge and act on this.
Accountable
We understand the importance of our individual responsibility in achieving outcomes for our community, are committed to achieving the best we can, and to owning both what we do and how we do it.
We demonstrate responsibility for our performance and our behaviours. We show others that they can count on us, so that results are achieved in the right way, at the right time, and we expect this of each other.
Where we encounter a problem, we find a solution. When we don’t know or need help, we seek the right support. We learn from failure and celebrate our successes, however big or small.
Excellence
We have faith in our ability to exceed expectations, both our own and those of others. We recognise that the way we go about achieving our aims is as important as the outcome, and that our behaviours and the ways in which we work can make the ordinary extraordinary.
We seek to excel in the way we treat people and in how we use our collective skills, knowledge, and creativity to deliver the best we can for our communities. We learn every day, showing curiosity and valuing knowledge that will support innovation and improvement.
Hear from our colleagues about what its like to work at Cambridgeshire, how they live our values every day and contribute to delivering our strategic framework.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
At Cambridgeshire County Council we are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), as set out in our EDI Strategy. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment that attracts and retains diverse people who feel valued, respected, and empowered.
Our EDI Strategy
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) strategy is a key cross-cutting strategy which will enable the council to achieve its vision and ambitions so that Cambridgeshire can become greener, fairer, and more caring in the ways that are most suitable to the variety of people, and diverse communities we serve.
This strategy builds on the successes and learning from our 2018-2022 Single Equality Strategy and sets out our approach and objectives moving forward. Whilst we have made great progress to advance our EDI agenda, we must be open and honest about our journey, and we recognise that there is still a lot of work to do. We are truly committed to leading this work, reducing inequality, strengthening and developing good community relations, and challenging discrimination, we must take targeted action to deliver meaningful and sustainable change.
To drive this work forward, the strategy sets out three themes:
- Our workforce: Foster an inclusive, supportive and safe working environment that attracts and retains diverse people who feel valued, respected, and empowered.
- Our communities: Further understand and work with our diverse communities across Cambridgeshire, developing local solutions which address the needs of our communities.
- Our services: Ensure people who use our services and residents have good quality public services that meet the diverse needs of our communities.
A detailed action plan underpins each of these themes, setting out how we will achieve our equality objectives.
Disability Confident Leader
We have successfully achieved the Disability Confident Leader accreditation, the highest level within the government’s Disability Confident scheme. This accreditation recognises the positive action we take to recruit, support, and retain disabled people within our organisation.
As part of achieving this accreditation, we carried out a detailed self-assessment to review how we support colleagues individual needs. This includes disability, neurodivergence, mental, physical and long-term health conditions.
The process also helped us identify where we can continue to improve, ensuring our workplace remains inclusive, supportive and accessible for everyone.
Some of the work already in place includes:
- Providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Through Guaranteed Interview Scheme, we will offer an interview to all applicants who disclose a disability and meet the essential criteria for a job vacancy. On your application form you can indicate you are disabled.
- Proactively offering and making reasonable adjustments as required.
- Supporting employees to manage their disabilities or health conditions through various ways including:
- a new Wellbeing passport
- reasonable adjustment guidance
- support for applying to Access to Work
- a Mental Health support service employer toolkit (Maximus)
We are proud to be recognised as a Disability Confident Leader and remain committed to building a workplace where everyone can thrive.
Anti-racism
Cambridgeshire County Council is committed to becoming an anti-racist organisation and to delivering meaningful and sustainable change as an employer and a service provider to our diverse communities. To us, being anti-racist means actively identifying and opposing racism, being consciously and visibly anti-racist. We do not accept any forms of bullying, harassment, discrimination or any other unacceptable behaviours in our communities and workplace. We can, and must, do better and we have a responsibility to take action against all aspects of overt and systemic racism.
As part of our journey to becoming anti-racist, we have formed an anti-racism steering group, the role of the group is to:
- Discuss and generate ideas on how we can address individual and systemic forms of racism, suggest changes to eliminate racial bias and identify priorities for action.
- Help to shape innovative approaches to empowering all colleagues to act, prevent racism and to challenge and/or speak out when it occurs.
- Establish working groups to drive forward outcomes in specific areas.
- Oversee the UNISON Anti-racism Charter commitment.
Our new values reflect the experiences and aspirations of colleagues, who were directly involved in shaping them, to be collaborative, accountable, respectful and, achieve excellence (CARE), values which all support a culture in which we act on discrimination in all its forms.
Colleague EDI Network – IDEAL
The Council has an EDI Colleague Network, Inclusion, Diversity, Equality for All (IDEAL) and peer support groups. IDEAL is a network for employees, workers, recognised trade unions and elected members.
Its role is to:
- Promote equality, diversity and inclusion within our workforce - Support networks that promote equality, diversity and inclusion for employees, workers, recognised trade unions and elected members.
- Improve the diversity of our workforce to reflect the communities we serve as well as to promote and celebrate diversity across the Council.
- Raising the profile of equality, diversity and inclusion through engaging with senior management and communication campaigns.
- Working with partners to link with events and campaigns
The peer support groups include: Neurodivergence, disability, LGBTQIA+ Peers, LGBTQIA+ Allies, Global Majority, Carers, Menopause Café (Unison).
Useful links:
Wellbeing at the Council
At Cambridgeshire County Council, we believe that wellbeing is not just a benefit, it’s a foundation for thriving, inclusive and high-performing workplace. When our people feel supported, they feel empowered to bring their best selves to work and make a difference to our communities.
A Culture of Care and Support
Wellbeing is embedded in our culture through our CARE Values and our strategic commitment to being a more caring Cambridgeshire. We foster a workplace where everyone feels supported, respected, and empowered to thrive.
What We Offer
We provide a wide range of wellbeing support and resources, including:
- Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)
A confidential 24/7 service offering counselling, legal, financial, and medical advice. - Mental Health First Aiders & Respect at Work Contacts
Trained colleagues who are available to listen and signpost support when needed. - Wellbeing Hour
Monthly sessions led by internal and external experts, giving staff time to pause, reflect, and recharge. - ‘Our Conversations’ Framework
Encouraging open, honest 1:1 discussions that include wellbeing as a core topic. - Flexible Working
Options such as hybrid working, 9-day fortnights, and part-time roles to support work-life balance. - Protected Hour & Focus Time
Initiatives to protect time for breaks and deep work, including avoiding meetings between 1–2pm and encouraging shorter, more mindful meetings. - Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Networks
Peer support groups and active networks that promote belonging and wellbeing for all.
Reflecting Together: Schwartz Rounds
We also offer Schwartz Rounds—monthly, in-person forums where colleagues from across the Council come together to reflect on the emotional aspects of their work. These sessions are:
- Confidential and inclusive, open to all staff regardless of role.
- Facilitated by trained colleagues to ensure a safe, respectful space.
- Themed around real experiences, such as “The Power of Community” or “Coping with Change”.
Schwartz Rounds help reduce stress, build empathy, and strengthen our culture of compassion. Whether you choose to share or simply listen, they offer a powerful opportunity to connect and reflect.
A Place Where You Can Thrive
Whether you're working remotely, in the community, or at one of our offices, we are committed to creating an environment where you can do your best work and feel your best self.