Weymouth and Portland Borough Council is set to approve a set of shared equality objectives.

The borough council's policy development committee came together on Monday to discuss the adoption of Dorset Shared Equality Objectives and the Dorset Councils Partnerships Equality Objectives for 2018 to 2019.

Hilary Jordan, who is head of community and policy development at Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, said: "We are required to publish equality objectives as part of our public sector equality duty and these are to last us for the next year, so while we are still this council.

"Obviously with the unitary council coming ahead it makes sense to do this sort of work jointly as far as possible, and there is a Dorset wide equality group that has prepared the joint Dorset equality scheme that is with all the other councils in Dorset.

"The objectives we are asking you to approve today are a main set of joint objectives plus some additional ones more local to our area.

"And the whole document has been through a joint equality working group, they have approved these and now they're going through a series of committees."

The objectives aim to champion diversity, inclusion and equality within Dorset.

Councillor Paul Kimber said concerns have been raised about 'very bad employers' and foreign workers being made to work in 'enslaved conditions.'

He also said that he has been sent a charter of initiatives which has gone before local authorities in Preston and Oldham.

He asked: "I wonder if you see those types of employers coming in on this?" Meaning will the set of equality objectives cover issues including modern slavery.

However, Ms Jordan replied the objectives discussed in the report are aimed at people who have 'protected characteristics', however, she asked Cllr Kimber to share the charter with her so the council could look into it.

Meanwhile, Cllr Christine James was pleased to see one of the objectives aims to ensure that public areas of council offices are dementia friendly.

She explained: "Whatever we are going to do we need to hurry up and do it because we're in a dementia crisis."

The policy development committee agreed that both the Dorset Shared Equality Objectives for 2018 to 2019 and the Dorset Council Partnership Equality Objectives for 2018 to 2019 be recommended for approval.

The objectives will now go before Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's management committee.