Issue - meetings

Cabinet Member: Local Communities

Forward Plan Ref: 2018/022

Contact: Amy Allen, Policy Officer Tel: 07920 084362

Report by Policy & Performance Service Manager (CA8).

The Equality Policy 2018-2022 sets out how the Council is approaching its responsibilities for ensuring that the principles of equality, diversity, fairness and inclusion are applied to our own workforce and the services we commission and deliver to residents. It demonstrates how the Council is meeting the requirements placed on public bodies under the Equality Act 2010, including setting eight objectives for the next four years.

A draft of the policy went out for public consultation between January - March 2018 and the policy has been amended following feedback.

An annual action plan has been developed, this will be monitored and reported quarterly as part of the Council's overall performance management arrangements.

The Cabinet is RECOMMENDED to approve the Equality Policy and Strategy 2018 – 2022.

Recommendations agreed.

Cabinet considered a report seeking approval of The Equality Policy 2018-2022 that set out how the Council is approaching its responsibilities for ensuring that the principles of equality, diversity, fairness and inclusion are applied to our own workforce and the services we commission and deliver to residents. A draft of the policy went out for public consultation between January - March 2018 and the policy has been amended following feedback.

Councillor Susanna Pressel, Shadow Cabinet Member for Local Communities, generally welcomed the report which she had commented on during the consultation. Referring to page 3 of the Policy, Councillor Pressel referred to the protected characteristics which were to be considered alongside areas of disadvantage and queried how that would be addressed. The Policy needed to say more about staff training and the link to the quality of services although she was pleased to see this was being developed. She asked for additional information on why   equity audits were not to be completed until next year and on comparisons with other authorities. Councillor Pressel queried what work had been done to determine the usefulness of SCIAs and whether they could be improved upon. Referring to the Annex 2 information it highlighted the need to explain more clearly why the Council needed to collect protected characteristic data.

Councillor Gray responded to the points made explaining that areas of disadvantage were not the same as areas of deprivation. Ben Threadgold, Policy & Performance Service Manager, introduced the report and added that there were good examples of the impact of SCIAs. The Policy was a live document and there was a clear link to performance reporting. In looking at our equalities activity use was made of the LGA Self-Assessment Framework.

Councillor Gray moved the recommendations:

RESOLVED:             to approve the Equality Policy and Strategy 2018 – 2022.