Agenda item

This report sets out how the EDI action plan for 2022-23 has been developed to support the Council’s EDI Framework known as ‘Including Everyone’. The report invites comment from the Performance and Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee on the draft action plan which is attached at annex 1 and notes the intention to revise the framework over the next year. For reference, the current ‘Including Everyone’ Framework is included as annex 2 to this report.

The Committee is asked to comment on the draft Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) action plan 2022-23 prior to consideration by Cabinet.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Services introduced the report and its contents, highlighting that tackling inequalities was one of the council’s strategic priorities. The council was committed to equality in all it did; the report drew together how that was embedded in services.

The broad range of actions produced for the 22/23 municipal year reflected a number of other strategies, had been developed so as to be more specific, measurable and time-specific than previously and reflected staff feedback. The council was working more closely with directorates to embed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

Achievements in the previous municipal year included improving key human resources policies to make it easier to tackle bullying, harassment and discrimination.

The council had recruited a senior policy officer with responsibility for inequalities, who worked within staff networks to enable the development of policy which reflects lived experience.

The Committee heard that:

a.    The framework and action plan were not required by law.

b.    The council had outcome measures specific to activities, some of which were harder to define measures for than others. It was important to consider peoples’ views, particular staff networks’. The council had consulted staff communities when introducing the EDI framework. External evaluation and validation were also useful indicators of performance: the council had received a Stonewall Bronze Award for its work with trans communities and been shortlisted by the Local Government Chronical for embedding EDI in its work. While the framework was broader than human resources, human resources casework – e.g. staff experiencing discrimination in the course of their work – was a useful indicator of performance in relation to EDI.

c.     The 22/23 action plan was more ambitious, specific and embedded in council services than its predecessor and had been coproduced with services. For example, service plans were now subject to equality impact assessments.

d.    The framework and action plan were a key but small element of delivering the council’s strategic priority of tackling inequality. Achieving equity in educational attainment and addressing the rising cost of living, for example, were outside the scope of the action plan but key to delivering the council’s priority. The development of a broader strategy around inequality could follow from the plan.

e.    The council’s apprenticeship team worked to provide career opportunities for people from under-represented backgrounds. Staff at lower grades were being supported to complete English and maths qualifications to enable career progression. It was suggested that apprenticeships be added to an overview & scrutiny work programme.

f.      The council’s social value policy supported EDI as well as other priorities, such as the environment and sustainability.

g.    The Head of Insight and Corporate Performance was delivering an action to identify how the council’s various strategies interfaced.

The Committee observed that it would be useful to have a single document with performance measures drawing together all of the council’s work in relation to the strategic priority of tackling inequalities.

RESOLVED – That approval be given to the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Committee, to agree draft recommendations via email in consultation with the Committee.