Agenda item

To receive a report from the Assistant Chief Executive (Citizens and Communities) on the Equality Framework Reaccreditation and inviting the Scrutiny Board to consider the draft Equality Improvement Priorities 2016 – 2020.

The Assistant Chief Executive (Citizens and Communities) submitted a report on the Equality Framework Reaccreditation and invited the Scrutiny Board to consider and provide any comment on the draft Equality Improvement Priorities 2016-2020.

The following were in attendance for this item:

-  James Rogers, Assistant Chief Executive (Citizens and Communities)

-  Councillor Mohammed Rafique, Executive Member for Employment, Enterprise and Opportunity

-  Shaid Mahmood, Acting Chief Officer for Communities

-  Pauline Ellis, Senior Policy and Performance Officer

-  Beverley Benjamin, Executive Officer, Citizens and Communities

The key issues raised during the Board’s discussion were as follows:

·  Stonewall Accreditation – in response to Members’ questions, it was noted that the Council had dropped out of the top 100 employers’ index in 2014 as a result of more organisations, primarily private organisations, applying for accreditation and demonstrating greater progress in achieving an inclusive workplace.  The Board was pleased to learn that the Council still continues to develop this area and has submitted a recent application to reapply for accreditation.

·  Perinatal education – Members acknowledged the importance of improving perinatal education particularly for those in poverty and welcomed this as a new key priority.

·  Developing a skilled and diverse workforce – Members felt that further work is still needed to create a diverse workforce and particularly in relation to improving opportunities to progress to middle and senior levels in the organisation.  The Board was therefore pleased to note that a new Inclusion and Diversity Member Steering Group had been established to address this area.

·  Sign language – Members emphasised the need to address the 2 week waiting time for an interpreter to support sign language users at Customer Services and also put forward a suggestion to provide a sign language interpreter at Full Council meetings.

·  Income inequality – whilst acknowledging that the Council already monitors the diversity of its workforce based around salary grades, a suggestion was made for the Council to look into the feasibility of undertaking comparator research involving other large employers within the city.

·  Inclusive design – the Board welcomed this as a key priority particularly in terms of having external input from the Council’s Equality Assembly and the Access and User-Ability Group.  As part of this, particular emphasis was also made around including the Parks and Countryside programme of works.

·  Children in poverty – whilst acknowledging that Free School Meals had previously correlated with many other indices, Members recognised the need to ensure that recent changes in eligibility were being reflected.

·  Improving opportunities for children – in acknowledging the proactive work being undertaken by the Council around improving opportunities for Looked After Children, Members felt that this needed to be reflected more within the document.

·  Learning outcomes linked to Free School Meals – Members felt that this focused heavily on GCSE outcomes and suggested exploring a broader range of progress measures.

RESOLVED –

(a)  That the Scrutiny Board notes the report.

(b)  That the above issues raised by the Scrutiny Board are taken forward and where appropriate included in the revised Equality Improvement Priorities.