Agenda item

Report of the Director of Legal and Democratic Services, attached.

The Committee considered the Report of the Director of Legal and Democratic Services on progress of the Race Equality Action Plan, following on from the first progress report presented in November 2022.

The report outlined the progress of the plan and referred to completed action in regard to strengthening resources, governance and accountability, creating a safe and inclusive working environment shaping organisational change, building better understanding through data and insight, and the proposed next steps.

Members’ discussion points with the Chief Executive, Director of Legal and Democratic Services; and the Director of People Director of People & Culture included:

·         the Senior Leadership Team’s commitment to an inclusive and diverse culture to increase motivation, trust and confidence, improved recruitment and retention, and to help all staff feel valued and respected, increasing innovation and creativity, and to service improvements and better community outcomes;

·         staff communication and initiatives to improve engagement through staff briefings for example as well as surveys and to encourage open feedback, for effective challenge with appropriate actions;

·         the need for clear metrics and benchmarking including meaningful qualitative as well as quantitive data and information (with case studies as appropriate) and to include recruitment and retention data, grievance and disciplinary matters/outcomes and Occupational Therapy referrals for example; and the need for current budget information on costs and future revenue implications;

·         the development of a dashboard to measure impact and outcomes as part of the next steps;

·         confirmation of additional recruitment within the Equalities Team reporting to the Director of Legal and Democratic Services;

·         the wider equality agenda across the organisation;

·         a Member’s concern about a national independent provider of children’s care and education services with which the Council might have contractual relations in regard to their alleged recruitment practices and working/living conditions for its ethnic minority employees;

·         the work of the County Council’s cross party Equality Commission (on which further information would be provided in future reports) to promote the advancement of equality and challenge discrimination in all its forms in the organisation (their role and membership details etc were available at Equality Commission - Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (devon.gov.uk);  

·         the development of the prayer and contemplation facilities including Wudu (or Wudhu, cleansing ritual or ablution that was an important part of purity and cleanliness in Islam before performing worship) arrangements; and disability access facilities at County hall (including the Committee rooms);

·         the overall objective and commitment to the organisational culture change  that was intolerant to racism and discrimination against all people with protected characteristics.

It was MOVED by Councillor J Brook; SECONDED by Councillor A Dewhirst and

RESOLVED 

(a) that the achievements and support and the planned next steps to further advance race equality and commitment to a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to racism be acknowledged and supported;

(b) that the achievements and the next steps in relation to wider Equality Agenda and the Equality Commission work be acknowledged and supported;  

(c ) that updates in relation to the work of the Equality Commission be received on a six monthly basis; and

(d) that Officers be requested to provide tangible demonstration of change resulting from the equality action plan for the November committee to include emergent understanding on cultural support for kindness and care.