Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

Note: A briefing note from the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee is attached at page 25, setting out its recommendations following consideration of this report at its meeting on 8^th January 2020.

The Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People), which set out proposed new Equalities Objectives for the period 2020 to 2022.

The report indicated that the Council is committed to fulfilling its duties as a public authority under the Public Sector Equality Duty.  As part of this general duty, the Council is required to comply with a specific duty to publish a set of equality objectives every four years.  The current set of equality objectives were set in 2016 and therefore expire in 2020. 

The five equality objectives proposed for 2020-22 were:

  Equality Objective 1 – Create a foundation to drive improved access to services through better use of equalities data.

  Equality Objective 2 – Develop and deliver in partnership a whole-city approach to ‘Building a Coventry that works for all’.

  Equality Objective 3 – Increase the diversity of the Council’s workforce at all levels so that it is more representative of the community it serves and better able to meet their diverse needs.

  Equality Objective 4 – Increase the number of 18-24 year olds getting into employment.

   Equality Objective 5 – Increase the number of disabled relatives taking part in sporting and cultural activities in the City.

The proposed objectives had been subject to a process of rigorous scrutiny by both Corporate Leadership Tam and Strategic Management Board.  In addition, public consultation on the proposed equality objectives ran from 30^th September 2019 to 9^th October 2019 and then from 13^th October 2019 to 22^nd November 2019.  The consultation was paused for a total of four days, in order for a conversation with stakeholders to take place on the scope of the consultation.  In order to compensate for the pause, an additional week was added to the total length of the consultation.  The consultation revealed broad support for each of the objectives and the report submitted provided a summary of the responses.  It was noted that the results of the consultation would be fed into the development of actions plans for each objective.

In addition, the report indicated that the Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, as corporate lead for equalities, would receive regular progress reports against each objective and that an annual report would be presented to the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities.

The Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities noted a briefing note from the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee, who had considered the report at its meeting held on 8^th January 2020.  The briefing note set out a number of recommendations, including:

1.  That the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities considers the evaluation process of the objectives over a period of time, including this in future reports.

2.  That future reports are more specific in relation to referring to accountability by elected members.

3.  That the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities considers introducing mandatory training for Equalities Impact Assessments for all relevant officers.

4.  That the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee receive regular progress reports on the work in this regard.

RESOLVED that, the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities:

1.  Accepts the recommendations from the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee.

2.  Approve the formal adoption of the proposed new equality objectives for the Council for 2020/22.