Agenda item

Report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People)

Councillors A S Khan and P Akhtar, Cabinet Member and Deputy Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities, and Councillor J Mutton, Cabinet Member for Strategic Finance and Resources have been invited to the meeting for the consideration of this item

The Committee considered a report of the Deputy Chief Executive (People) which, in line with the Council’s statutory duty, proposed a set of five new equality objectives, which were recently the subject of a consultation exercise. The Committee noted that the report would also be considered by the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities at his meeting on 30 January, 2020.

The Public Sector Equality Duty requires the Council, as a listed public authority, to publish equality objectives that it thinks it needs to achieve to further any of the aims of the general equality duty. The existing set of 15 equality objectives were set in 2016 for a period of four years and will therefore expire at the end of March 2020. Progress against these objectives are reported annually to the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities.

The report detailed the following factors that have influenced the review of the Council’s equality objectives:-

·  The need to create a more concise, focused, measurable set of equality objectives through which the Council can demonstrate improved outcomes for protected groups

·  The Council’s One Coventry programme provides an opportunity to refresh the equality objectives in a way that would align them to the One Coventry Plan vision, priorities and values

The report also provided details of the questions that were considered as part of the development of the proposed new equality objectives, together with some of the sources of evidence that were used as part of the research into identifying appropriate equality objectives.

The following 5 equality objectives for 2020-22 are proposed:-

Equality Objective 1

Create a foundation to drive improved access to services through better use of equalities data

This objective relates to improving the Council’s’ understanding about its customers and using this intelligence to help shape the way in which we can deliver the best services for those groups of customers in most need

Equality Objective 2:

Develop and deliver in partnership a whole-city approach to ‘Building a Coventry that works for all’

This objective relates to establishing city-wide commitment to action as well as bringing together community, voluntary and public sector leaders to listen and mobilise on things of shared interest.

Equality Objective 3:

Increase the diversity of our workforce at all levels so that we are more representative of the communities we serve and better able to meet their diverse needs

The Council is committed to improving the recruitment and progression at all grades of people from under-represented groups to better reflect the diversity of the city.

Equality Objective 4:

Increase the number of 18-24 year olds getting into employment

Data is showing us that this group of young people experience more unemployment than other age groups in the city.

Equality Objective 5:

Increase the number of disabled residents taking part in sporting and cultural activities in the city

Disabled residents are less likely to both take part in and attend sporting and cultural events in the city; this equality objective will try and improve this and work with sporting and cultural providers to improve accessibility at events

These 5 proposed objectives have been subject to a process of rigorous scrutiny by both Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) and Strategic Management Board (SMB), during which time the following issues were considered for each objective:

·  The current position

·  What success would look like

·   What the scope/limit of our influence is to achieve the  

  objectives

·  Any risks to delivery

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

The Committee asked questions and sought answers and assurances in relation to a number of issues, including:-

·  Clarification in relation to work being undertaken in relation to each objective

·  How benchmarking and measuring of objectives will be undertaken

·  What consideration has been given to evaluation and encompassing this information into future reports

·  Information regarding the diversity of the City

·  How the objectives will be reflected in the Council Plan

·  Equality Impact assessments and the ability of officers to undertake these

·  Examples of work being undertaken with the West Midlands Combined Authority

·  Accountability by elected members

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for Policing and Equalities be recommended :-

1)  To consider the evaluation process over a period of time and includes reference to this in future reports

2)  To include specific reference to accountability by elected members in future reports

3)  To consider introducing mandatory training for undertaking Equalities Impact Assessments for all relevant officers.

4)  To refer regular progress reports on work in this regard to the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee