Issue - meetings

Report of Assistant  Director – Customer Focus

Purpose of report

To agree the action plans for delivering the council’s equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) commitments for creating inclusive communities, services and an inclusive workforce, which are set out in its Equalities Framework, Including Everyone.

Recommendations

The meeting is recommended:

1.1       To approve the draft action plans for Inclusive Communities, Inclusive Services and Inclusive Workplaces.

1.2       To approve the addition to the Inclusive Communities plan of an action to “use our participation in the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Charter as a spur to further activities which promote equality, diversity and inclusion locally”.

1.3       To agree the recommendation from Overview and Scrutiny Committee to amend the Inclusive Communities to include an additional action to “develop and agree a policy for supporting national events that further our corporate priorities and reflect the diversity of our communities" and provide further clarification under commitment 1.03 that the review of our support to refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants would consider the impact on migrants “of all nationalities”.

1.4       To delegate authority to the Assistant Director for Customer Focus to make minor amendments to the agreed action plans in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and the Chair of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group.

Resolved

(1)          That the draft action plans for Inclusive Communities, Inclusive Services and Inclusive Workplaces be approved.

(2)          That the addition to the Inclusive Communities plan of an action to “use our participation in the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Charter as a spur to further activities which promote equality, diversity and inclusion locally” be approved.

(3)          That the recommendation from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to amend the Inclusive Communities to include an additional action to “develop and agree a policy for supporting national events that further our corporate priorities and reflect the diversity of our communities" and provide further clarification under commitment 1.03 that the review of our support to refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants would consider the impact on migrants “of all nationalities” be approved.

(4)          That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director for Customer Focus in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and the Chair of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group, to make minor amendments to the agreed action plans and to update on a rolling basis.

The Assistant  Director – Customer Focus submitted a report which sought agreement of the action plans for delivering the council’s equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) commitments for creating inclusive communities, services and an inclusive workforce, which were set out in its Equalities Framework, Including Everyone.

Councillor Dallimore, Chairman of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which had nominated Members to the EDI working group and had reviewed the Inclusive Communities and Inclusive Services draft action plans at their 14 March meeting addressed Executive. Councillor Dallimore commended the work that had been undertaken to date by the working group and officers.

Resolved

(1)          That the draft action plans for Inclusive Communities, Inclusive Services and Inclusive Workplaces be approved.

(2)          That the addition to the Inclusive Communities plan of an action to “use our participation in the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Charter as a spur to further activities which promote equality, diversity and inclusion locally” be approved.

(3)          That the recommendation from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to amend the Inclusive Communities to include an additional action to “develop and agree a policy for supporting national events that further our corporate priorities and reflect the diversity of our communities" and provide further clarification under commitment 1.03 that the review of our support to refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable migrants would consider the impact on migrants “of all nationalities” be approved.

(4)          That authority be delegated to the Assistant Director for Customer Focus in consultation with the Portfolio Holder for Corporate Services and the Chair of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion working group, to make minor amendments to the agreed action plans and to update on a rolling basis.

Reasons

The council is committed to going above and beyond our statutory responsibilities in creating inclusive communities and services and an inclusive workforce. To do this effectively we need to have the right resources and infrastructure in place to:

·         capture the latest EDI data and trends

·         use the data available to identify and address any barriers

·         ensure EDI implications are identified and considered at the earliest opportunities through our service planning and decision making processes

The Inclusive Communities, Inclusive Services, and Inclusive Workplaces Action Plans provides a structure in which this can be delivered and a basis on which further more specific, substantive work on this topic can be delivered.

Alternative options

Option One: To continue to deliver the original action plan. This option has been rejected as  the council is now a standalone authority and therefore the action plan needs to reflect its single council status.