Agenda item

To receive a report seeking approval for the Authority’s refreshed Corporate Equality and Diversity Policy; and Corporate Equality Objectives for the period April 2023 to March 2025.

Cabinet received a report seeking approval for the Authority’s refreshed Corporate Equality and Diversity Policy; and Corporate Equality Objectives for the period April 2023 to March 2025.

The Authority’s Equality and Diversity Policy sets out how North Tyneside Council seeks to ensure compliance with the 2010 Equality Act and Public Sector Equality Duty and achieve the Authority’s aim that North Tyneside was a place where people felt safe and no one experienced discrimination or avoidable advantage because of their protected characteristics, background or personal circumstances.

The Corporate Equality and Diversity Policy and Corporate Equality Objectives Review sets out its commitment to achieving the main aim of the Actwhich was to eliminate discrimination and other prohibited conduct and to demonstrate how the Authority, when discharging its functions, would have due regard to the public sector equality duty and the need to: Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Act;Advance equality of opportunity between those who share a relevant protected characteristic under the Act and those who do not share such a characteristic; andFoster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

A protected characteristic under the Act was any of the following: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

The Policy was originally agreed in 2017 and in line with good practice was reviewed every two years in consultation with internal and external groups and individuals. As a review of the Policy was due, the opportunity was also taken to review the Corporate Equality Objectives. These objectives enabled the Authority to identify and publish the priority issues (in terms of policy making, service delivery and employment) is seeking to address in order to achieve the aims of the Act.

This report sets out the findings from the public consultation on the draft policy and the review of the Authority’s Corporate Equality Objectives and actions. Consultation on the Policy ran from 5 January until 21 February 2023. Details of the  participating external groups were set out in section 1.5.2 of the report. Engagement within the Authority was undertaken with the Authority’s four staffequality networks, the Cabinet Member for Inclusion, Employment and Skills, Senior Leadership Team (SLT), Corporate Equality Group (CEG), trades unions and employees who were all invited to share their views.

A variety of approaches were used to gather views in ways most appropriate to each stakeholder group. As a result of the Authority listening to the feedback from the consultation, which overall was very positive and constructive. As a result of listening to its Appendix 3 provided a summary of the responses received during the consultation and showed how they had informed changes to the wording of the policy as a result of the Authority listening to its residents.

In accordance with the requirements of the specific duties placed on the Authority under the Act the Authority must:

‘prepare and publish one or more objectives that it thinks it needs to achieve to further any of the aims of the general equality duty…. at least every four years’.

The Authority’s current Corporate Equality Objectives were agreed by Cabinet in February 2022. Given the good progress made against the key actions that underpinned each objective through delivery of the Authority’s Embedding Equality Programme it was timely to undertake a review of the objectives in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Inclusion, Employment and Skills, SLT and Corporate Equality Group.

The proposed objectives for 2023-25 were:

·       Improve North Tyneside Council’s Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) process.

·       Be a good employer and promote an inclusive workforce that feels valued.

·       Ensure staff and elected members are kept informed about the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty.

·       Improve the collection and use of both internal and external equality data.

·       Ensure our buildings, services and communications are accessible.

·       Improve engagement with North Tyneside’s diverse communities.

Appendix 2 to the report compared the current objectives and those proposed for 2023-25, together with the outcomes identified for each objective. Delivery of the objectives,through the Organisational Business Plan (including Directorate Plans) and  Embedding Equality Programme  will enable implementation of the Policy.Performancewould be reported on an annual basis to Cabinet through the Annual Equality and Diversity Review.

Authority’s website, and promoted widely.

Delivery of the objectives,through the Organisational Business Plan (including Directorate Plans) and  Embedding Equality Programme would enable implementation of the Policy.Performancewould be reported on an annual basis to Cabinet through the Annual Equality and Diversity Review.

Both the Policy and the Annual Equality and Diversity Review would be published on the Authority’s website, and promoted widely.

Cabinet considered the following decision options.

Option 1: To approve the proposed Equality and Diversity Policy, and to the Corporate Equality Objectives.

Option 2: To approve the proposed Equality and Diversity Policy, but not to the Corporate Equality Objectives.

Option 3: To approve the Corporate Equality Objectives, but not to the Equality and Diversity Policy.

Option 4: Not to approve the Equality and Diversity Policy or Corporate Equality Objectives.

Option 5: To request changes to the Equality and Diversity Policy or Corporate Equality Objectives, prior to further consideration by Cabinet.

Resolved that (1)the Corporate Equality and Diversity Policy for the Authority at Appendix 1 to the report, be noted; and

(2) the Corporate Equality Objectives for the Authority for the period April 2023 to March 2025, as set out in paragraph 1.5.3 of the report and detailed in Appendix 2, be agreed.

(Reasons for decision:The Authority’s approach to equality and diversity underpins all of its decision-making including key plans and policies.  Approval of the recommended option will ensure that the Authority has a current Equality and Diversity Policy that reflects both current legislation and the context within which the Authority is operating.

The proposed Corporate Equality Objectives will enable implementation of the Equality and Diversity Policy and ensure compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty.)