Issue - meetings

The Equality and Diversity Annual report provides an update on how the council is progressing with embedding equality and diversity in the way it plans, develops, and delivers services and in discharging its public sector equality duty.

The report sets out the Equality Footprint which reinforces the commitments to equality expressed in the council’s corporate strategy and the vision of the Big Plan.

The report also identifies some of the actions the council needs to take to realise the ambitions of the Equality Footprint and to achieve the excellence level of the Equality Framework for Local Government.

RESOLVED that Cabinet: -

(a)          noted the progress with Equality & Diversity for 2020/21;

(b)           supported the introduction of the Independent Observer role in recruitment process and support the necessary changes to HR recruitment policy;

(c)           supported the adoption of the equality footprint; and

(d)           noted the steps the council must take to realise its equality ambitions and to achieve the excellence level of the EFLG.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Leader of the Council

Reason

The council has a duty to consider how their policies, practice, and decision- making processes affect people who are protected by the Equality Act 2010.

Failure to comply with the Public Sector Equality Duty could have significant legal and financial implications for the council and individuals.

This report should give Cabinet assurance that the council is taking positive steps to discharge this duty and that its future ambitions for equality will continue to help the council ensure this.

The Leader presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

Cabinet was informed that the Equality and Diversity Annual report provided an update on how the council is progressing with embedding equality and diversity in the way it plans, develops, and delivers services and in discharging its public sector equality duty, and that further to this the report sets out the Equality Footprint which reinforces the commitments to equality expressed in the council’s corporate strategy and the vision of the Big Plan.

In addition, Cabinet was advised that the report also identified some of the actions the council needs to take to realise the ambitions of the Equality Footprint and to achieve the excellence level of the Equality Framework for Local Government.

Thanks, were expressed to those who had been involved in work surrounding the report.

RESOLVED that Cabinet: -

(a)          noted the progress with Equality & Diversity for 2020/21;

(b)           supported the introduction of the Independent Observer role in recruitment process and support the necessary changes to HR recruitment policy;

(c)           supported the adoption of the equality footprint; and

(d)           noted the steps the council must take to realise its equality ambitions and to achieve the excellence level of the EFLG.

Voting: Unanimous

Portfolio Holder: Leader of the Council