The Minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2023 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Minutes of Personnel Appointment Committees held on 17 November 2022, 26 January, 23 July and 25 July 2023 were confirmed as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

The Chief Executive submitted the proceedings of the Local Joint Forum meeting held on 10 October 2023.

The Committee considered a report that presented the Council’s Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap Reports for 2023 and the Workforce Profile Report for 2022/23.  A copy of the Gender Pay Gap Report 2023 was attached to the report at Appendix 1, a copy of the Ethnicity Pay Gap Report was attached at Appendix 2 and a copy of the Workforce Profile was attached to the report at Appendix 3.

The report explained that the mean gender pay gap was 0.82% and the median was 0.00%, compared to the previous year’s figures of 0.13% (mean) and 3.06% (median).  The mean ethnicity pay gap for 2023 was 2.46% mean and minus 0.40% median, compared to the previous year when they had been 2.68% mean and minus 1.76% median. 

The Workforce Profile Report for 2022/23 provided a summary of equalities monitoring data and trends over time.  It covered data on the protected characteristics of the current workforce and job applicants in 2022/23 and compared it to the previous three years, where relevant.

The report explained that taking positive action on workplace equality could have significant benefits for an organisation’s reputation, culture and people.  The Ethnicity and Gender Pay Gap reports were a fundamental step in the Council’s journey to improving workplace equality and it helped to create a baseline to track current progress and drive continued improvement.

Resolved:     That the Gender Pay Gap Report 2023, the Ethnicity Pay Gap Report 2023 and the Workforce Profile 2022-23, as attached to the report at appendices 1, 2 and 3, be noted

The Committee considered a report that presented the draft Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Plan.  A copy of the draft Strategy and Plan was attached to the report at Appendix A, a comparison of the current workforce against the most recent census (2021), including information about ‘prefer not to say’/’do not want to declare’ statistics was attached at Appendix B and the outcomes from the Big Conversation on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion was attached to the report at Appendix C.

The report explained that the Council was actively working to develop its approach to inclusion and diversity and to become a more inclusive employer.  The Council had been working on its inclusion agenda for several years and had sought advice and insight from its own workforce and from external specialists, working to understand where it needed to improve and what its priorities should be.  Reading was a diverse and vibrant place with pockets of affluence and deprivation and most of the people who worked for the Council were local.  More than half the workforce (54%) lived in the Borough and a further 27% were from nearby RG postcodes, a total of 81%.  The aim would be to have a workforce that reflected and understood the communities it served and to be seen as an employer of choice within the communities, one that valued inclusion and diversity, and the different perspectives they brought. 

Throughout the Strategy reference was made to Inclusion and Diversity.  This was deliberate and reflected the strong feedback that had been received from staff, leaders and managers, as well as reflecting best practice.  The Council’s external specialists, Inclusive Employers, had advised that achieving full inclusion was the important first goal, as when inclusion was delivered, diversity and equality would naturally follow.  The Strategy focused on the inclusion and diversity of both the current and future workforce.  However, it was clear that some groups experience of discrimination demanded additional focus.  Work on racism had been framed through the lens of the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development’s definition, as follows:

“Whilst workplace inclusion was essential, racism needed to be expressly addressed, given the long standing lack of progress on race equality in society and workplaces.  It needed to be named and consciously addressed alongside, and separate to, an overarching commitment to inclusion.”

The Action Plan therefore ensured work would be carried out early on embedding the Council’s ambition as well as the approach to the recruitment, support and development of disabled staff.  Further work would then focus on the other protected characteristics.

The report explained that work on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) agenda had been underway since late 2020 following a motion that had been passed by Council on 20 October 2020 (Minute 7 refers) on Tackling Employment Inequality.  This work had been enhanced following a report by the consultants Business in the Community who had been commissioned to review the Council’s approach to EDI.  Tangible progress had been made particularly in terms of the equality and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

The Committee considered a report presenting the outcomes of the latest staff survey that had been carried out in June and July 2023 and the actions proposed.  A table setting out the headlines from the 2023 staff survey was attached to the report at Appendix 1.

The report explained that the staff survey had been open for four weeks from 19 June to 14 July 2023.  It had consisted of 58 questions, plus optional questions about the respondent, for example directorate, ethnicity, age range etc.  The questions that had been asked had included new ones that related to equality, diversity and inclusion.  There had been 744 responses which had represented 44% of the Council’s workforce.  This was a decrease from previous surveys in 2022, 2021 and 2019 where the response rates had been 49%, 58% and 51% respectively.  The results were nevertheless statistically valid.

The report detailed positives to maintain/build on, areas for improvement from the comments made, cohort analysis and tables setting out actions and the next steps.

With regard to the cohort analysis, further analysis had been carried out into how different groups had responded and had included looking at protected characteristics, location and ‘group’, for example senior managers.  The report summarised feedback in terms of enjoyment of roles, pay, workload, bullying and harassment and opportunities to progress.

Resolved:     That the staff survey outcomes and action plan be noted.

The Committee considered a report presenting two Employment Policies which had been reviewed jointly and agreed with the Joint Trade Unions.  The following documents were attached to the report:

The report explained that the Breast Feeding Policy was new and the Additional Payments Policy and Family Leave Policy had been updated to ensure the content was easily understood and the language was gender neutral.

The report included a table that set out in summary terms for each of the new and revised policies the issues which had been addressed together with additional key changes that had been agreed with the Joint Trade Unions.  Once the policy review was complete, hyperlinks would be added to the policies where they cross-referenced to other policies.

Resolved:     That the following revised HR policies, as set out in in Appendices A, B and C, attached to the report, be approved:

·         Breast Feeding Policy;

·         Additional Payments Policy;

·         Family Leave Policy.

At this point, the following motion will be moved by the Chair:

“That, pursuant to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) members of the press and public be excluded during consideration of the following item on the agenda, as it is likely that there would be disclosure of exempt information as defined in the relevant Paragraphs of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) of that Act”

Resolved:

That pursuant to Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) members of the press and public be excluded during consideration of the following item, as it was likely that there would be disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A (as amended) to that Act.

The Committee received a report that provided a monitoring statement of all termination costs that had been incurred due to employees leaving the Council on redundancy grounds between 1 October 2022 and 31 October 2023.  It also included a summary of Special Severance Payments that had been made within the same period.  The report did not include termination costs for schools based staff and there had been no early retirements on the grounds of efficiency and no redundances during this period.

Resolved      That it be noted that the total Special Severance Payments that had been incurred between 1 October 2022 and 31 October 2023 was £19,255.

(Exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1 and 2).