The Committee considered a report that provided a summary of the progress to date and outlined agreed actions for delivery of the Inclusion and Diversity Strategy in year 2 (2025). A table setting out the year one actions status was attached to the report at Appendix 1 and the year two Action Plan was attached to the report at Appendix 2.

The report stated that the first year of the Inclusion and Diversity Strategy had seen the completion of the vast majority of the actions that had been proposed and the key themes for the second year were as follows:

·      Celebrating difference;

• Reviewing data and improving it where required;
• Supporting Progression;
• Allyship;
• Reviewing Policies;
• Reviewing the Council’s ambition statement;
• Reverse mentoring pilot;
• Recruitment;
• Disability confident;
• Staff Network support;
• Communications and engagement.

The report explained that a key action in year 2 of the delivery plan was to deliver a reverse mentoring pilot for the Senior Leadership Group. Reverse mentoring (also called reciprocal mentoring) was when a senior or more experienced employee was mentored by a more junior colleague. In most cases the junior colleague came from a group who were either not represented or were underrepresented at leadership level such as a different ethnicity, from different socio-economic backgrounds, a different generation, sexuality or gender and it was an effective way to build genuine awareness of the barriers that were faced by diverse groups of employees. The process recognised that there were skill gaps and opportunities to learn on both sides of a mentoring relationship and flipping the format on its head could be very beneficial for both parties. A pilot programme was being developed that would consist of a small group of senior leaders who wished to develop their understanding of the lived experience of employees from ethnically diverse backgrounds and employees with a disability, including a hidden disability.  These two areas aligned with the work on ethnicity and disability, both of which were priorities for the Council. The pilot was being developed ahead of its launch in March 2025, the work would include the following:

·      Establishing success criteria for the pilot;

• Developing reciprocal mentoring ‘ground rules’, protocols and advice for participants;
• Developing outline structures for reciprocal mentoring sessions;
• Establishing confidentiality protocols.

Resolved:

(1)    That the progress made in year one of the Inclusion and Diversity Plan be noted;

(2)      That the areas of focus for the 2025 Action Plan be noted.