The Committee considered a report that provided the annual update, year 2 progress, on delivery of the Inclusion and Diversity Strategy.  The following appendices were attached to the report:

The report stated that most of the people who worked for the Council lived locally with approximately half of the workforce (54%) living in the Borough and a further 33% had an RG postcode (87%).  The aim was for the Council to have a workforce that reflected and understood the communities it served and to be seen as an employer of choice within the Council’s communities and one that valued inclusion and diversity and the different perspectives they brought.  Progress had been made since the launch of the Inclusion and Diversity Strategy including the following:

• A steady increase in the ethnic diversity of staff and the development of a more representative leadership team;
• Launch of the “Reverse Mentoring for Inclusion” pilot programme;
• Publication of Pay Gap Reports and Action Plans (see Minute 7 above);
• Production of an Anti-Racism Statement and Action Plan for 2025;
• Launch of an Inclusive Recruitment workshop;
• Updating the Council’s four core HR Policies: Bullying and Harassment, Disciplinary, Grievance and Managing Poor Performance, to ensure that they continued to reflect best practice.

The report explained that progress was shared with all staff through a supporting comms campaign and members of the Corporate Management Team Chaired, on a rotation basis, a quarterly meeting with Chairs of the Staff Networks as part of the governance of the Strategy.  Meetings had been held with Councillors over the previous 18 months about the Council’s strategy for inclusion and diversity for its workforce and a keen interest had been shown in the Anti-Racism Statement.  The statement related to the Council’s workforce however, Councillors were also being engaged in working towards a broader Boroughwide public statement.  Progress had also been made with the agreed milestones for the Inclusion and Diversity Strategy and this was set out in a table in the report.

The priorities for the third year of the Plan, starting in January 2026, listed areas that needed to be addressed that were felt to still require attention to ensure the delivery of the Inclusion and Diversity Strategy and included the following:

• A communications campaign for the Anti Racism statement and continuing to progress the agreed actions;
• Developing and rolling out a series of Inclusion and Diversity workshops;
• Support for Progression;
• Continued delivery of Inclusive Leadership workshop;
• Policy Review;
• Disability Inclusion.

The report explained that Staff Networks, organisational leaders and Team Reading Stakeholders had been asked to comment on any further priority areas that would support achievement of the Council’s ambition for Inclusion and Diversity during year three of the Strategy.  To date feedback had included a focus on Disability Inclusion (invisible disabilities such as neurodiversity, epilepsy, narcolepsy), Carers (unpaid or family carers) and Menopause.  These would be considered as part of the year three delivery.

Resolved:    That the progress that had been made in relation to the delivery of the Council’s Inclusion and Diversity Strategy be noted.