The Assistant Director of HR and Organisation Development submitted a report providing an update on the work being done to advance Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Council since the previous update that had been submitted to Personnel Committee in March 2021.  A copy of the Business in the Community (BITC) Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Audit report – October 2021 was attached to the report at Appendix 1 and the BITC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Audit recommendations which had been implemented or were in progress as at February 2022 was attached to the report at Appendix 2.

The report detailed the findings of an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Audit which had been carried out for the Council by BITC and the work that was being done to implement their recommendations.  It also provided an update on the Healthy and Ethical Workplace programme which was being delivered in the Directorate of Adult Social Care and Health, in partnership with Ethical Reading which had focused on achieving a vibrant, values based and ethical culture.

The report explained that the findings from the BITC Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Audit would be used alongside the findings of the Gender and Ethnicity Pay Gap reports for 2021 and the Workforce Profile for 2020/21 to inform the development of an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for the Council.  It would be co-created with input from a range of stakeholders, with support from an external partner who would be appointed soon. 

AGREED –

(1)       That the progress made to advance Equality, Diversion and Inclusion at the Council since the last update on 17 March 2021 be noted;

(2)        That a progress update on the development of an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for the Council be submitted to the next meeting of the Personnel Committee, to be held on 14 July 2022.