Report of the Joint Director (Equality, Inclusion and Engagement)

This report provides an update on the Council's activities to demonstrate compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty and the annual report which will be published. 

The Committee considered the report of the Joint Director (Equality, Inclusion and Engagement) which provided an update on the Council's activities to demonstrate compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty and the annual report.

Key points and themes in the report included:

• Manchester and the Council;
• Equality objectives;
• Workforce equality;
• Progress update 2022-23;
• Governance and
• Next steps and recommendations.

Some of the key points that arose from the Committee’s discussions were: -

·                     The “tell us once” approach for trans employees;

·                     The findings and actions from the Workforce Race Equality Review;

·                     The Gender Pay Gap;

·                     Improving data collection;

·                     Inclusive decision-making;

·                    Recognising the limits of broader group descriptors such as “African” and the wide range of different communities with different experiences that this encompassed and the need to engage with individual communities, including utilising Ward Councillors’ knowledge of communities within their ward;

·                    Request for further information on the Sounding Boards, including which groups were on the Board, which communities they represented and when they joined the Boards; and

·                    That the percentage of the population of the city from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities was high and projected to increase and the importance of ensuring they were represented.

In response to questions about Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities and about intersectionality,Sharmila Kar, Joint Director of Equality, Inclusion and Engagement, advised that qualitative and quantitative evidence available needed to be used alongside engagement with and building trust with communities.  She reported that a lot of work was needed to improve data collection, including taking into account intersectionality and improving communication with people about why data was being collected and how it was being used.  In response to a Member’s question, she reported that events to celebrate diversity would be reviewed.  She recognised that there was still work to be done on inclusive decision-making and advised that the learning from the COVID Health Equity Group could help to inform this work.  She recognised the diversity of communities covered by broad descriptors and welcomed the opportunity to work with Ward Councillors on reaching out to individual communities.  She reported that the Communities of Identity report would provide further information.  She agreed to circulate the requested information on the Sounding Boards, as well as information on targeted engagement work.

The Head of Organisational Development and Transformation informed Members that a more detailed report on Workforce Equality had been considered by the Resources and Governance Scrutiny (RAGS) Committee in November 2022 and that this would be circulated to Members of this Committee.  He advised that the trans “tell us once” approach had arisen from engagement with staff, that a working group had been established to progress trans inclusion in the workforce and that the report to the RAGS Committee provided further information on this, as well as further information on the Race Equality work.  He informed Members about the leadership programmes for Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff, advising that there had been some progress in Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff starting to progress higher up in the organisation.  He advised that workforce equality profiles would be produced on a six-monthly basis as part of a wider suite of data. 

The Head of Workforce Strategy explained how representation was monitored at all levels in the organisation, in addition to monitoring recruitment data and putting in place development programmes, and that improvements had been made but more still needed to be done.  He reported that every senior manager had a workforce equality target and that these would be strengthened.  A Member requested that information on these targets be circulated to the Committee, to which he agreed.

The Chair questioned whether some of the information which was going to RAGS Committee should be coming to this Committee and advised that this would be discussed further outside of the meeting.

In response to a Member’s question, the City Solicitor confirmed that care leavers would be added to the Council’s list of priority groups.

The Chair welcomed that people living in poverty had been added as an additional priority group and recognised the additional challenges faced by people from a background of poverty when they tried to progress within organisations.  She recognised that first generation immigrants had different experiences, viewpoints and aspirations from second and third generations and asked that this be incorporated into the Communities of Identity report.  She requested that equal pay also be included in a future report.

The Deputy Leader thanked officers for their work and welcomed the proposal to work with Ward Councillors on understanding the communities within their ward.

Decisions

1.            To note that the Committee will continue to consider reports on Equalities on a regular basis and to request that the two Chairs of RAGS Committee and Communities and Equalities Scrutiny Committee meet to discuss items to be incorporated into a future report.

2.            To request that the different experiences, viewpoints and aspirations of first, second and third generation immigrants be incorporated into the Communities of Identity report, along with the poverty strands.

3.            To note that officers will circulate further information to Members, including information on boththe Sounding Boards and workforce equality targets and the report previously submitted to the Resources and Governance Scrutiny Committee.