equality and inclusion annual report 2014 2015... · executive summary 2 ... equalities, i am...

Equality & Inclusion Plan Annual Report 2014/15

Equality and Inclusion

Annual Report

2014/15

Equality & Inclusion Plan Annual Report 2014/15

Contents

Foreword 1

Introduction 2

Executive Summary 2

Progress Against Key Doncaster Equality Issues 3

News Headlines 4

Objective 1: Leadership 6

Objective 2: Evidence Based Decision Making 7

Objective 3: Data & Intelligence 8

Objective 4: Community Engagement 9

Objective 5: Workforce 10

Our Workforce 11

Equality & Inclusion Plan Annual Report 2014/15 Page | 1

FOREWORD

As the Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member with responsibility for

equalities, I am pleased to present the Council’s Equality and Inclusion

Annual Report, which provides a summary of the progress we have

made on delivering the actions of the Equalities and Inclusion

Plan during 2014/15.

We have made significant progress against our Year 1 Action Plan, which aimed to make

sure that the Council continued to meet the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty

and to put the framework in place to meet our five corporate equality objectives, but we

know there is still much more to do. The framework that we now have in place is providing a

solid foundation for the delivery of our service specific objectives, which will have a real

impact on the lives of Doncaster people. Our year 2 plan is already in place to help us to

build on the headway we have made this year.

Our ultimate aim is excellence in equality in Doncaster, but we acknowledge that some

things will take longer to achieve than others. I am really pleased with progress so far, but I

know that we cannot afford to take our foot off the pedal. We will continue to focus on

embedding equality into everything that we do in order to achieve fairer outcomes for local

people irrespective of their characteristics.

Councillor Glyn Jones

Deputy Mayor & Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Equalities

By working together Doncaster will be a

place that all communities can

be proud of


INTRODUCTION

This is Doncaster’s annual equality and inclusion report, which provides an update on the progress made in implementing the Council’s equality objectives during 2014/15. The report is a summary of activity and outcomes and it demonstrates transparency and fairness in line with our annual statutory duty to publish information. The content is drawn from information from across the Council, much of it gathered from a review of the year 1 action plan. It is set out in sections representative of our objectives and highlights the key pieces of work we have undertaken and also states the future direction of the work on equalities and inclusion. The annual report and an updated equality and inclusion action plan is published on the Council’s website.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

We are very proud of our achievements during the past year, and our commitment to making equality, diversity and inclusion integral to the way we work. The groundwork is in place against our corporate objectives and we are able to demonstrate that: All Members and staff fully

understand their responsibilities in

relation to the Public Sector Equality Duty.

We fully consider paying due regard to equalities as part of our decision making process.

We have started to fill in our data and intelligence gaps. We are collecting improved data and are using this to know our communities better.

We are engaging with communities and are monitoring due regard as part of the consultation process.

We are supporting our workforce and a high proportion, when asked, said they were treated with fairness and respect by colleagues.

We believe we are continuing to make a real difference to the quality of life of our residents. We have seen some real improvements against the biggest inequalities issues during the year including: The employment rate for females in

Doncaster has improved and is now closer to the national average.

The GCSE results (5 or more A*‐C grades) for our BME students is greater than the average for all students in Doncaster.

Thousands of people have benefitted this year from receiving innovative support funded through the Community Funding Prospectus in a very person‐centred way.

The new strategy to tackle Domestic Violence and Abuse in Doncaster has been published where our vision is “An integrated response to the whole family”, whereby victims, perpetrators and families receive timely and appropriate support.


PROGRESS AGAINST KEY DONCASTER EQUALITY OBJECTIVES


NEWS HEADLINES

There is much to be proud of in the work that has taken place in the last year that reflects the ambitions we have for the people of Doncaster.

The new Inclusion and Fairness Forum is

now up and running and will hold up to 6

public meetings a year.

Liam Scully has been appointed as Independent Chair of the Doncaster Inclusion & Fairness Forum. Councillor Glyn Jones, Doncaster Council’s Deputy Mayor and Cabinet member for Equalities and Cohesion said, “Liam joins us at a very important stage in the Forum’s development as we move from shadow status and progress towards making Doncaster a fairer place to live and work. The role of Independent Chair will be fundamental to this as the Forum considers the disadvantages and inequalities which can be experienced by some individuals or groups within Doncaster and make recommendations to the Partnership Board of how these could be improved. I am confident that the Forum will benefit hugely from his extensive experience and expertise.”

On Wednesday 25th February, the event with Doncaster Rovers FC took place organised in partnership with DRFC Community Sports and Education Foundation, sponsored by Doncaster Council. Pupils from Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Kingfisher, Woodfield and Bentley High Street Primary Schools took part in a

range of anti‐racism activities including; a hate crime workshop from South Yorkshire Police and a workshop examining Homophobia which was delivered by Doncaster Pride, followed by a tour of the Keepmoat Stadium. Chief Executive of Show Racism the Red Card, Ged Grebby, said: “The educational events with football clubs are one of the highlights of our work. It’s brilliant to be able to continue this season’s programme of events with Doncaster Rovers. The club are long‐standing and consistent supporters of the campaign". “We are hugely grateful to the club, Doncaster Council and DRFC Community Foundation for their support.”

We have worked in partnership with South Yorkshire Police (PREVENT). We have raised awareness in Doncaster secondary schools through a series of activities including training events, providing best practice guidance and support, which will be shortly promoted to the primary schools across the borough. This is a multi‐agency approach to protect people at risk from radicalisation whose aims are to: • respond to the ideological challenge of terrorism and the threat we face from those who promote it; • prevent people from being drawn into terrorism and ensure that they are given appropriate advice and support; and • work with sectors and institutions where there are risks of radicalisation which we need to address.


Call for greater cancer awareness. Doncaster Public Health, in partnership with NHS Doncaster, are encouraging the borough’s Muslim community to get to know the warning signs of cancer and to contact their GP immediately. This is in response to nationally carried out research that shows that South Asian patients have worse cancer outcomes than their white British counterparts. Dr Rupert Suckling, Doncaster Council’s Director of Public Health, added: “If we are to beat cancer it’s vital that people are aware of the dangers. This is an important campaign and I hope that this will lead to more patients coming forward to their GP with early symptoms.”

Thousands of people have benefitted this year from the range of support commissioned by Adults Health and Wellbeing. Women from Black, Ethnic and Minority communities; people with mental health issues; older people; people with physical disabilities; young people; carers who may be financially excluded; people living with dementia; people who have a learning disability; people recovering from substance misuse behaviours; and ex‐offenders are all receiving innovative support funded through the Community Funding Prospectus in a very person‐centred way.

Tackling Domestic Violence and Abuse continues to be a priority for the Safer Stronger Doncaster Partnership. The new strategy for Doncaster has been published where our vision is “An integrated response to the whole family”, whereby victims, perpetrators and families receive timely and appropriate support.

Anyone needing help can access the Domestic Abuse Helpline, 24 hours a day;

Emergency refuge for victims is provided by the Domestic Abuse Victim Service;

Perpetrators of domestic violence can access a brand new and innovative service called Foundation4Change;

The multi‐agency Domestic Abuse Hub has been created; and

Public awareness has been raised through a range of general and targeted publicity campaigns.

Every year we survey our staff to find out their opinions on working life at the council so we can make improvements to the way we work and the services we deliver. The results from November 2014 indicated a high proportion of staff satisfaction when asked if they were treated with fairness and respect by colleagues (93%), managers (83%) and customers (84%).


‘To provide strong leadership, build organisational knowledge and commitment’

Our main focus is …… To ensure our leadership challenges,

champions and drives forward an approach to equality based on improving outcomes for local people.

To demonstrate increased understanding and awareness of councillors, leadership and officers of the legal requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).

To actively challenge the consideration of equality in key decisions through the overview and scrutiny process.

To protect the most vulnerable groups in our communities, and continue to improve outcomes whilst introducing service efficiencies and cost savings.

Achievements …… The driving force to achieve our

priorities and objectives is led by the Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Equalities, and is supported by the Corporate Equalities Steering Group.

Equality training for members and officers is now mandatory.

Our plan has been widely communicated and regular information is published on our progress as part of our Quarterly Performance Management Framework and on the Council’s website.

We have launched

on‐line training for

members and

officers on the

requirement of the

public sector

equality duty and

how to show due

regard.

Compliance with equality policy is

performance managed.

Bespoke monthly training sessions are

now in place to embed the process

across the organisation.

Key decisions and reports are reviewed

for compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty. Results are monitored and published.

Best practice examples of completed due regard statements ensure a consistent approach and staff are support through the process.

What we need to do …

We will provide quality assurance of compliance with the public sector equality duty through an internal audit review.

Complete Level 1 of the Local Government Association Equality Framework and make significant progress on level 2.

OBJECTIVE 1 LEADERSHIP


‘To provide efficient, responsive services that meet the needs of local people, improving outcomes and customer satisfaction’

Our main focus is …… Implement our Due Regard assessment

process that supports a thorough equality analysis of the needs, experiences and outcomes of different groups which is then used to shape our policies, strategies, services and plans.

Ensure commissioning is used to drive forward improved outcomes across all equality groups including the protected groups supporting delivery of our service area equality objectives.

Achievements …… All council reports must now include

equality implications after implementation of a new corporate report format.

The 95% is an annual figure, since October 2014, 100% of reports to Cabinet have contained due regard.

In the Public Health Commissioning Strategy, evidence shows there are some barriers to healthy eating and physical activity and some specific service needs that people with

protected characteristics may experience that can be lessened and addressed by the Obesity Prevention and Weight Management Service.

We have used evidence and data to design the priorities and outcomes of the Digital Strategy. This will support people to access services online, particularly for those who currently may not be able to.

Doncaster’s communities and their representatives have helped to shape our Heritage Strategy, including what we and our partners are going to do in the future. We aim to ensure that we meet the needs of Doncaster’s residents, and provide opportunities for all residents to access Doncaster’s rich heritage.

Equality objectives have been fully integrated into commissioning processes.

Training continues to be delivered to staff to ensure that consideration is shown as a theme in each part of the commissioning and decommissioning process. This is fully supported by the public sector equality duty toolkit and guidance.


We will further develop the process to evaluate the equality implications of commissioning services.

Develop a baseline of equality data and

information that can be used in the commissioning of services that supports and delivers results against our service specific objectives.

OBJECTIVE 2 EVIDENCE BASED DECISION MAKING


‘To know our local communities and

understand their needs’

Our main focus is …… Use the Doncaster Data Observatory

intelligence hub to provide robust equality data which can be used to drive local commissioning and support policy and development.

Apply consistent and strengthened

data collection across all the protected groups and in particular the newer strands: sexual orientation; religion and belief; pregnancy and maternity; marriage and civil partnership; and gender re‐assignment.

Achievements ……

Doncaster’s Community profiles have been published on the Team Doncaster website. They include demographic information on age, ethnicity and religion.

All our published strategic needs

assessments including the Joint Strategic Needs Assessment (health), Joint Strategic Intelligence Assessment (crime) and economic assessment incorporate diversity data to aid fair decision making.

The Data Observatory has produced and published specific diversity reports and equality factsheets about our service specific objectives. These are

available on the Team Doncaster website. Doncaster Data Observatory

Community consultation is now being registered and relevant equality data is collected, used and published.

As part of the commissioning process regular contract monitoring ensures that providers collate and share service user data relating to the protected characteristics.

As more equalities information becomes available it has become easier to respond to data requests from a wide range of services which will continue to develop.

What we need to do ….

Develop a suite of indicators and benchmark them against other similar local authorities.

Publish the ‘State of the Borough’

assessment.

Develop further guidance and support for managers who are undertaking consultation.

Undertake a review of the equalities section of the Data Observatory website so that information is accessible to all.

OBJECTIVE 3 DATA & INTELLIGENCE


‘To bring residents closer to the decision making process so that they help shape and improve service delivery’

Our main focus is …… Encourage opportunities for local

people and groups to influence our decision making and have a say about what matters most to them.

Work in partnership with community and voluntary organisations to strengthen understanding, build bridges and share information about the positive aspects of the diverse communities living in Doncaster.

Work in partnership; identify

volunteering opportunities; and link existing and potential volunteers to the opportunities available.

Achievements …… Doncaster’s Inclusion & Fairness Forum

has been established. The Forum will work in partnership to look at a range of disadvantages and inequalities which can be experienced by some individuals or groups within Doncaster and make recommendations of how these could be improved. The Forum’s purpose is to increase understanding of the challenges related to inclusion and fairness facing those who visit, live in or work in Doncaster and develop appropriate working arrangements and community pathways to enable Doncaster’s diverse voices to be heard and listened to. To do this it will:

Focus on the key issues which impact on inequalities across the Borough.

Hold up to 6 public meetings per year at locations convenient to local people.

Develop appropriate arrangements to gather evidence and provide opportunities to hear from and listen to diverse views of individuals and groups on key priorities, such as the potential impact of changes and wider issues such as poverty, financial inclusion, pay and employment, and access to publicly funded services

Review evidence and debate the issues.

Seek to identify and recommend good practice and any actions which could address identified gaps or challenges through local partners and beyond.

Plans are in place to fully refresh the

consultation on the Community Engagement Strategy.

Completed extensive consultation with

third sector groups as part of the development of the Voluntary, Community and Faith Strategy.

The Volunteer Forum has been

established which recognises the role and strength that the third sector plays in bringing communities together.

What we need to do …..

Increase understanding of the challenges related to inclusion and fairness facing those who live, work and visit Doncaster.

Research, consult and examine views on key priorities, the potential impact of making significant changes or reductions to services and wider issues including poverty; financial inclusion; pay and employment; and access to publicly funded services.

OBJECTIVE 4 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT


‘To encourage a diverse workforce in an inclusive and supportive workplace’ In line with the Council’s People Strategy, our action plan shapes the work we do around equalities and inclusion, supported by intelligent use of data and this is detailed in the remainder of this report.

Our main focus is to …… Have a clear understanding of the

diversity of our workforce and how our policies affect different groups.

Treat our workforce with dignity, fairness and respect.

Ensure that our workforce understands what equality and diversity is and how it applies to their work and are able to respond to the needs of different service users.

Achievements …… Developed a

New e‐learning module entitled “Equality in the Workplace” which has been rolled out to all staff.

Analysed and published workforce

profile data on a quarterly basis through the Council’s Workforce Digest. This is available to all managers to help identify issues and assess where improvements are needed.

Carried out a full staff survey to measure individual views and opinions. This included specific

questions around being treated with fairness and respect by different groups. The responses indicated a high proportion of staff satisfaction when asked if they were treated with fairness and respect by colleagues (93%), managers (83%) and customers (84%).

Carried out an analysis exercise to assess the effectiveness of recruitment practices for BME and disabled applicants. This will inform what we will do in the future.

Reviewed and updated the following policies and procedures: Managing Attendance; Dispute Resolution; Pay Policy; Exit Frameworks and Pension Processes; Maternity and Paternity; Employee Leave Arrangements; and 9 schools policies.

Devised a framework for Developing

and Implementing Policies and Procedures which ensure that due regard is shown.


Support services in the intelligent use

of workforce profile data when

workforce planning.

Promote equality and diversity in the

workplace through communication

and participation in national events.

Continue to promote and provide

equalities and diversity training and

development to the workforce.

OBJECTIVE 5 WORKFORCE


Our Workforce

Head Count % Turnover

rate

Mar 2014 5508 2.19%

Mar 2015 4895 6.16%

The overall workforce figures have reduced this year compared to last year (by 613 posts) despite an increase in turnover. The percentage remains less than the current national average turnover rate of 10.4%. With low turnover comes high retention which does tend to happen in times of economic downturn. Whilst this gives a level of stability it can also impact on organisational renewal. It makes the aim for our workforce to be more representative of the working age population particularly challenging and so trends will continue to be monitored so appropriate steps can be taken. Workforce Profile The workforce profile data shown is taken from

information disclosed by employees.

What the data tells us and areas to

highlight

Doncaster Council, like many councils across the UK, has an older workforce. We recognise both the importance of retaining the expertise that some of our long‐serving and experienced employees possess and the need to ensure that this

expertise is passed onto younger employees. The proportion of 16‐24 year olds against the total workforce has decreased from last year. This is of concern as it indicates that young people are not gaining as many employment opportunities in the Council. Interestingly the proportion of workers aged 55+ has increased and in both cases we need to ensure our workforce planning initiatives impact positively so we have the right people with the right skills in place to deliver for Doncaster.

The proportion of employees from the BME community is currently 2.24%, compared to Doncaster’s BME community of working age at 8.76%. This has reduced by 0.12% compared to last year and is further challenged by the current low staff turnover rate. Similarly employees who have declared a disability represent 2.47% of the workforce (an increase of 0.05%) against Doncaster’s declared disabled population of 16.28%. Understanding the reasons for these gaps is crucial to inform our future workforce planning, recruitment practices and supporting individual development to improve representation in both groups. The Year 2 Equality and Inclusion Action Plan contains specific activity relating to this issue.

16‐24 25‐34 35‐44 45‐54 55+

2015 5.58% 13.83% 20.79% 35.40% 24.40%

2014 5.75% 14.51% 21.52% 35.76% 22.46%

0.00%5.00%

10.00%15.00%20.00%25.00%30.00%35.00%40.00%

Percentage of Workforce by Age


There has been little movement in the gender split of our workforce as this has generally remained static at 72% female to 28% male for several years. The Council offers a wide variety of roles and has a high proportion of part time and flexible working opportunities which are still generally favoured by females. However, the number of women in senior roles has decreased by 7.92% from 55.13% in 2014 to 47.21% in 2015. Moving forward it is about continuing to promote roles and flexible working and to challenge practices that may inhibit fair access and opportunity for all. Equalities Training A new e‐learning module was introduced that covers equality issues in the workplace, including areas such as diversity, inclusion and dignity. To date 1946 employees out of our total workforce of 4895 have completed the module. Work will continue in the coming year to roll this out across the whole workforce. Recruitment & Selection What the data tells us and areas to highlight During any recruitment process, the individually‐completed equality declaration form is collected separately and not made available to recruiting managers. The analysis is drawn only from the data declared to us. During the year we received 7925 job applications and just under a third were subsequently shortlisted. This led to 523 appointments being made. The number of applicants who declared their ethnicity as BME was 483. This

represents just over 6% of the total applications which is encouraging given the economically active community BME profile is just under 9%. This would indicate that the Council is attracting the BME community for recruitment opportunities. 147 went on to be shortlisted and 22 were appointed; although more needs to be done to improve these outcomes.

Over twice as many applications were made by women compared to men and this trend continued at the shortlisting stage. However, at the appointment stage this proportion changed as 316 women were successful compared to 200 men. Applicants who declared a disability accounted for 141 of the 7925 applications and over a third were shortlisted. This can be attributed to the Council’s commitment to the Government’s “two ticks” initiative, which promotes giving people who declare a disability a guaranteed interview for the post if they meet the essential criteria. Of the 49 that were shortlisted, 7 were appointed (14%).

Application Shortlisting Successful

Men 2487 762 200

Women 5397 1704 316

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1000

2000

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4000

5000

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Application to Appointment based on Gender

equality and inclusion annual report 2014 2015... · executive summary 2 ... equalities, i am...

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