Agenda item

Report attached.

The Board was advised that the report on the READI review agreed at Cabinet and Council had included a recommended six-month scrutiny of progress against the report’s action plan. Full Council had approved the 15 priority recommendations made in the report. It was emphasised that the review was not an investigation and did not make any judgements. The review was in conjunction with the Leader’s wish to make sure the Council’s own policies supported zero tolerance to racism and discrimination. The review had been commissioned by the Council from the Local Government Association.

The review included a confidential self-assessment and had been delayed due to the impact of the pandemic. The Council Chief Executive was able to make only factual comments on the report. The self-assessment had been shared service and staff forum leads. The report lead officer was interviewed by Council representatives in order to ensure the integrity and honesty of the report.

A more detailed plan of actions in response to the report would be designed by the READI programme manager. £250k funding had been committed to recruit the READI programme team. A Member felt that the Board should look at each Council policy to check it confirmed with the overall action plan. Other suggestions by the Member included an enhanced equalities and diversity page on the Council’s website, and giving examples to Members of the experiences of staff referred to in the report. Other Members also felt that redacted examples of the incidents referred to should be given.

Officers responded that it was correct that policies should be scrutinised at the Board in light of the READI review. Some examples had in fact been given at feedback sessions with the Cabinet and Group Leaders. Officers would check with the self-assessment document could be released to the Board. Work on an equalities and diversity page of the website would be covered in the detailed action plan and the Board was welcome to scrutinise this. Indeed, it was part of the scrutiny role to look at the detail of work in the areas covered by the READI report.

Some Members felt they had not been involved in the review and that Councillors should be kept better informed as to progress. An All Member Briefing on the report had taken place. Members continued to feel though that they would like more details of the experiences covered in the report. Officers suggested one option was to see if the internal equalities and diversity group would speak confidentially to the Board.

It was AGREED that the Board consider progress against the READI review action plan on a six monthly basis in line with the scrutiny function. This would include in the following areas:

-       Ensuring existing Council policies conformed with the review action plan.

-       Establishing an enhanced Equalities and Diversity page on the Council’s website.

-       Drawing on external expertise in Equalities and Diversity available from organisations such as the Local Government Association.

-       Giving examples and more detail to Members of the shared experiences referred to in the READI review.