Agenda item

(A report by James Gilbert, Assistant Director – Corporate)

The Group Manager – Organisational Development presented a report by the Assistant Director – Corporate which sought views on the proposed Partnership Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy. The strategy was attached at Appendix A and the High-Level Action Plan was attached at Appendix B within the report.

The strategy set out four key objectives:

1.     Understand the needs of our communities and bring local people together.

2.     Create a diverse and inclusive leadership team and embed inclusion in decision-making.

3.     Ensuring Council services meet the diverse needs of residents and make it easy for local residents to access services.

4.     Being an inclusive and fair employer with a diverse workforce at all levels.

The accompanying action plan focused on training and development, policy review, community engagement, and monitoring and evaluation.

Members discussed the report and commented as follows:

·        A number of members expressed concerns regarding the practical value and effectiveness of the strategy. It was suggested that such policies often failed to address the root causes of inequality, such as income disparity, class, and political disengagement, and may serve more as a performative exercise than a meaningful intervention.

·        Concerns were raised about the language used in strategy, which some members felt was overly abstract and lacked clarity. It was suggested that the document be revised using more accessible and plain Englishto ensure it was understandable to a wider audience.

·        Members queried the accuracy and consistency of demographic data presented in the report, particularly in relation to the 2021 Census.The Group Manager – Organisational Development advised that she would review the figures and provide clarification.

Questions were raised regarding the extent of community engagement in the development of the strategy. In particular, members asked whether representatives from Eastern European communities, such as Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, and Romanian residents, had been consulted. The Group Manager – Organisational Development confirmed that engagement had taken place with a cross-section of staff, councillors, residents, and partner organisations, including Citizens Advice and local community groups. However, members requested that future engagement efforts be broadened to ensure wider representation.

·        The legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty were discussed. The Group Manager – Organisational Development clarified that while a formal strategy was not mandatory, the Council was required to publish equality objectives and demonstrate due regard to eliminating discrimination and advancing equality.

·        Members proposed that the strategy be broadened to include additional dimensions of inclusion not covered by the nine protected characteristics, such as economic hardship and political exclusion, which were considered highly relevant to the local context.

·        The estimated cost of implementing the strategy was confirmed to be approximately £7,000 for Boston Borough Council, representing a share of a part-time fixed-term post across the partnership.

·       
Members sought clarification on how the success of the strategy would be measured. The  Group Manager – Organisational Development advised that outcomes would be monitored through resident surveys, hate crime data, and feedback from community partners.

The Committee noted the report and acknowledged the statutory context underpinning the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy. However, members expressed a strong preference for the draft strategy to be revised prior to adoption. It was recommended that the revised document more clearly reflect local priorities, incorporate simpler and more accessible language, ensure the accuracy of demographic data, and adopt a broader and more inclusive approach that considers local socio-economic realities.

Members further requested that:

• The language be made clearer and more accessibleto all audiences;
• The scope of inclusion be  expanded to address issues such as economic hardship and political disengagement;
• Greater emphasis be placed on measurable outcomes and the practical relevance of the strategy to the local community; and
• Scrutiny members be actively involved in shaping future iterations of the strategy.
  
  

The Chairman thanked Officers for the report. He concluded that whilst the Committee recognised the importance of meeting statutory obligations, it was essential that the final version of the strategy be meaningful, locally grounded, and capable of delivering tangible benefits to the community. The revised strategy would be expected to return to the Committee for further scrutiny.

Resolved:

1.     That the draft Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan be noted;

2.     That the strategy be revised to:

• Use clearer and more accessible language;
• Broaden the scope of inclusion to reflect local socio-economic realities, including economic hardship and political disengagement;
• Ensure the accuracy and consistency of demographic data; and
• Place greater emphasis on measurable outcomes and local relevance.

3. That the revised strategy be brought back to the Committee for further scrutiny.