Agenda item

Diversity Action Plans

Meeting of Strategic Policy and Resources Committee, Friday, 23rd August, 2019 9.30 am (Item 8h)

Minutes:

The Committee was informed that the Council’s Equality and Diversity framework, which ran from April, 2017 till March, 2021, set out the means by which the organisation would tackle inequalities and promote diversity in the City. The framework had been built around four key priorities and associated actions, namely, leadership, partnership and organisational commitment, understanding our communities through data and consultation, delivering services accessible to all and developing a skilled and diverse workforce. In terms of the leadership, partnership and organisational commitment key priority, the Council had committed to developing and delivering a Gender Action Plan, an LGBT+ Action Plan and a Race Action Plan.

The Director of City and Organisational Strategy reported that the Women’s Steering Group had, in May, 2018, agreed a three-year Gender Action Plan for delivery between April, 2018 and March, 2021. The Year 2 Action Plan, covering 2019/20, was being presented to the Committee for approval, as was an LGBT+ Action Plan for the same period, which had been formulated in collaboration with the LGBT staff network. A Race Relations Plan had still to be developed. The cost of delivering Year 2 of the Gender Action Plan was approximately £40,500, which included £16,000 of approved activity carried over from 2018/19, whilst the delivery of the LGBT+ Action Plan would cost £9,300. Those costs would be met from the existing Organisational Development budget.

The Committee approved Year 2 of the Gender Action Plan (2019/20) and the LGBT+ Action Plan 2019/20, as set out hereunder, together with the associated costs.

GENDER ACTION PLAN 2018 – 2021

(Year 2019-20)

WOMEN IN THE COUNCIL -to ensure that BCC organisational culture, policies and practices empower talent development at all levels, for elected members and officers and remove any form of discrimination
Action	Who	Cost	Year
Hold annual IWD event for staff	HR IWD working group WNG	£6000	2
Deliver 2nd mentoring programme (men and women)	HR	£3000	2
Deliver Women Leaders Programme (members and officers)	WSG HR External facilitator	£12000	2 (postponed from 18/19)
Deliver 2nd work shadowing initiative with CX ( linked to mentoring programme)	HR CX office	Staff resources	2
Deliver short modular personal development sessions for WNG members	HR	£3000	2 (c/f from Year 1)
Provide Lord Mayor and Deputy Lord Mayor work shadowing opportunities to youth forum members	Lord Mayors Unit Youth Forum	Staff resources	2 (c/f from Year 1.
Participate in NI Gender Diversity Charter assessment against annual targets and activities	CX HR	£2500	2
Commission and start delivery of unconscious bias training - to start with CMT	HR	£1000	2
Continue to facilitate WNG, including Belfast Women in Tec Group	Digital Services/ WNG	Staff Resources	2
Develop/ agree transgender guidance document for staff	HR LGB&T Network	Staff resources	2
Ensure effective promotion of BCC as an employer that values and supports equality and diversity (external website, job info to potential applicants, press releases etc. )	HR MarComms Staff network	Staff Resources	2
Hold event/ workshop for both male and female staff to jointly explore/ discuss gender issues and identify any issues to be addressed	HR Staff networks	£1000	2

WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY -with the purpose of increasing the representation of women in leadership positions throughout communities across Belfast by ensuring that processes are in place to increase women’s involvement in decision making in communities
Fund annual external IWD event.	Equality Unit	£6000	2
Finalise baseline assessment of current engagement and activity in relation to gender	WNG Departments	Staff resources	2 (c/f from Year 1)
Hold Transgender remembrance event	Head of HR LGB&T network	LBGT+ budget	2
Consider use of new exhibition space to further promote/ tell stories of female role models Explore the potential foe City Hall tours based around women in the city	Director of Legal Services WSG WNG	Staff Resources TBC	2


WOMEN IN THE ECONOMY -to ensure all council policies and strategies influence and facilitate the active and fair participation of both women and men in the economy
Hold a gender capacity building event for community planning partners	WSG HR Policy Unit	£1000	2 (c/f from Year 1)
Develop ‘gender lens’ (‘equality lens’) to build into future policy development – in conjunction with wider equality and diversity work to develop a diversity lens as part of Belfast Agenda Action Plan	EEDO HR Policy Unit	£3000	2
Identify employability partners to deliver employability/ outreach initiatives for women. ( Link to City Deal proposals )	HR/OD Economic Initiatives	Staff resources	Ongoing as opportunities arise
Identify opportunities for pre-recruitment programmes targeted at females furthest removed from the labour market	HR	Staff resources	Ongoing as opportunities arise
The Northern Ireland Female Enterprise Challenge - A collaborative programme between the 11 Local Councils, Invest NI, and Women in Business NI (WIB) to promote and support female enterprise. . This programme also includes sponsorship for the WIB conference. Enterprise and Employability support for underrepresented groups – Belfast City Council programme of support to enable underrepresented groups (including females) to overcome the barriers to starting a business or accessing employment opportunities.	Economic Development Economic Development	£6,200 £90,000	2 2

WOMEN IN THE CITY -to ensure that the needs of women across the city are identified and used to influence and impact upon the regeneration of the city including social infrastructure design and community facilities provision
As part of the ongoing baseline audit of all Council assets determine if Council assets are ‘fit for purpose’ in terms of the needs of all genders and that gender needs are looked at as part of the development of any new council asset	Property and Projects Department C&NS Place & Economy Dept	Staff resources Potential cost if additional works required	2
As part of the ongoing area working /place shaping work and the Physical Investment Programme look at opportunities of how the needs of women can be better met across the city	Property & Projects Department Place and Economy C&NS A Strategic Hub External stakeholders	Staff resources Potential associated costs for GAP 19/20 & 21/22	2
Work with City Partners on achievement of Safe City status and retain ‘ platinum level’ status	BCC ONUS External partners	£2000	2

TOTAL APPROXIMATE COSTS - £ 40,500k for year 2 (excluding ED funded initiatives)

LGBT+ Action Plan 2019-2020

Theme - Training and Development

Outcomes

Actions required

Timing

Lead

Indicative costs

Increased awareness of LGBT+ bias

Source and deliver awareness training

2019-20

HR/

Network Chair

£700 total

for 2 sessions

LGBT employees feel comfortable to be their whole selves

Line managers understand key issues and their responsibilities

Review diversity training to ensure LGBT+ issues covered

2019-20

Staff Resource

Better mental health

Source and deliver the Mental Health First Aider course for up to 10 network members

2019-20

£1000

Theme – Promoting positive attitudes
Outcomes	Actions required	Timing	Lead	Indicative costs
All relevant policies are inclusive and use gender neutral language where possible Clear processes in place for staff to raise issues around discrimination/bullying/harassment based on gender and sexual orientation	Review staff policies.	2019-20	HR	Staff Resource
Guidance available for trans employees and their managers and for staff delivering services to the trans community	Develop Transgender policy / guidance	2019-20	HR	Staff Resource

Theme – Promotion and ensure visibility of Network including senior champions

Outcomes

Actions required

Timing

Lead

Indicative costs

Increased awareness of and participation in network

Increased awareness about staff network and senior support

Promote via Interlink/

2019-20

Network Chair

Staff Resource/

Comms

Articles profiling senior champion and allies

2019-20

Chair / Network

Staff Resource/

Comms

Source promotional material

2019-20

Network

£1000

Staff Resource/

Comms

Confirmed network identity

Agree name for network and promote as appropriate

2019-20

Network

Potential applicants aware BCC is an employer that values and supports equality and diversity

Ensure relevant info on external website, job info to potential applicants, press releases etc.)

2019-20

MarComms

Staff network

Theme – Community Engagement

Outcomes

Actions required

Timing

Lead

Indicative costs

Bigger and better participation in Pride and more visibility of BCC support for LGBT+ community

Visible support for LGBT Community

Participate in Pride

2019-20

Network

£2500

Build participation with network members and staff

2019-20

Network

Staff Resource

Increased awareness of issues faced by Trans community and awareness of need for remembrance

Hold annual Transgender Day of Remembrance event

2019-20

Network/

£800

Theme – Social Networking

Outcomes

Actions required

Timing

Lead

Indicative costs

Improved visibility, learning and positive outcomes

Facilitate an event between NI Stonewall organisations

2019-20

Network

£800

Theme – Employee Lifecycle / Organisational Analysis

Outcomes

Actions required

Timing

Lead

Indicative costs

Feedback from staff re LGBT issues

Circulate Stonewall survey online for at least 4 weeks

2019-20

HR /Marketing and Comms

Staff Resource/

Comms

Position in national benchmarking exercise

Membership of Diversity Champions Programme and participation in Stonewall Equality Index

2019-20

HR and Staff network

£2500

Areas for improvement identified

Consider diversity survey results to identify improvements that are need going forward

2019-20

Staff Resource/

Comms

Ensuring comprehensive info on staff is available and up to date.

Carry out voluntary staff monitoring exercise

2019-20

Staff Resource

Update application monitoring forms

2019-20

Staff resource

Theme – Inclusive Workplace
Outcomes	Actions required	Timing	Lead	Indicative costs
Gender neutral facilities for staff	Consider feasibility of gender neutral toilet in City Hall and city centre offices.	2019/20	HR/ Facilities Mgt	Corporate Maintenance Budget approval if work necessary
			Total	£9300

Supporting documents: