Agenda and minutes
Venue: Committee Room 5, Guildhall, Swansea. View directions
Contact: Michelle Roberts, Scrutiny Officer
No. | Item |
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Disclosure of Personal and Prejudicial Interests Minutes: None |
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Membership Minutes: The Equalities Scrutiny Inquiry Panel agreed to Co-opt Dr Gideon Calder for the duration of the inquiry. |
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Equalities - Resources Directorate (including Human Resources aspects) PDF 96 KB Invited to attend: Cllr Clive Lloyd (Cabinet Member), Sarah Caulkin (Director Resources) and Adrian Chard (Strategic HR and OD Manager) Additional documents: Minutes: In attendance to
discuss Equalities and representing the Resources and Human Resources service
areas was Cllr Clive Lloyd (Cabinet Member for Business Transformation and
Performance), Sarah Caulkin (Interim Director of Resources) and Adrian Chard (Strategic
Human Resources and Organisational Management Manager). Cllr Clive Lloyd
gave an introduction into equalities as it relates to the resources
directorate, some of the points he raised included: ·
He was
pleased that this panel had been set up, feeling equalities and important issue
and that there is a gap in looking at how the Council is meeting its duties. ·
Important
to consider how you embed the act into day to day business. ·
That there
are a number of Councillor Champions on number of different aspects including
the protected characteristics. ·
We have
an Equality Plan that is reviewed each year but feel that there is a lot more
we could do but this is a start. For
example in relation to the gender pay gap, how do we create a culture where women
feel able to move up the structure and benefit from the resulting remuneration Resources Directorate Sarah Caulkin then
took the panel through a presentation prepared based upon the questions that
were sent to them in advance of the meeting.
In your opinion whose responsibility is it to implement and embed
equalities in the organisation? •
A whole Council approach –
Equalities is everyone’s responsibility •
Each Directorate takes
responsibility for embedding and implementing as per the Equality Objectives
and reported in the Annual Equality Review Report •
New Equalities Champions in each
Directorate embedding a culture of Equalities further across the Council •
There has never been one corporate Officer responsible
solely for Equalities •
Access to Services responsible for advice, guidance
and support but not implementing and embedding – much wider remit including
statutory consultation •
Strategic Delivery Unit produces the Annual Equality
Review Report How do you ensure a consistent approach to the completion and the
quality of Equality Impact Assessments within your directorate? •
Projects are required to complete EIAs at their
inception •
Resources staff are encouraged to get involved in
projects early on so that equality implications are fully explored and
understood, e.g. Legal and Access to Services teams •
Standard templates ensure consistency •
Access to Services team review and advise to ensure
quality •
Committee reports require an assessment of equality
implications •
New Equality Champions embedding consistency and
quality further in the Directorate Do you have staff who are specifically trained on the procedures and
the practice of EIAs? Who in your
directorate monitors these for quality? •
Access to Services team reviews all EIAs and provides
advice and guidance •
New Equality Champions receiving training to further
embed quality and consistency Who are the key influencers with regards to equality in your
directorate? For example Cabinet Member,
Equality Champions (councillor and/and staff) •
Deputy Leader •
Cabinet Member – Better Communities •
Deputy Chief Executive/Director of Resources •
Chief Transformation Officer •
Chief Legal Officer •
Equality Champions What training plan do you have relating to equalities matters? How are
staff training needs assessed in relation to these training needs? •
Specific Equalities Champions training is underway •
Training on the Act and nine protected characteristics
is promoted on StaffNet to all staff and can be booked via Oracle •
An Equalities e-learning module is on the Learning
Pool, which staff and Councillors complete as part of their induction •
Individual staff training needs are assessed by line
managers during appraisals as part of overall development What is your directorate doing to identify and remove any barriers to
accessing services? •
Chief Legal Officer and Interim Director of Resources
met with the Disability Liaison Group (DLG) over the Summer to understand how
the Council could improve access to services for the DLG and other groups •
This engagement provided us with some specific areas
of feedback we can address to improve access •
Co-production Strategy •
Engagement Strategy •
Statutory Consultations How do you work with equality organisations, services users and other
key partners to deliver your services in line with equalities legislation for
example through co-production? •
The Council is developing a corporate Co-Production
Strategy and plan, expanding co-production beyond the usual boundaries of
Social Services, e.g. Toilet Strategy •
The Resources Directorate supports Council services
where statutory consultation is required •
Frontline services such as the Contact Centre,
Revenues and Benefits Teams engage directly with service users, equality
organisations, and community groups particularly where there are any proposed
changes to services, e.g. Kiosks in the Civic Centre •
Devolved to Services with Corporate support •
However, corporately we aim to ensure an engagement
plan is in place to help groups plan and engage appropriately including: DLG
includes (for example) SCVS, Disability Wales, RNIB, Parent Carers and also
represents other organisations, Over 50’s network, BME Forum, LGBT Forum What further changes would you suggest? •
Learning from implementation of GDPR could be
replicated around Equalities with regard to structure, governance and a
designated Officer •
The Annual Equalities Report needs to be shorter and
more focused on outcomes and impact •
Build further on the positive changes already in
flight, e.g. Equalities Champions, Co-production with partners and service
users Councillors also raised
and or discussed the following: •
How
involved are staff in influencing equalities with the Council? Try to engage staff in all we do but depends
on the nature of the project, i.e. the commissioning reviews staff involved
throughout the process. We also have new
equality champions (Equality staff representatives) within resources directorate
and they will be more involved at grass roots.
Trade Unions also involved and consulted. •
What training
is available around equalities issues and what is the take up like? There is a selection of courses both online
and face to face, some mandatory but take up is low. Work to improve take up is needed. •
How are
we training in Co-production tool? Training senior managers first, they will
then disseminate across the organisation.
Co-production is an excellent tool but outcomes are not always what you
would expect. Not suitable for all
services has to be the right public focused area for the tool. •
Access
to Services seems like a huge issue, for example being able to access or use a
computer. Need to have different
channels to access council services.
Agreed that some of those ways may be through other organisations or
groups. The panel were told that
co-production will help to identify the best ways/channels. The issue of digital inclusion was raised,
panel emphasised the important of considering equality issues, which can be
quite significant. The example of
applying for Universal Credit was quoted with it being online only. •
Cllr
Lloyd told the Panel bout the recently opened ‘My Clydach Hub’, which is a hub
where people can interact through skype, access services and has hot-desking
areas for staff. This is the first of
the Hubs which are designed to take services closer to people. The next will be
in based in Gorseinon. As many staff are
now agile, staff can now be situated there and be on hand for advice etc. •
How can
we better involve and engage the public, Councillor recognised that they can
often bridge that gap between public and the council. •
We do
still fund a number of voluntary groups but much fewer than in the past as we
are in a different financial climate, we do actively support SCVS. Human Resources and Organisational
Development Adrian Chard then
took the panel through the aspects relating to Human Resources and
Organisational Development. How meaningful
is the data produced for the Equality Review, how do you use this data or other
important Human Resources related data to identify any issues and to drive
improvement within the organisation in relation to equality matters? • At job application stage, candidates are
requested to complete an equalities form which, if completed, is entered
against successful candidate’s record. The form is voluntary along with the
self-service capability • Equalities information is requested on an
annual basis, and published as part of the Annual Equality Plan Review Report What Equalities
training is offered to staff corporately? •
There is online mandatory training as well as half day
face-to-face training for staff – the equalities module on the manager training
plus the section in recruitment and selection. Does equalities
training form part of staff induction? •
There is a corporate induction e-learning module which
gives a brief overview of the equality act and each of the protected
characteristics, how equality issues can impact our services, and some key
definitions of words associated with equality (direct discrimination, indirect
discrimination, discrimination by perception and association, harassment, and
victimisation). What support
and assistance is available to staff who make or have made a grievance that
relates to a protected characteristic? •
This would be addressed under the Bullying/Harassment
policy to: –
Investigate the complaint promptly and objectively –
Take the complaint seriously –
Be assigned an HR advisor as a ‘keeping in touch’
contact –
Be offered any assistance in relation to Counselling –
Be offered Mediation –
Make recommendations and changes to processes as a
result of the complaint Do we collect
data on the number of grievances raised by staff relating to their protected
characteristics? •
HR&OD is beginning to build current data on
Grievances/bullying/Harassment complaints, and we will be analysing this going
forward. What does the
council do to make employment within Swansea council accessible to, for
example, people with a disability, requirements that relate to religious belief
or staff that speak through medium of Welsh? •
The “Swansea Working” initiative is looking at this.
Advertising and application forms are available online. Classes are available for those employees
wishing to learn Welsh •
HR&OD is working with Poverty & Prevention to
improve recruitment processes which will include a review of the existing
Recruitment & Selection policy to ensure that it provides everyone with the
ability to easily access employment opportunities within the Council. What is being
done to address the Gender Pay Gap? •
The Council published this information on our website
in a specific report •
The report set out/published an action plan to close
the gap as follows, further detailed milestones and timescales are being
developed: •
Continue to improve workforce data, e.g. cleansing and
accuracy •
Continue to review casuals/relief staff arrangements •
Maintain ‘watching brief’ on changes to GLPC Job
Evaluation scheme, •
Analyse grade distribution of gender based work in
lower grades •
Consider grade distribution analysis of senior roles
by gender, working pattern etc. •
Continue to review multiple posts and contractual
arrangements •
The PDDC will receive an annual report outlining the
current situation for all non-schools staff. •
In addition to the above, we will include a review of
gender and apprentices / trainees. The panel also raised
or discussed the following: · Equalities data not representative as not mandatory to complete it on employee forms. Some people not comfortable filling it out when they apply. Perception, assurance that information given is confidential and used appropriately. Difficult to assess the make-up of council staff and off those applying if we do not have correct data. Is there something that can be done to improve this, the panel to think about, how we might take down that barrier. Is there best practice around for collecting this type of data, how do other LA report it… · How do we support staff who are carers? Agile and flexible works help support employees. A pilot for different ways of working is currently being undertaken by 3 teams. It is task based rather than time based, so we manage people on output rather than managing people’s time. Panel would be interested to see outcome of the pilots (if within timescale of inquiry). · Does the authority have a childcare provision? Not a physical provision but do offer childcare voucher scheme whereby parents then choice the facility most convenient for them. |
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Minutes: The Panel reviewed the Work Programme |