Corporate Services, Climate Change and Scrutiny Management Committee

12 May 2025

 

Report of the Director Housing and Communities

 

Pre-Decision Scrutiny: Equity, Diversity and, Inclusion and Strategy

 

Summary

1.    This is an opportunity for scrutiny committee members to review a draft version of a final ‘Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy’ for City of York Council and to make any comments or changes to be considered by Executive. The report at Annex 1 will be taken to an Executive meeting on 3 June 2025.

        Background

1.        In April 2024 a report to Executive presented the results of an externally facilitated assessment against the recently refreshed Equalities Framework for Local Government (EFLG).

 

2.        This work has fed into a Draft Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy. At the Executive meeting of April 2024 Members approved a recommendation to consult on the draft strategy which would inform a final document for adoption, with a linked action plan. Public consultation ran from January to March 2025 and a sample of the feedback is included at Annex A.

 

3.        The draft report at Annex 1 will ask Executive to approve both the final strategy and annual action plan.

 

Consultation

4.   Public consultation ran from January – March 2025 and more detail on the results is included in paragraphs 23-24 of the report at Annex 1, and in Annex A to that document.

 

Council Plan

 

5.        The Council Plan ‘One City, For All 2023-2027’ states: Equalities and Human Rights - Equality of opportunity ‘We will create opportunities for all, providing equal opportunity and balancing the human rights of everyone to ensure residents and visitors alike can benefit from the city and its strengths. We will stand up to hate and work hard to champion our communities’.

 

6.        The impact of this work will affect every element of the Council Plan and associated policies.

 

7.        This work will contribute to the council’s core commitments around:

 

a) Equalities & Human Rights – this report is fully focussed on meeting this core commitment.

 

b) Affordability – inequity and exclusion can impact on access to jobs, skills development and economic opportunity and so any improvements made will have direct benefits of the financial and economic wellbeing of the community.

 

c) Climate & Environment– there are no likely direct impacts on the Environment of this report although celebration of diverse cultures will bring a positive contribution to our community places and spaces.

 

d) Health – there are known health disparities for people from all groups with protected characteristics, both nationally and as seen in data on the health of people in York, and any improvement in opportunity impacting on health and wellbeing will have a positive impact on communities.

 

Implications

8.    All implications are covered in ‘Organisational Impact and Implications’ at paragraph 26 of the report at Annex 1.

 

Risk Management

 

9.      Should the actions contained in the Executive report not be delivered, the council will fail to make progress and to be taken seriously with regards to any and all aspects of equity and inclusion. As such the council will remain unrepresentative of its communities and will not be seen as a fair and inclusive employer. It will also fail to achieve in its ambition to be Excellent against the EFLG. Management of resources, capacity and close monitoring of action plans will need to be in place to mitigate these risks.

 

10.    Impacts for the city as a whole could be significant, impacting on the city’s reputation as a welcoming and safe city in which to live, work, visit and do business. The actions in this report will seek to support the hard work of partners and council teams in relation to city wide work.

 
Recommendations

11.

        Members are asked to consider the following options:

1)   Recommend that the report be taken to Executive on 3 June 2025 without changes.

2)   Recommend that Executive consider any comments put forward by scrutiny committee members at this meeting.

Reason: To demonstrate City of York Council’s core commitment to becoming a more equal, diverse and inclusive council.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contact details

 

For further information please contact the authors of this report.

 

Author

 

Name:

Laura Williams

Job Title:

Assistant Director Customer, Communities and Inclusion

Service Area:

Housing and Communities

Report approved:

Yes

Date:

01 May 2025


Co-authors

 

Name:

Laura Swiszczowski

Job Title:

Head of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Service Area:

Housing and Communities

 

Name:

Lauren Summers

Job Title:

Communications Manager

Service Area:

Communications and Engagement

 

 

Background papers

 

·        Equality Framework for Local Government | Local Government Association

 

·        ‘Gypsy and Traveller Action Plan’, Executive, 9 May 2024, https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=733&MId=14497&Ver=4 (Item 128)

 

·        ‘Consultation on an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2024-27 and Next Steps’, Executive, 18 April 2024, https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=733&MId=13938 (Item 117)

 

·        ‘Implementing the Social Model of Disability’, Decision Session - Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects, Human Rights and Equalities, 24 January 2024, https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=1060&MId=14294&Ver=4 (Item 13)

 

·        ‘Refreshed Governance Arrangements for York’s Human Rights and Equalities Board’, Executive, 14 December 2023, Agenda for Executive on Thursday, 14 December 2023, 5.30 pm (Item 68)

 

·        ‘Anti Racism and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan’, Executive, 13 July 2024, Agenda for Executive on Thursday, 13 July 2023, 5.30 pm (Item 18)

 

·        ‘Care Experience as a Protected Characteristic’, Executive, 14 November 2024, https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=733&MID=14502#AI69235 (Item 54)

 

·        ‘Adoption and implementation of the York Poverty Truth Commission’s Charter for Organisation Standards’, Executive, 11 March 2025, Agenda for Executive on Tuesday, 11 March 2025, 4.30 pm (Item 88)

 

 

Abbreviations

 

EDI – Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

EFLG – Equalities Framework for Local Government

HREB – Human Rights and Equalities Board

LGA – Local Government Association

LGBTQIA+ - Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, + holds space for the expanding and new understanding of different parts of the very diverse gender and sexual identities.


Annexes

 

Annex 1 – Draft Executive Report: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy