At its meeting on 14 November 2018, the City Executive Board will consider a report which seeks approval for the publication of the Annual Workforce Equalities Report and an associated Action Plan to improve the diversity of the Council’s workforce and make it more representative of the community it serves. 

This is an opportunity for the Scrutiny Committee to make recommendations to the Board beforehand.

The Committee had been asked to consider the Annual Workforce Equalities Report and associated Action Plan before it went to the City Executive Board (CEB) the following week. Councillor Chapman, in his capacity as Portfolio Holder for Customer Focused Services, introduced the report.

Reflecting on his previous role as a member of the Scrutiny Committee, when he had argued the need for more robust data about these matters he was pleased to bring the Committee a report which sought to do just that, together with an action plan to address areas of weakness. Oxford was a diverse community and to promote and ensure social cohesion this diversity should be reflected in the Council’s workforce as well as providing opportunities for all. The data illustrated areas of good progress but the low participation rate of BAME and females in higher graded roles was a concern. Whilst there was evidence of a good level of interest in Council vacancies from BAME groups, around 22% of all applications received, the progression rate through to job offer stage was much lower. The Equalities Action Plan presented to Scrutiny was radical and focused on positive action to promote and encourage the recruitment from the BAME community.

The Head of Business Support said that a workforce which was more ethnically and culturally diverse would be better placed to understand the needs of the Council’s customers and provide services more attuned to the community’s needs. There was a now a better understanding of the make-up of the local community, as well as local and national labour markets.  The data included in the report included staff employed by Oxford Direct Services (ODS) but has been disaggregated between the Council and ODS to reflect the creation of ODS in April this year. The action plan is informed by the data collated, and builds on existing good practice but with a strong focus on  positive action, as permitted by the Employment Act of 2010, something which had the potential to make a significant difference. Some actions would be directed towards specific service areas. The Council wants to become an employer of choice, but to achieve this requires that we better ‘showcase’ what we can offer as an employer. The importance of taking all steps to remove unconscious bias was recognised, and the contents of job descriptions and information sought from potential employees were being reviewed to ensure that they were all strictly necessary. The Action Plan would be launched shortly after the CEB meeting next week.

In a wide ranging discussion the following matters were raised, among others.

·         Should thought be given to giving the opportunity of allowing BAME candidates to “shine” as a result of their being fluent in more than one language?

·         The “Religion/Belief & Non Belief profile” distinguished between “Catholic” and “Christian”. Agreed that the distinction should be removed. It was noted that care should be taken in removing or combining categories as some are required by statute and making such changes has the potential to reduce the ability to accurately track and report on ‘year on year’ trends .

·         It would be helpful to make clear to candidates the Council’s policy in relation to leave (in the particular context of religious festivals)

·         The value of exit interviews was recognised. There was the merit in those interviews being conducted by someone other than the employee’s manager. In future opportunities would be provided for face to face interviews with a member of the HR team.

·         There was insufficient evidence to explain the absence of females in senior management positions. Opportunities to address this weakness were being taken when they arose.

·         Councillors are involved in an appointment panel for a recruitment to senior positions. The scheme is managed by an executive search and recruitment agency which has been made aware of the Council’s focus on increasing participation of BAME and females at this level. It was recognised that training would also be needed for Members involved in recruitment processes.

·         Oxford Direct Services, as one of a pair of limited companies, could not be scrutinised by this Committee. However Councillor Chapman assured the Committee that there was no reason for them not to be subject to similar challenge, albeit from the Shareholder Group. 

·         It was alleged that young people from the BAME community had left the employment of the Council because of the way in which they had been treated. It would be helpful therefore to  seek feedback from BAME staff leaving the organisation.

·         Lessons with regard to the employment of members of the BAME community, there was much to learn from other authorities such as Slough, Reading and High Wycombe.

·         Consideration could be given to job fairs focussed on the needs of the BAME community and the identification of champions within the Council to celebrate and promote BAME employment.

·         Internal candidates from under-represented groups would be given every encouragement to apply for relevant opportunities as they became available but posts would not be limited to internal candidates.

·         The Council had a flexible approach to job sharing to try to meet the needs of those for whom, for one reason or another, full time positions were untenable.

·         The Council was flexible too in its response to the needs of employees with caring responsibilities and home working was actively encouraged. There would perhaps be value in making this more widely known.

·         Officers from the County Council might be in position to offer helpful advice about recruitment issues.

The Committee resolved to make the following recommendation to the CEB:

1. That the Council does not differentiate between Catholics and Christians in its workforce equalities data.

2. That the Council explores opportunities to improve its recruitment appeal to, and engagement with, the BAME population within Oxford, through the use of targeted recruitment fairs for example.

3. That the Council ensures it has robust processes in place to gather feedback from employees who are leaving the organisation, and whether their treatment in relation to any protected characteristics was a factor in their decision to leave. Consideration should also be given to facilitating a ‘safe space’ where current employees can feedback about sensitive employment matters, such as barriers experienced by under-represented groups.