At its meeting on 13 November 2019, Cabinet will consider a report on the Workforce Equality Report & Update on the Equalities Action Plan. This item provides an opportunity for the Committee to comment on the report and make such recommendations to the Cabinet as it wishes. The report will be presented by Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Customer Focused Services; and Paul Adams, HR and Payroll Manager.

Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Safer Communities and Customer Focused Services, introduced the report. Good progress was  being  made in increasing the proportion of the Council’s BAME employees.  The number of BAME candidates is increasing and twice as many new starters are from the BAME community as in the recent past.  Much more needed to be done, however, both to increase the proportion (so as provide a closer match to City’s overall BAME community) and, more urgently, to increase the proportion holding senior positions. Similar efforts were needed to increase  the proportion of women holding senior positions. More employees were declaring themselves to have a disability. There was a significant lack of voluntary disclosure of sexual orientation (the voluntary nature of such disclosures was emphasised). These declarations assisted the Council in enabling it to respond more effectively to the workforce’s need.  The recent ‘Everyone Matters’ Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Week had been a success and created a “palpable sense of enthusiasm.”

Helen Bishop, Head of  Business Improvement, said a “step change” was needed in relation to the employment of those from the BAME community and women in senior positions as described by Councillor Chapman. To do this there would be a focus on the existing BAME and female workforce, combined with some targeted recruitment of apprentices and graduates. Following the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Week, some employees had expressed interest in acting as ambassadors for recruitment to the Council. The Council’s recruitment process was being looked at very closely. This included taking positive action at the interview stage and consideration of whether the person specifications were, on occasions, unnecessarily stringent. In relation to the absence of BAME and females in more senior positions, discussions would be held with those in post  who might aspire to more senior roles to see what could be done to support  their development.

Appointment Panels were as representative as possible and it was agreed that it  was desirable to have adequate BAME representation on them  but, regrettably, this was not  always possible. For more senior positions in particular it was noted that other local institutions (eg the Universities) had been successful in recruiting members of the BAME community to senior positions and might be able to assist in the process, to the extent, perhaps, on occasions, of  providing someone to serve on a panel. Exit interviews provided  important intelligence to inform future recruitment and employment practices. The take up rate of exit interviews had increased to about 60%, helped by the  new practice of having them conducted by HR colleagues rather than line managers. The majority of departures were accounted for by the need for  career progression of one kind or another.

In discussion it was suggested that the increase in the proportion  of BAME employees (1% over the previous year) was not enough and that the proportion cited (13.1%) was itself flawed because the total BAME population in the City was much greater   than the base figure which had been used. In response it was noted that the base figure used was the latest  confirmed figure available and that this figure referred, only,  to the number who were economically active. A revised version of this figure would be available following the next census in 2 years’ time. The importance of actively promoting the opportunities for work with the Council with the BAME community was recognised but there was concern that some associations and groups had not been contacted at all. Some members of the Committee would be able to assist with making those contacts. More generally, the Committee agreed that further job promotion workshops in the community would be helpful.

Councillor Chapman was clear that the efforts to increase the level of BAME representation were both considerable and having an impact, while still accepting that much more still needed to be done. He rejected any suggestion that these efforts were superficial ‘tick box’ ones.

The adoption of a proactive and affirmative  approach  to the recruitment of women and members of the BAME community  to more senior positions was welcome and reflected similar issues in the NHS. The importance of training on the subject of structural discrimination for those on interview panels was crucial.  Those who are not promoted are likely to leave and if this is the result of racism (whether intended or not) it is unlikely to be declared.

It was noted that those holding Civic Office had many opportunities to speak to wide and diverse groups in and around the City. This provided an excellent opportunity, with provision of suitable briefing, to promote job opportunities in the Council.

Oxford Direct Services (ODS) and its employees, as a separate legal entitity,  were not now included in these data. Councillor Chapman made clear however that the Council, in its role as Shareholder, would  have similar expectations in terms of its wish  to see take steps taken to establish a properly diverse and representative workforce. This would be open to Scrutiny by the Companies Panel.

In conclusion the Committee recommended that:

1.    Consideration should be given to the suitability of the Council’s current policy with regard to BAME and female representation on officer-led recruitment panels, with particular reference to the recruitment of heads of service;

2.   When making appointments to Director and Head of Service level,  the Council should be clear in its expectation to relevant recruitment agencies that shortlists should include women and BAME candidates;

3.    All managers, particularly senior managers, be given structural discrimination training;

4.   Briefings on current outreach and employment opportunities should be provided to civic office holders, with details to include i) the support available to BAME groups to make applications to work at the Council, ii) upcoming job fairs and other events, and iii) upcoming apprenticeship and graduate placements;

5.   The Council extends the number of targeted BAME-focused careers fairs to reach different BAME communities;

6.   Oxford Direct Services is held to the same equality standards as the Council, and that it should make regular reports on actions taken towards and progress against equality goals to the shareholder;

7.    The reasons for the high rate of non-disclosure over sexual orientation should be investigated, and consideration given as to  whether,  as part of that work, to engage with the Stonewall Workforce Equality Index; and

8.    Before new census data are released,  learning on which approaches are and are not successful in attracting BAME staff is captured to inform recruitment strategies.