Cabinet, at its meeting on 5 February 2025, will consider a report from the Head of Business Improvement, seeking approval for Equalities Update.

Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies, Helen Bishop, Director of Communities and Citizens, and Gail Malkin, Head of People, have been invited to present the report and answer questions.

 

The Chair welcomed Councillor Nigel Chapman, Cabinet Member for Citizen Focused Services and Council Companies, Helen Bishop, Director of Communities and Citizens, and Gail Malkin, Head of People, who were present to answer questions.  

  

Councillor Chapman introduced the report and thanked officers for their work, noting the report as evidence of significant success. The Committee heard that the report focuses on the workforce in the year 2023/24 and is an obligation under the Equalities Act. It focuses on staffing, diversity, and inclusion with analysis of various pay gap metrics. The report presents a positive picture, but it was explained that some impacts can have delayed effects. Councillor Chapman highlighted to the Committee some examples of progress including: 

• Improvement in the percentage of ethnic minority staff in the Council to the target of around 15%. 

• Support for positive action initiatives within the workforce to increase opportunities and to support the attraction and retention of staff.  

• Improvements to employee turnover rates. 

• The gender pay gap has reduced. 

• High scores from staff in response to questions regarding feelings of inclusion in the workplace. 

  

Councillor Chapman emphasised that more work can be done. The Committee heard specifically on the gender pay gap that there has been some reduction to 6.5% but there is ambition for this to be further improved. He noted regrettably that the ethnic minority pay gap has increased slightly and work will be done to address this. The Committee heard the importance being mindful when reviewing the data as 15-20% of staff do not declare their protected characteristics which can affect representations within the data.  

  

The Director of Communities and Citizens drew the Committee’s attention to additional achievements including: 

• A positive action programme for aspiring managers to improve the management pipeline has been set up. Several attendees have since achieved promotion. 

• Training to promote inclusive recruitment has been launched. 

• EDI training has been launched for all staff. 

• Two staff networks have been established: 

• Race, ethnicity, and cultural heritage network  

• Neurodiverse and disability network  

 

The Head of People outlined the Council’s focus areas for the next twelve months. Firstly, in regards recruitment, the Committee heard that the introduction of blind applications is being considered, and work is underway for a positive action policy. Secondly, in terms of talent development, career planning workshops have been launched with mentors to support. Externally facing work is seeking to develop apprenticeship opportunities for young people from diverse communities and a focus on leadership and organisational culture training is being supported with three levels of EDI training. Finally, a focus on employee experience has utilised staff surveys to assess feelings around inclusion and respect. The Head of People stated intentions for future work with staff networks to support improvements to policy and practice development.  

  

The Chair invited the Committee to raise questions on the report.  

  

The Committee then debated the report extensively.  

  

Councillor Jarvis began by focusing on the following concerns: 

• The proportion of applicants from ethnic minorities groups, the barriers they face, and how this data is assessed. 

• The under-representation of Muslim staff within the Council and actions which are being taken to tackle this.  

• Progress with monitoring and reporting on the LGBT pay gap. 

  

Councillor Chapman provided some response to concerns regarding ethnic minority applicant proportions and noted that often, many applications received are not suitable for the role or do not hold the correct right to work eligibility. Regarding the under-representation of Muslim group, the Committee heard from the Head of People that broader actions covering all groups for minority ethnic backgrounds, including extended recruitment advertising, are aimed at tackling this. In respect of pay gaps, the Head of People noted reservations with producing data for LGBT employees due to the small sample size which would inhibit robust analysis, but did commit to considering alternative forms of analysis which could be conducted. Councillor Chapman urged the Committee bring forward any evidence demonstrating that specific issues are forcing the under-representation of Muslim employees within the Council.   

  

Councillor Latif raised several points including: 

• Clarification regarding the higher rate of unqualified applicants from the BAME population as opposed to the non-BAME population. 

• Clarification on the specific meaning of a 6.5% gender pay gap. 

  

Councillor Chapman clarified that it is not the case that some ethnic minority groups are more or less qualified, rather that higher numbers reflect that more ethnic minority applicants often lack the required eligibility documents to apply for the role. The Head of People confirmed that some applicants that apply without the correct right to work documents are automatically rejected at the shortlisting stage and that this group tends to be more diverse. In regards the meaning of the gender pay gap percentage, Councillor Latif was informed that the calculation is based on the difference between the average hourly rate of pay of women and of men, and that the mean and median averages were both used. Councillor Chapman provided further detail on the concept of gender pay gaps to Councillor Latif and offered for this to be further explained within the report for clarification.  

  

Councillor Mundy welcomed the report and raised several questions including: 

• Whether equalities updates for ODS and contacted leisure companies could be included in the report. 

• A possible error regarding the median gender pay gap for part-time workers. 

• Whether there is concern for the continuing reduction in the number of workers who also live in Oxford since 2022. 

  

Councillor Regisford expressed her thanks for the report and specifically emphasised concern over the terminology utilised within the report. She first sought clarity on the ‘EDI’ to which Councillor Chapman noted it signified ‘equality, diversity and inclusion’. Councillor Regisford then focused on the following concerns: 

• The need for more understanding around where the concept of equity sits within the report’s EDI training ambitions to ensure meaningful difference is achieved. 

• Whether EDI should include equity and therefore become EEDI. 

• The need for more qualitative data alongside the breadth of statistics in the report to ensure nuances are highlighted.  

• How training is intended to translate into a culture shift with emphasis on monitoring. 

  

In response to Councillor Mundy, Councillor Chapman assured that equality reports from ODS are reviewed at the shareholder meetings which has demonstrated that progress is being made, but that the company faces different issues to the Council. In regard leisure companies, Councillor Mundy was directed to ask Councillor Munkonge for this information. However, Councillor Chapman did clarify that Serco’s policies were assessed during the contract process. Finally, concern with the falling number of those working and living in Oxford was not noted as significant due to the flexibility and advantages of online and hybrid working patterns. Councillor Chapman positively expressed the enhanced skill availability this has brought amongst Oxford City Council employees and the Director of Communities and Citizens agreed that hybrid working enables more flexibility in support of other commitments such as childcare.  

In response to Councillor Regisford, the Director of Communities and Citizens stated intentions to put forward a positive action programme which may address concerns related to equity and utilised the example of the Aspiring Managers Programme which has resulted in the promotion of four staff members in the last year. She also noted support for the inclusion of qualitative data and noted that this could be achieved through existing networks.   

  

The Head of People confirmed to Councillor Mundy that he had identified an error regarding data on the median pay gap and committed to correcting this. It was also explained that a further cohort is being planned for the Aspiring Managers Programme to combat under-representation and options for applying this model to mid-management roles is also being reviewed. The Committee heard briefly of the risks this could pose to staff retention levels. Furthermore, the Head of People informed that unconscious bias training sessions are being run face-to-face, and work is taking place with staff networks to gather feedback on how people feel within the organisation.  

 

The Chair then queried why more women are leaving their roles and whether the uptake of those using parental leave by gender, alongside return rates, are tracked.  

  

Councillor Altaf-Khan noted dissatisfaction with earlier comments regarding the disqualification of applications from ethnic minority backgrounds and expressed concern with the association this could make to illegal immigrants via the terminology used. Councillor Ottino echoed these comments and noted dissatisfaction with the explanations provided for the ethnic minority data in the report. It was requested that data excluding those without the right to work be made available to enable more accurate analysis. He requested the Committee consider any presence of unconscious bias. 

  

In regards the gender pay gap, Councillor Ottino queried the explanations given and whether there is confidence that no barriers exist for women on higher pay rates from working part time. Finally, it was also asked what is being done to educate people about the importance of filing information on their protected characteristics.  

 

Councillor Qayyum welcomed the report, specifically the information regarding the introduction of blind applications. She queried specifically, in regards the strategic approach to advertising, whether this occurs on diverse platforms, and whether language is reviewed within job descriptions to ensure inclusivity of people across diverse backgrounds. Finally, she expressed concern about the data relating to part-time women’s pay and asked whether they are encouraged to apply for higher graded roles or regraded when required. The Chair echoed these comments and suggested the use of photographs within job advertisements.  

 Councillor Latif raised further points: 

• The requirement for point 18 to be re-written for clarity.   

• In reference to page 46, he requested clarity on what is being done to support more opportunities for women in higher paid roles. 

• In regards the ethnicity pay gap, he asked what steps are being taken to tackle the increase. 

• In relation to table 4 in appendix 3, he disputed that considerations of gender are included in the data as stated and asked whether this should be rectified.  

  

Councillor Chapman expressed concern at the quantity of specific questions asked and noted that not all the data to respond sufficiently exists as yet.  

 

Councillor Chapman explained that targets to increase the number of ethnic minority staff are being implemented in light of the number of economically active persons of this category being present in the census.  

 

Councillor Chapman sought to clarify that Councillor Altaf-Khan’s concerns of disrespectful language were not representative of the explanations he provided and strongly emphasised his disagreements with this suggestion. He requested the record of this be made clear and the Chair echoed this.  

 

The Head of People noted that when assessing the economically active populations, the context of the large hospitals and two universities in Oxford must also be considered for the effect this has on data. Additionally, in relation to tracking the resignations of women, there is limited data held regarding parental leave and return due to a lack of technology and staffing capacity. This limitation also applies to tracking data through the recruitment process. Finally, in regards part-time gender pay gaps, the Committee were notified that this is assessed on hourly rate of pay and no conscious barriers to part-time at senior levels exist. She noted that the Council is an accommodating employer in this regard; the Chair echoed this sentiment and stated that part time work does not represent a lesser commitment from staff.  

 

The Director of Communities and Citizens referred to the successful socialisation of job opportunities across community networks through local champions, and assured the Committee that job descriptions are constantly reviewed to ensure accessibility. The Committee also heard that every effort is made to encourage the disclosure of protected characteristics. However, this cannot be forced and there is a hope that the messages within community networks will support this.   

 

Councillor Chapman clarified to Councillor Latif that the table 4 will be reviewed for any errors ahead of the report reaching Cabinet.  

 

The Committee recognised there was a need for prioritisation within the longlist of recommendations suggested and acknowledged potential resource constraints of the Council.  

 

It resolved to make the following recommendation(s) on the report to Cabinet:   

 

1. That Cabinet ensures removal of data relating to applicants not eligible to work in the UK from the report, as this information may contribute to misinterpretation and potential stigmatisation of applicants.  

2. That Cabinet enhances the language used in the Workforce Equalities Report by including Equity in the stated People Strategy's ambition.  

3. That Cabinet commits to conducting qualitative research on insights and behaviour change leveraging the capacity of the Councils internal networks, including information about how the two newly launched staff networks—Race Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) and Disability and Neurodiverse Network—are being engaged with and mobilised.  

4. That Cabinet conducts a comprehensive review of the Council's recruitment strategies to identify and address barriers to the representation of underrepresented communities, including the Muslim community; ensuring equitable access and fair treatment at all stages.  

5. That Cabinet maps out the process of the Council's recruitment process to identify at which stage ethnic minority applicant are dropping off, including a breakdown of the application, interview, and appointment stages to determine whether disparities arise at specific points in the process.  

6. That Cabinet evaluates the terminology used within the organisation to refer to ethnic minorities and underrepresented groups and adopts the term 'Equity Deserving' as a more holistic and progressive approach that is aligned with both national and global developments that place equity at the centre of diversity and inclusion efforts.  

7. That Cabinet explores available benchmarking data to contextualise the Council’s performance relative to other local authorities in relevant areas.  

8. That Cabinet further investigates its efforts to ensure equal opportunities for women in the top quartile of employment, specifically in higher-level roles, and clarify strategies being implemented to support greater female participation and progression in these roles.  

9. That Cabinet, in future, provide clarity on the factors contributing to the ethnic pay gap, including the Council’s efforts to reduce it.  

10. That Cabinet establishes a process for reviewing the implementation of scrutiny recommendations as part of the annual reporting cycle, by creating a tracking document containing a working list of recommendations to support the prioritisation of actions and provide an assessment of progress made against those from previous years.  

 

Councillor Chapman, the Head of People, and the Director of Communities and Citizens left the meeting.  

 

The Chair called a short break in proceedings for 5 minutes.