Issue - meetings

(i)       to note that officers would ensure that future iterations of the policy and accompanying guidance were clear in terms of demonstrating employee voice in the documents;

(ii)       to note that officers had undertaken to review the Supporting Procedures and Documentation at section 4 of the Policy to ensure that all relevant links were included and up to date;

(iii)      to approve the implementation of the refreshed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy;

(iv)      to instruct the Interim Chief Officer - People and Citizen Services to ensure that the Policy document and all supporting process and guidance documents were easily accessible to all staff and managers and that managers were supported in the fair and consistent application of the policy and process through appropriate training;

(v)      to instruct the Interim Chief Officer - People and Citizen Services to publish the revised Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy on the Council’s external website; and

(vi)      to instruct the Interim Chief Officer - People and Citizen Services to update the mandatory Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training for employees to reflect the newly updated policy and guidance; and

(vii)     to agree that a service update be issued to all Members on the Policy for information.

The Committee had before it a report by the Executive Director – Corporate Services which sought approval to implement the refreshed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy, which would replace the existing Diversity and Equality Policy.

During discussion of the report, reference was made to an email from Unison which had been sent to Members.  Councillor Thomson advised for reasons of transparency that she was a member of the health branch of Unison but did not consider this amounted to a declaration which would require her to not participate in the item.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      approve the implementation of the refreshed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy;

(b)      instruct the Interim Chief Officer - People and Citizen Services to ensure that the Policy document and all supporting process and guidance documents were easily accessible to all staff and managers and that managers were supported in the fair and consistent application of the policy and process through appropriate training;

(c)      instruct the Interim Chief Officer - People and Citizen Services to publish the revised Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy on the Council’s external website; and

(d)      instruct the Interim Chief Officer - People and Citizen Services to update the mandatory Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training for employees to reflect the newly updated policy and guidance.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to note that officers would ensure that future iterations of the policy and accompanying guidance were clear in terms of demonstrating employee voice in the documents;

(ii)       to note that officers had undertaken to review the Supporting Procedures and Documentation at section 4 of the Policy to ensure that all relevant links were included and up to date;

(iii)      to approve the recommendations contained in the report; and

(iv)      to agree that a service update be issued to all Members on the Policy for information.