Introduction
This action plan is intended to deliver the council's Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy. There are questions in the consultation questionnaire about whether they are the right actions and if there is anything that needs adding. The plan does not, as yet, have detailed timelines and deliverables as we want to ensure that we have the correct overarching policies before we produce the next level of detail. Your comments on deliverables and the timelines for each area are also very welcome. Is there anything missing, is what is there correct and what are your thoughts as to how and when and what order these activities should be addressed?
The action plan has been developed around the following:
- Theme - we have grouped work into five themes, which are used in the Equality Framework for Local Government (EFLG) . We will use this framework to benchmark ourselves and as a tool to help us improve how we deliver services and be an employer of choice.
- Equality Objectives - The Equality Act 2010 requires us to have equality objectives, these objectives are key areas we want to focus on.
- Dorset Council values and behaviours - as a new organisation in 2019 we defined our principles and values for our journey ahead.
Action plan
| Theme |
Link to our Equality Objectives, our values |
How will we achieve this? |
Key actions for 2021-2022 |
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Understanding and working with our communities
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- Fostering good relations with and within our community
- We work together with our communities and our partners to make things happen
- We put people first and design services around their needs now and in the future
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- Build and maintain strong relationships with our communities, the community, voluntary and faith sector and partner agencies to improve our knowledge and enable us to work together to improve opportunities for all
- Analyse and use equality and diversity data to monitor and plan services that meet the needs of our diverse communities
- Foster good relations and promote understanding between people from different communities across Dorset
- Carry out consultations when we are proposing service changes
- Provide public information in the most appropriate and accessible way
- embed equality monitoring within Dorset Council to improve our evidence base and inform service planning
- Promote and support key diversity days, events
- Collaborate with partners on EDI issues e.g. Gypsy & Traveller Liaison Group, Prejudice Free Dorset, Anti-Slavery Partnership, Children & Young People
- Continue to deliver the Dorset Syrian Resettlement Programme
|
- Embed equality monitoring within Dorset Council to improve our evidence base and inform service planning
- Promote and support key diversity days, events
- Collaborate with partners on EDI issues e.g. Gypsy & Traveller Liaison Group, Prejudice Free Dorset, Anti-Slavery Partnership, Children & Young People
- Continue to deliver the Dorset Syrian Resettlement Programme
|
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Leadership and Organisational Commitment
|
Developing and supporting a diverse workforce
We are open, accessible and accountable
We are an advocate for Dorset on a local, national and global stage
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- Equality objectives will be monitored and reviewed on an annual basis
- Publish data annually to show how the council is meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty
- Offer a suite of equality and diversity learning and development opportunities to all employees and councillors
- Create a positive workplace culture for all
- Share messages of celebration and communications about key diversity dates and events
- Implement a communication policy on incidents which are attracting public and media interest
- Deliver the actions as per the agreed People Strategy
- Review councillor's equality and diversity learning and development opportunities
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|
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Responsive services and customer care
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Developing, commissioning and delivering inclusive and responsive services
We use time and money wisely
|
- Embed equality and diversity within our policies and procedures
- Ensure that equalities implications inform policy formulation and decision making from the start of the process
- Offer appropriate translation and interpreting services
- Ensure information on our Dorset Council website is accessible
- Create awareness and promote ownership across the council of the Equality & Diversity Strategy and action plan
- Deliver regular training to help people to ensure policies and procedures appropriately consider equalities impacts
- Review our HR policies and procedures to ensure gender neutral language
- Implement translation and interpreting policy and guidance
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Diverse and Engaged workforce
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Developing and supporting a diverse workforce
We value people and build on their strengths
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- Review our recruitment processes and practices
- Continue to participate in benchmarking schemes such as Disability Confident, Stonewall & Mindful Employer
- Encourage employees to share their diversity data
- Undertake regular employee snapshots through our survey platform and other engagement methods
- Ensure that gender pay gap data is collected and published annually
- Use employee diversity and gender pay gap data to work towards improving how representative the workforce is
- Launch and develop our Employee networks
- Deliver equality & diversity workshops to new employees
- Review our equality and diversity learning and development opportunities
- Become a Disability Confident Employer (level 2)
- Improve on our ranking in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index
- Continue to be a member of Mindful Employer and share resources
- Increase the number of employees sharing their diversity data
- Implement a sexual harassment policy
- Develop a transgender policy and guidance
- Establish a role models and allies programme
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