Agenda item

Question

The Equalities Act 2010 subsection 149 Public Sector Equality Duty [in particular sub paragraphs 1,3,5,6 & 7], must be complied with;

1. A public authority must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to:

A.   eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act;

B.   advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;

C.   foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

As the Leader of a Public Authority you have recently made postings and statements on Black Lives Matter (BLM), do you believe you have complied with the letter or the spirit of the law?

Question

The Equalities Act 2010 subsection 149 Public Sector Equality Duty [in particular sub paragraphs 1,3,5,6 & 7], must be complied with;

1. A public authority must, in the exercise of its functions, have due regard to the need to:

A.   eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act;

B.   advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;

C.   foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

As the Leader of a Public Authority you have recently made postings and statements on Black Lives Matter (BLM), do you believe you have complied with the letter or the spirit of the law?

Answer

Thank you very much for your question Keith and I was delighted to be able to meet you. 

I am always pleased to restate the Council’s and my position that we are anti-racist, promote equality and celebrate diversity.

You are correct in stating that the Council has a legal duty under the Equalities Act 2010 to have due regard to eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations as you set out in your question.

The Council is committed to equality of opportunity and the delivery of high-quality services for all our residents. We seek to ensure compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty through policy development, staff training, service delivery and work with our partners and stakeholders.

We are currently reviewing and updating our Equality Policy with a view to examining how we can improve. You, and all residents, have my personal commitment that this (together with Poverty) remains one of the Council’s priorities notwithstanding the very necessary work we are doing in response to the Covid-19 second wave.

Examples of what we have done:

• We have appointed a Director for Equalities (Keeley Clements) and an Executive Member (myself) which will be followed by driving actions through the Equality Steering group which will include the Chief Executive and I;
• We have produced the Equality Monitoring Workforce report which will go to the Personnel Board in November followed by publishing an ethnicity pay gap report next year;
• We have committed to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying within CLT which will come to the Executive in due course;
• We have signed up to the Business in the Community’s Race at Work Charter demonstrating our commitment to ensuring that:
  • Equality in the workplace is the responsibility of all leaders and managers and this will be communicated to all at the extended Corporate Leadership Team, Manager Network briefings and to all staff;
  • We take action that supports ethnic minority career progression and we will support this activity by whatever external resource is necessary.
• We are working through the implementation of the Equality Framework for Local Government in all that we do.

The Council has made a commitment to facilitating a discussion on the future purpose of the independent BME Forum and this group, as well as the Council’s Black (BME) Employee Group, would be important contributors to future work on equality and act as critical friends and we hope you will serve on it.

We are determined to be a beacon of best practice and good race relations. Black Lives Matter in Wokingham.

With regard to my postings and statements on BLM I have previously apologised publicly for any unintended offence I caused to residents who may have misconstrued my comments. I would like to repeat this apology but I would like also to reiterate my request to you Keith, and all residents, to work with the Council in ensuring all parts of our community are represented and their voices are heard.

The prize of all our residents and employees feeling valued and included is very great and one to which we earnestly aspire.

Supplementary Question

Of course I welcome, and I am sure the whole community will welcome, the change of tone towards those of black heritage but of course at the heart of the matter is credibility.  What action you will take to educate yourself and direct Wokingham Council that will change the lived experience of black people as they interface with the Borough Council through the services they receive and their experience of living in Wokingham?

Supplementary Answer

How do I educate myself, well at 70 it is quite hard but I am doing my very best to understand the vicissitudes of Harry Washington, Sierra Leone, Bunce Island and I think in the last six months I have come a long way.

As far as the Council is concerned we need to work through a serious piece of work which is the Equality Framework for Local Government.  We have just stepped on that path.  It is a very detailed piece of work so as we work through it we need to set up the architecture; so that architecture then can lock-in the equalities and race relations work which we need to do.