Agenda item

To consider this report.

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive:

• Approved the Council undertaking a Disability Confident Leader assessment in June. This will include the preparation work, audit process and receiving the recommendations and findings that come from this audit.   

• Approved the Council undertaking an internal Race Audit in August. This will include the preparation work, audit process and receiving the recommendations and findings that come from this audit.  

• Approved the commitment to deliver training on race and challenging behaviour.  

• Approved the Council undertaking an Equality Framework for Local Government (EFLG) Peer Assessment in October. This will include the preparation work, 3-day external Peer Assessment, receiving the recommendations and findings that come from this assessment and agreed to receive a response to this report.  

• Acknowledged the level of commitment that will be needed from the whole organisation, and partners, over the coming year to support these three processes. 

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Bill Revans, invited the Lead Member for Public Health and Equalities, Cllr Adam Dance, to introduce the report. 

The Lead Member for Public Health, Equalities and Diversity, Cllr Adam Dance, introduced the report, highlighting: that the paper proposed the completion of three external audit processes to help identify where the Council is working well, areas of improvement and assist with identified actions needed to make the improvements; that with the transition to a single authority in Somerset there was the opportunity to review, reassess and establish a direction and fresh benchmark going forward for Somerset Council.

At the invitation of the Lead Member the Public Health Promotion Manager-Equalities, Tom Rutland, proceeded to present the report, highlighting: the three proposed external audits and the work processes to bring the assessments together to contribute to the Council’s ongoing commitment and improvement around equality and diversity; the three audits: Disability Confident Leader Assessment, Internal Race Audit, Equality Framework for Local Government Peer Assessment; and the provision of a robust action plan to support progress.

The Leader of the Council, Cllr Bill Revans, invited comments from other Members present, questions and points raised included: the welcome work during the early formation of Somerset Council; the learning from the 5 previous Council’s; the organisational wide training, including Elected Members and staff; the importance of understanding equality and diversity across the organisation; the role of a ’champion’ for effective guidance and challenge; the duty under the equality legislation and the opportunity to look to assess function as an organisation; public and community engagement; the capacity and resource of the team to achieve recommendations; and the work with partners to build into service provision.

The Deputy Leader and Lead Member for Resources and Performance, Cllr Liz Leyshon, emphasised the importance of the Member Equality Steering Group (MESG) and asked for assurance of the involvement of the MESG in the planned work through April 2024.

In response, the Public Health Promotion Manager-Equalities, Tom Rutland,

advised of the support and involvement of the MESG thus far and confirmed that the future involvement of MESG to be integral to the audit processes and the promotion of the organisational direction.

The Executive proceeded to vote on the recommendations, which were agreed unanimously. 

Following consideration of the officer report, appendices and discussion, the Executive

• Approved the Council undertaking a Disability Confident Leader assessment in June. This will include the preparation work, audit process and receiving the recommendations and findings that come from this audit.   

• Approved the Council undertaking an internal Race Audit in August. This will include the preparation work, audit process and receiving the recommendations and findings that come from this audit.  

• Approved the commitment to deliver training on race and challenging behaviour.  

• Approved the Council undertaking an Equality Framework for Local Government (EFLG) Peer Assessment in October. This will include the preparation work, 3-day external Peer Assessment, receiving the recommendations and findings that come from this assessment and agreed to receive a response to this report.  

• Acknowledged the level of commitment that will be needed from the whole organisation, and partners, over the coming year to support these three processes. 

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED: As set out in the officer report. 

REASON FOR DECISION: As set out in the officer report.