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Strategic Equality Plan 2020-2024 - Annual Report 2020-2021

Employment - to ensure our workforce is more reflective of our community, our policies are fair and equitable and gender pay gaps are reduced

Priority 4.1 Our workforce reflects our diverse communities and is supported by our policies

Action

We will ensure a fair and transparent recruitment and selection process that encourages a wider talent pool and facilitates a more equal gender balance

Progress 2020-2021

  • We continue to offer courses for recruiting managers with courses moving online during 2020-2021; 11 managers attended Recruitment and Selection courses.
  • In September 2021, when we move to our new HR/Payroll database, iTrent, we will pilot anonymised application forms in certain areas in order to facilitate this.

 

Action

We will promote, facilitate, analyse and monitor flexibility in the workplace at all levels, to enable women to progress and to ensure compatibility with a multi-generational workforce

Progress 2020-2021

  • Awareness raising and communication on the council’s flexible working policies/shared parental leave policy and their benefits undertaken at Directorate Senior Management Meetings are cascaded across all service areas.
  • Promotion of our flexible working options has been undertaken and is ongoing via our internal communication mechanisms such as ‘In the Loop’ and the weekly Sway publication.

 

Action

We will collect and monitor data in more depth related to flexible working 

Progress 2020-2021

  • Collection and monitoring of data had commenced but due to the pandemic and given that a large number of employees have been working from home, there has been a reduction in requests for flexible working during this period.
  • However, as the situation improves and with working arrangements unlikely to return to pre pandemic conditions we will review our policies as part of our recovery planning work.

 

Action

We will scrutinise the Shared Parental Leave uptake to monitor gender balance and encourage uptake across genders

Progress 2020-2021

  • During 2019-2020, 181 employees took maternity/ paternity/adoption leave but no employee took shared parental leave.
  • However, we will continue to monitor the take up of shared parental leave, with the new HR system and the implementation of associated processes will improve our ability to effectively scrutinise this and other polices.

 

Action

We will, in the spirit of the Armed Forces Covenant, include a guaranteed interview scheme for recently discharged members of the Armed Forces

Progress 2020-2021

  • This has been implemented in our recruitment process, but only for our paper application form and information provided on the NPT jobs pages, as we are unable to change the online application form.
  • In September 2021, this will be fully implemented when we move to our new HR/ Payroll Database – iTrent.

 

Action

We will consider how our policies and practices impact on our staff who are employed on casual and temporary contracts and part time contracts.

Progress 2020-2021

A review of all HR policies and practices to ensure equality of application to staff on casual temporary and part time contracts as part of the Council’s recovery work is to commence in autumn 2021.

 

Action

We will develop a BAME Equality and Diversity Action Plan, developing a set of evidenced based actions with the aim of improving equality and diversity amongst the Council’s workforce

Progress 2020-2021

  • Following the Black Lives Matter – a Conversation   held with staff and trade union representatives in September 2020 we developed an action plan to address the issues raised.
  • While a number of issues raised have been progressed, engagement with young people to help inform Welsh Government’s REAP took place in December 2020, others will require a longer period of time to progress as they require ongoing engagement, work to bring about a culture change and the introduction of the new education curriculum.

Action

We will work to improve our Corporate Culture, to ensure each member of staff is valued and respected

Progress 2020-2021

  • Work in relation to revised corporate values, behaviours and culture commenced in June 2021.

 

Action

We will work with staff to determine the appetite to form a BAME Employee Forum to help ensure voices are heard

Progress 2020-2021

  • We continue to work with Unison’s Chair of Black Member’s for Wales to facilitate a BME Employee Forum/Network. Agreement has been reached for him to use Unison facilities time to help plan and facilitate an initial forum meeting in the autumn 2021 with attendees at the Black Lives Matter – a Conversation, held in September 2020. 

 

Action

We will offer opportunities to young people not in employment, education or training (NEETs) to help them gain experience and skills in order to enter the world of employment

Progress 2020-2021

  • Although work has been affected by the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns the Youth Service Keeping in Touch (KIT) and Cam Nesa Teams have continued to support NEET young people aged 16-24 to help them make an effective transition to a positive employment, education or training destination.

During January to March 2021:

  • 200 young people supported, 69 females and 131 males, with 936 contacts.
  • 19 young moved into employment;
  • 3 young people entered Work Based Learning;
  • 15 young people moved into a more appropriate tier;
  • 71 young people gained a successful outcome;
  • 49 young people gained a qualification;
  • 17 young people were referred to specialist provision for support

 

  • Targeted support along with tailor made action plans are devised for individuals, which may provide formal qualifications such as CSCS, CCNSG, Food Hygiene and a variety of other courses. The provision also offers the participants help and advice with job search activities, CV creation and interview techniques. Youth workers also provide wellbeing, emotional and life skills activities, which help the participants to achieve their goals.  
  • In addition the team work closely with a range of partners and specific work during this period has included promoting Kickstart opportunities, promoting local labour market opportunities, delivering virtual employability support, CV writing, cover letters, mock interviews, promoting and funding new online learning and training courses such as, Flexi B online training and virtual college courses. Youth Workers also delivered COVID awareness courses to young people which enhanced their CVs.
  • Skills and Training continue to provide remote and on-line learning to all our learners on Traineeships and Apprenticeships who are on our Work Based Learning provision.  Progress reviews are heightened to ensure regular contact is made from staff to all learners.  New learners who have signed on throughout this period who do not have access to any digital equipment are provided with equipment to ensure their online teaching and support commences.
  • Communities for Work Plus continues to provide remote provision via phone calls, FaceTime, Whatsapp, e mails, Teams, Zoom to those who are 16+ and not eligible for ESF Employability provision

 

Action

We will revisit staff training on equalities, particular re-visiting people’s understanding of disability, including non-visible disabilities

Progress 2020-2021

  • We continue to support staff by offering a range of both general and specific equalities courses, including equalities in the workplace; unconscious bias; autism spectrum disorder; working with people with memory loss; transgender issues in the workplace; providing Muslim friendly workplaces; identifying accessibility needs and hate crime.

 

Priority 4.2 Our Gender Pay Gaps are reduced

Action

We will implement the Fair Play Employer Scheme Gender Diversity Action Plan

Progress 2020-2021

  • We continue to implement the action plan, with the assistance of Chwarae Teg, with progress and actions reviewed on a quarterly basis.
  • We implemented online career development sessions for lower paid women, aimed at increasing skills and confidence. 83 staff completed the sessions:
    • Work Smarter Not Harder
    • How to say no brilliantly
    • Speak Up, Stand Out
    • Change your thinking, get results
    • Managing challenging behaviour

 

Action

We will address the gender pay gap within the Council by implementing the Fair Play Employers Action Plan

Progress 2020-2021

  • Since implementing the Fair Play Employers Action Plan, we have seen an improvement in our gender pay gap.
  • The Council workforce, excluding schools, was 3,630 employees, at 31 March 2020, with 1290 (35.5%) male and 2340 (64.5%) female employees.
  • Our median (the midpoint in the ranges of hourly rates of men and women) gender pay gap (excluding schools) had reduced to 3.44 % from 3.93% in 2019, while the mean (the difference in the average hourly rate) gender pay gap (excluding schools) was 7.2% in 2020 compared to 9.15% in 2019.
  • More detail can be found in the Gender Pay Gap Report 2020