Agenda item

Task and Finish Group Anti-Racism

Cabinet:

 

Approved the following recommendations:

 

a)    Recommendation 1 – Key performance indictors relating to how the council responds to BAME employees at South Cambridgeshire District Council should be reported to the Employment and Staffing Committee on an ongoing basis.

b)    Recommendation 2 – The Leader of the Council should assign the

responsibility for equalities to the relevant Lead Cabinet Member.

c)    Recommendation 3 – The Lead Cabinet Member with responsibility for equalities should investigate the establishment of an equalities advisory panel/group. It is suggested that this panel/group could follow the model of the Council’s Brexit Advisory Group rather than requiring a formal committee to be set up. The Lead Cabinet Member should establish the most appropriate reporting route for the equality in employment report and whether this should be reported to the equalities advisory panel/group or the Employment and Staffing Committee.

d)    Recommendation 4 – The new equality advisory panel/group should track the outcomes of the equalities staff forum.

e)    Recommendation 5 – The suitable Lead Cabinet Member should liaise with relevant officers on street naming in South Cambridgeshire.

f)     Recommendation 6 – The Council should produce an equalities toolkit for businesses, to help broaden their understanding of race inequality in the workplace and enable them to undertake Race Equality Impact Assessment on their employment practices. This is in line with work that has already been undertaken by Cambridge City Council. It is suggested that this toolkit should be developed by the Business Support Team. The group acknowledges that there may not currently be capacity for the team to undertake this work due to demands supporting businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic, so this work should be undertaken when capacity allows.

g)    Recommendation 7 – Provision of training on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller cultural awareness for all councillors and officers. As well as requiring all councillors to attend a briefing on equality and diversity, Cambridge City Council provided training on Gypsy, Roma and Traveller cultural awareness which was found to be beneficial. The task and finish group suggests the same training is provided for South Cambridgeshire district councillors and officers and that all should be required to attend.

h)    Recommendation 8 – The Council should seek to collaborate with

Cambridge City Council in its engagement with BAME community groups. Cambridge City Council has taken steps to enhance dialogue with BAME community groups, the Council and other public sector organisations. As there is overlap between City and South Cambridgeshire community groups, it is suggested that this Council seeks to collaborate with and support the work already being done by Cambridge City Council to avoid duplication.

i)     Recommendation 9 – The Council should build links with local BAME

community groups. The Council should seek to understand the concerns of BAME community groups and ensure that there is a way for them to engage with the Council on issues of importance and concern to them. This relationship should be monitored and maintained through the new equality advisory panel/group.

 

This decision was published on Wednesday 24 March and so the deadline for call-in is 5pm Wednesday 31 March.