Issue - meetings

The Cabinet Member for Cooperative Communities, Engagement and Partnerships presented the report of the Director: Communities, Customer and Commercial Services.

This report summarised how the Council had increased its focus on equality and diversity which was at the heart of the Council’s cooperative values.  As the population became more diverse the Council needed to gain an understanding of needs and take positive action to improve access to services and establishing a community response to hate crime incidents.  It highlighted how local organisations had come together, with the Council, to celebrate diversity through community events and school workshops, with thousands of children across Telford & Wrekin getting involved.  Improvements had also been made within the Council, with more equality and diversity training, guidance and support being provided to employees. 

The Council was committed to continuing to promote equality and diversity, both to our workforce and across the wider community.  Future plans would be developed in consultation with local residents through a new Equality & Diversity Strategy.  This report also clearly set out the Council’s condemnation of unlawful discrimination of any kind, and proposed the formal adoption of nationally recognised definitions of Antisemitism and Islamophobia.  This proposal was supported by a number of community organisations.  

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat/Independent Group welcomed the report and hoped that there was now equality across the sexes and job roles within the Council and that he wished to see the completion of single status.

The Leader of the Conservative Group expressed support but felt it important that all branches of every religious group be included.

RESOLVED – that Cabinet

a)    notes progress to date in promoting equality and diversity;

b)      approves the next steps as contained in the report;

c)    resolves to condemn and speak out against any discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, religion or any other characteristic protected by the Equality Act 2010; and

d)     endorses and adopts the definitions of Antisemitism and Islamophobia, as set out in Appendix 1 of this report, and grants delegated authority to the Director: Communities, Customer and Commercial Services in consultation with the lead Cabinet Member for Co-operative Communities, Engagement and Partnerships to update the Council’s policies to this effect.