Equality and diversity policy

This policy sets out how North Tyneside Council seeks to:

• ensure compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and its Public Sector Equality Duty, and thereby
• achieve its aim that North Tyneside becomes a place where, no one experiences discrimination or avoidable disadvantage because of their protected characteristics, background or personal circumstances, and people feel safe and valued.

The characteristics protected under the 2010 Equality Act are:

1. age
2. disability
3. gender reassignment
4. marriage and civil partnership
5. pregnancy and maternity
6. race
7. religion or belief
8. sex
9. sexual orientation

In addition, North Tyneside Council recognises the non-legally protected characteristics of:

• carer
• socio-economic disadvantage.

The policy is the executive responsibility of Cabinet, and sits within the portfolio held by the Cabinet member for Environment and with the Director of Environment.

Oversight of the policy, its implementation and monitoring rests with Senior Leadership Team, supported by Corporate Equality Group (whose members include representatives from directorates, trades unions and our Strategic Partners). It is chaired by a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

However, equality and inclusion affects and involves everyone and as individuals we are all responsible for own actions and efforts.

The content of the policy is determined by the following:

• The Equality Act 2010, including the Public Sector Equality Duty and duty to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace
• Accessibility regulations 
• Codes of practice published by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).

As one of the Borough’s leading service providers and employers, and in accordance with our corporate values, North Tyneside Council is committed to developing the Borough to be an inclusive place in which to live, work, visit, and invest to achieve the ambitions set out in the Our North Tyneside Plan.

To achieve our purpose (as set out in section 1) North Tyneside Council will:

1. proactively embed equality, diversity and inclusion considerations in everything we do and challenge others to do the same
2. not tolerate discrimination, harassment and victimisation on any grounds, and take action against it. This includes all forms of hatred including those targeting protected characteristics such as: religion and philosophical belief, including anti-Semitism (as defined by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition and supporting guidance ); race; sex;  age;  disability; sexual orientation; and gender reassignment (this is not an exhaustive list)
3. raise awareness of how to report discrimination, harassment and victimisation and the support that is available
4. publish our equality objectives, equality data[1] and report progress in our Annual Equality and Diversity Review space
5. undertake Equality Impact Assessments on our decisions, policies, plans, practices and procedures, and implement the actions identified
6. ensure everyone feels listened to, and has the opportunity to be involved in making decisions about our services, with due regard being shown to peoples’ protected characteristics
7. build understanding amongst residents, employees, partners and elected members of the needs people have due to their protected characteristics
8. celebrate diversity and unity within our communities and seek to raise awareness of the benefits of diversity and inclusion
9. take account of, and respond to, the needs of residents and customers when delivering our services, ensuring due regard is shown to their protected characteristics
10. create an environment where elected members, employees, residents and visitors are confident to be themselves
11. strive to make our workforce more representative of the borough’s population and the residents it serves, by ensuring equal opportunity to access to jobs, training and career progression
12. meet all of our legal equality duties as set out in the legislation and guidance listed in section 3 of this policy
13. require others providing services on our behalf to demonstrate their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

[1] Equality and diversity data

Where we ask employees and service users to provide us with personal information, this will only be used to improve access to and the quality of the services we provide.

Collecting equality information helps us to:

• understand the needs of our residents
• design policies and services which are effective and meet those needs
• demonstrate compliance with the Equality Act 2010, its Public Sector Equality Duty  and other statutory duties
• measure more effectively how we are improving as an employer and a service provider.

We will only collect information when it is relevant and will be used by managers to develop an understanding of take up and need. While employees and service users are encouraged to provide equality information, it is their choice whether or not to answer all the questions. Confidential information will be handled in accordance with the strict controls of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016 and the information gathered will be used to inform North Tyneside Council policy and planning, and to report on performance.

This section applies to all employees and people seeking work with us. As outlined in our People and Organisational Development, and Employment and Skills strategies, as a local employer we have a key role to play in tackling inequality and discrimination. We positively promote equality of opportunity and inclusion through all of our employment policies and practices, including: recruitment, terms and conditions, learning and development, promotion and when ending employment.

By doing so, we contribute to the creation of a more inclusive and equitable environment where everyone has the chance to succeed and feel valued. These commitments not only benefit our employees, but also strengthen our organisation and the wider community.

We will:

1. provide equality of opportunity to all applicants and prospective applicants through fair and inclusive recruitment and selection procedures
2. recognise that people may experience discrimination due to their protected characteristics, including people with disabilities or from ethnic minority communities. Therefore our selection and retention practices will be designed to overcome this, always taking into consideration our duty to appoint on merit
3. make reasonable adjustments to support employees to succeed in their roles
4. annually publish gender pay gap data and any other pay gap data required by law
5. use the information and feedback we collect to understand more about, and respond to, employees’ experience of working for North Tyneside Council
6. ensure that all employees are considered for promotion on the basis of their merits, abilities and skill, and are given equal opportunities to progress within the Authority
7. create an appropriate balance between work and home commitments to maximise equal opportunities for all, including promoting flexible working where possible
8. aim to give all employees the training and development opportunities needed to attain their full potential to the benefit of North Tyneside Council and themselves
9. ensure that all employees undertake equality, diversity and inclusion training so that they understand its importance in the workplace and in service delivery, and know how to challenge any inappropriate behaviour
10. develop an anti-discriminatory and supportive culture where employees are aware of their rights and enjoy working for North Tyneside Council
11. respond to any allegations of discrimination, victimisation or harassment through appropriate internal processes, including our dignity and respect at work, grievance and disciplinary procedures.

We and our strategic partners will provide appropriate, accessible and effective services and facilities to all current and potential customers in accordance with our customer promise and corporate values.

We will:

1. use our equality impact assessment process to help us challenge, review, monitor and improve our services, working practices and resource allocation
2. ensure all of our customers receive services in accordance with our customer promise and Accessible Information Policy, and that reasonable adjustments are made
3. use a range of methods to enable customers to access our services independently and appropriately
4. ensure that the information we provide can be read or received and understood by the people for whom it is intended
5. ensure that all buildings, facilities and services are welcoming and accessible
6. work with our partners to tackle discrimination, ensuring that clear procedures are in place for reporting any such discrimination
7. use the equality and diversity data we collect to identify and take action to address the needs of groups within our communities that are under-represented, disadvantaged or have particular needs due to their protected characteristics
8. involve residents in shaping our services through inclusive engagement and consultation.

We will ensure that our procurement and commissioning practices (as set out in our Procurement Strategy and Social Value Priorities) fulfil our equality duties by ensuring that:

• contractors, suppliers, and strategic and commissioned partners:

- are aware of the Authority’s position on equality, diversity and inclusion - we will include requirements to demonstrate commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in our tender specifications

- have an equality, diversity and inclusion policy that is compliant with public procurement legislation and understand their obligation to provide services that are free from unlawful discrimination, harassment or victimisation in line with our Public Sector Equality Duty.

• our selection and tendering processes address and include considerations directly relevant to the Authority’s equality duties
• our contract monitoring processes are inclusive of considerations directly relevant to the Authority’s equality duties
• relevant employees receive specific guidance on the Authority’s equality duties for procurement.

Equality, inclusion and the implementation of this policy, is the responsibility of all elected members, employees and everyone who represents North Tyneside Council or delivers services on its behalf (including our Strategic Partners – Equans and Capita). More specifically:

Everyone who works with or for North Tyneside Council

We all have a personal responsibility to:

• ensure our equality training and awareness is up to date
• treat everyone we encounter (including colleagues and customers) with dignity and respect
• raise awareness of, and deliver, equality and inclusion in the workplace and in serving local communities
• behave in a way that supports this policy and is compliant with relevant legislation and codes of practice
• report, and if you consider it safe to do so, challenge any discriminatory behaviour or practices you encounter in the course of your work.

(Further information and support for colleagues can be found in the EDI Hub in Learning Pool).

As Elected Members

Elected members have a responsibility to:

• lead the equality, diversity and inclusion agenda of North Tyneside Council
• represent and provide leadership for all groups and communities across North Tyneside
• provide a scrutiny role
• demonstrate ‘due regard’ to the equality implications of the decisions they make.

As Leaders and Managers

In addition to their individual responsibilities, leaders and managers are also responsible for ensuring the implementation of this policy in their directorates via their directorate planning process. This includes ensuring:

• the identification and elimination of discriminatory practices
• equality objectives and improvement actions identified in the Annual Equality and Diversity Review are included in directorate plans and progress is monitored to achieve timely delivery
• processes are in place to systematically collect and report equality, diversity and inclusion data and outcomes
• effective equality impact assessment of decisions, policies, plans, practices and procedures is undertaken
• service delivery demonstrates due regard to the needs of people with protected characteristics
• employees are fully aware of their individual equality and inclusion responsibilities, and those of the organisation, under the Equality Act 2010.

As Trades Unions

Unions have a responsibility to:

• represent the views and concerns of their members on equality, diversity and inclusion issues
• support members to challenge and address any incidents of discrimination within workforce membership
• support the continuous improvement of equality, diversity and inclusion policy and practice within the Authority.

Strategic Partners

Our Strategic Partners have a responsibility to:

• ensure compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and delivery of the Public Sector Equality Duty
• demonstrate ‘due regard’ to the equality, diversity and inclusion implications of the decisions they make
• support North Tyneside Council to achieve the purpose of this policy.

Partnership Boards

The Partnership Boards at which North Tyneside Council is represented are expected to:

• ensure compliance with the Equality Act 2010
• demonstrate ‘due regard’ to the equality, diversity and inclusion implications of the decisions they make
• support North Tyneside Council to achieve the purpose of this policy.

Volunteers and other partners 

Volunteers and other partners (defined as those who work alongside the Authority but are not commissioned) are expected to:

• ensure compliance with the Equality Act 2010
• support North Tyneside Council to achieve the purpose of this policy.

As set out in sectiions above, this policy is an executive responsibility of Cabinet, and sits within the portfolio held by the Cabinet Member for Environment.

Oversight of the policy, its implementation and monitoring rests with Senior Leadership Team, supported by Corporate Equality Group, which is chaired by a member of the Senior Leadership Team.

We assess and monitor our progress against the purpose of this policy by:

• regular reports to the Cabinet Member for Environment and the Senior Leadership Team
• the activity of Corporate Equality Group, which leads the equality work of the organisation and co-ordinates a range of activities to help North Tyneside Council fulfil its equality duties in accordance with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality Duty
• the inclusion and delivery of actions within our directorate plans that contribute to the achievement of the commitments made in this policy and the corporate equality objectives and service actions identified in the Annual Equality and Diversity Review
• our equality impact assessment process to ensure we properly consider the potential impact of operational, and Cabinet and Full Council decisions on protected groups
• the identification of the equality and engagement implications of the decisions recommended in our delegated, Cabinet and Full Council reports
• managing any potential equality risks through our Corporate Strategic Risk Register
• publication of equality data as required by government, including Gender Pay Gap reporting
• dealing with any complaints[1] of discrimination, harassment and victimisation, seriously, promptly and confidentially and ensuring that any person who feels they have suffered any form of discrimination by North Tyneside Council is given guidance in making a complaint
• publication on our website of our Annual Equality and Diversity Review, which reports progress reports against our Corporate Equality Objectives and directorate equality actions. The review is evaluated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission to check accessibility and compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality Duty

[1] In relation to specific types of complaints:

• employee complaints - should an employee have any complaint in respect of their treatment in relation to this policy, this should be taken up through internal processes, such as our disciplinary processes
• public complaints - information on how to make a complaint can be found in our libraries, leisure centres, Community Hubs and Quadrant headquarters or here
• complaints about the behaviour of an Elected Member - information on how to make a complaint about an Elected Member who has not acted in accordance with the Members Code of Conduct can be found here.

This policy will be reviewed every two years and the outcome of the review will be reported to Cabinet. However, we will be guided by the EHRC if any new guidance or legislation is produced before the next review date.

The next review will be undertaken by March 2027.

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