Agenda item

To submit a report by the Director of Function (Council Business)/Monitoring Officer.

 Submitted – a report by the Director of Function (Council Business)/Monitoring Officer.

The Leader of the Council said that the Strategic Equality Plan is a key publication that aligns with the Council Plan and will contribute to the achievement of its strategic objectives and vision.  She noted that the Strategic Equality Plan is an ambitious Plan so as to build a fairer society for the people of Anglesey.  Creating an Anglesey where people can thrive means recognising that there are many causes of inequality and doing all possible to address them and to make sure that everyone is treated equally.  She noted that an Annual Equality report will be submitted in due course to this Committee.  

During consideration of the report reference was made that the draft plan contains eight equality objectives.  Questions were raised that in view of the current economic climate, whether this is too ambitious.  The Leader of the Council responded that it is important that the people of Anglesey are at the foremost in the services provided by the Council.  She said that it will be challenging to achieve the objectives within the Plan, however, the Council is currently committed to strengthening equality and examples have already been given when discussing the previous item as regards to education.  Further questions were raised as to how it is intended to measure the progress to reach the objectives contained within the Plan.  The Head of Democracy responded that there will be an internal Steering Group who will monitor the Annual Action Plan with the main task to develop performance indicators.   He noted that the membership of the Steering Group is yet to be agreed until the Equality Plan has been approved. The Leader of the Council said that the Steering Group will show who has the corporate ownership regarding each equality objective to ensure that each department takes its part in developing the objectives.  

Questions were raised as to what is intended over the next four years to raise awareness and increase knowledge of equality and diversity within the Council.  The Policy and Welsh Language Manager responded that it is hoped that there will be increased focus on equality within the Council with regular reminders/messages distributed, as is similar with the Welsh language, to staff and elected members. She noted that there has been progress with equalities and diversity as it has been included as a general principle within the Council’s Plan which highlights expectations as equalities is an expectation across the Council.  The Steering Group will set out a strategic direction for equalities within the Council.  She further said that it is important that when new employees are employed by the Authority that they are made aware of the expectations towards equalities and diversity and managers have also a central role in promoting the expectations.  

Reference was made the objective 3 : Social Care and Wellbeing within the Equality Plan.  Questions were raised as to what the challenges the Authority will face in seeking to deliver this equality objective due to cost-of-living crisis and making sure that that aspirations of the Council to make sure that everyone can have a place to call a home and to develop and thrive.  The Leader of the Council responded that this Council wishes to show their ambitions to improve the lives of the residents of Anglesey.  She expresses strongly that she wishes to see equality across the services of the Council and to have the ambition to improve the lives of the residents of the Island.  The Vice-Chair said that it is important that the Strategic Equality Plan refers to the objectives for older people in society.  He referred to the importance of the membership of the Council in the Older Peoples Forum and the Welsh Health Organisation – Older People.  He expressed that it is important to note that people need to be given the opportunity to be able to respond to consultation processes as not everyone is able to communicate on-line and need paper copies of documentation.  The Leader of the Council responded that copies of consultation documents i.e., consultation on the budget, are available within the local libraries as it is important that everyone has the opportunity to respond.   

Reference was made to Objective 3 within the Plan as regards to ‘living standards.  An example was given as regards to housing developments through the planning process.  It was expressed that there is a need for improvements as regards to communicating with people and developers when proposed large developments can have a detrimental effect on small villages.  Comments were also made as to the need for affordable housing for young people, but they must be affordable when they are built on the border of expensive areas on the Island.  The Leader of the Council responded that it is important to conform with the legal policies as regards to the planning process.  She noted that it is important that residents within local communities have the opportunity to express their opinions with the planning process.  The Chief Executive said that it is important that the landowners and developers need to engage effectively within rural local communities when proposed planning development are submitted.  Further questions were raised as empty social housing on the Island whilst people are in dire need of a home. The Leader of the Council responded that the Corporate Scrutiny Committee have raised the issue of empty homes through the Corporate Scorecard and a Task and Finish Group has been established to improve the process to enable the empty homes being let.   

Reference was made to Objective 2 : Work within the Strategic Equality Plan.  Questions were raised as to how action will be undertaken to ensure equal opportunities and to reduce the pay gaps.  The Leader of the Council gave an example as regards to the Free Port status and the reasons as to why the Authority delayed in expressing their interest in a Free Port status at the beginning of the process as was in England.  She said that worker’s rights were not safeguarded at the beginning of the process and as an Authority worker’s rights are a core principle within the consultation process with developers.  The Chief Executive said that whilst the Equality Plan refers to the action to ensure that the Council is an equal opportunities employer and to reduce the pay gap and this can result as an indirect influence on others as the Leader has referred to as part of the Free Port process.  He noted that Task and Finish Group could discuss the matter in detail over the next 18 months to ensure that workers are appreciated and respected for their work.

It was RESOLVED to recommend to the Executive that the draft Strategic Equality Plan 2024-2028 be approved. 

ACTION :  Consider the appropriateness of adapting the title Equality Objective (Work) in order to provide clarity regarding the Council’s role as an employer.