Report date: December 2023

Introduction

An engagement event was held on 10 July 2023 which brought together:

• Staff diversity network representatives (race, disability, neurodiversity, LGBTQIA+, menopause) and a young apprentice representative.
• Equality Reference Group (voluntary and community sector representatives including Age UK Devon, Devon Faith and Belief Forum, Fawcett Devon for women and gender equality, Intercom Trust for LGBT+, Living Options Devon for disability, Plymouth and Devon Racial Equality Council, Young Devon).
• Equality Commission Board (elected Members).
• Equality Delivery Group (officers from across service areas and Human Resources).

Further information about the Equality Commission and these groups is available on the Equality webpages: Equality Commission.

The purpose of the event was to identify the challenges, opportunities and priorities for equality, diversity and inclusion in an inclusive and collaborative way. Discussion was held around six tables: age, disability (including neurodiversity), LGBT+, race, religion and belief, and women, gender, and menopause. Attendees were also encouraged to visit other tables to explore intersectionality and multiple characteristics. Before and after the event, staff diversity network and Equality Reference Group members were also invited to contribute to this report online.

Discussion groups were asked the following questions:

1. What are the main challenges (for example, issues people experience)?
2. What opportunities do we have?
3. What are your top short-term and longer-term priorities?
4. What data topics (qualitative or quantitative) should we use to measure outcomes for EDI? For example, gender pay gap, hate crime, number of complaints.

The findings and recommendations of this report are intended to aid the development of an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (EDIAP) and can also be used to inform equality impact assessments.

The narrative below includes challenges and opportunities identified initially as part of the 2023-2024 budget impact assessment as well as the engagement activity described in the introduction. It draws on views and experiences of the Equality Reference Group organisations and members of staff diversity networks, as well as sources of data.

Challenges and opportunities

• Anti-racism and zero tolerance to racism

  Devon County Council undertook a Race Equality Audit in 2021. The audit identified six structural racism themes: denial of racism, ‘small numbers’ rhetoric, “no data” excuse, ‘white fragility’ in leadership, lack of sufficient and consistent leadership for diversity and inclusion, and an unwelcoming culture for Black and Asian people. It stated that “structural racism exists within DCC because of inaction from White stakeholders and the absence of clear, structured, and sufficient leadership. It can be addressed with an EDI strategy, proper resourcing, open communications, and accountability. Firstly, DCC should work to prioritise safety for all, for service users and staff to shift from a culture of inertia, avoidance and fear to one of curiosity, sensitivity, empathy and inclusivity.”

  In 2022, DCC published its Anti-racism Framework and Action Plan to respond to the audit’s findings. 51 per cent of actions were completed by 31 March 2023 and 23 per cent were in progress. The next stage of the plan focusses on:

  1. Training and mentoring, targeting leadership and management.
  2. Recruitment and selection, including embedding use of the new example interview questions and scoring for EDI.
  3. Review of Disciplinary and Acceptable Behaviour policy and procedures.
  4. Procurement and commissioning standards and procedures.
  5. Information, engagement and data; performance monitoring and reporting.
  6. Consistent implementation of policy to practice.
  7. Continuing to engage people through events and information.

  Further opportunities identified at the EDIAP engagement event include:

  • Connecting with ethnically diverse community organisations through team or individual volunteering days.
  • Highlighting best practice and raising the profile of individuals involved in championing anti-racist practice.
  • Engaging with staff networks, elected Members, Trade Unions, the voluntary and community sector, and partners.
  • Using the Appraisal process and forms on iTrent employee system to capture anti-racism initiatives and conversations.
  • Identifying staff skills across the organisation.

  In addition, there is a need to provide bespoke induction packages to meet specific needs, particularly for international recruits, and development opportunities such as career pathway planning and work experience / secondments to enable career progression for ethnically diverse staff.

  Key themes in relation to desired organisational behaviours are:

  • Consistency
  • Co-production
  • Culture change
  • Communication (transparency)
  • Accessibility
  • Legal literacy
  • Ambition (SMART – specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based – targets and working at pace)

  Finally, combining our race equality actions with a broader equality action plan provides an opportunity to build in intersectionality and integrate improvement priorities and a cultural change programme for all protected characteristics, as has been requested by many groups.



• Access to services: translation and interpreting

  Devon County Council has a contract for British Sign Language interpreting (running to July 2025), but with increasing or changing usage arising from work such as supporting unaccompanied asylum-seeking children, there is a need to review provision so that people whose first language is not English can access services and information through cost effective and good quality interpreting and translation services. Feedback from communities and interpreting agencies, obtained by the Migration and Resettlement Team, suggests that staff do not always know how to arrange or work with an interpreter. In addition, there is a national shortage of Sign Language interpreters and shortages in some spoken languages.



• Cost of living

  Torridge, North Devon, Teignbridge and West Devon have among the lowest earnings in the

  UK (Average Gross Weekly Earnings: UK, £621.20; Devon, £527.90; West Devon £465.70). The housing affordability ratio in Devon is 10.4 compared to 8.5 nationally (average house price divided by average annual earnings).

  The cost of living and lack of affordable and decent housing will impact lower earners across all age groups but can be heightened for people with protected characteristics due to difficulties in accessing support or information. This includes older women affected by the unexpected rise in State Pension Age, people whose first language isn’t English, and disabled people.

  Deprivation Dashboard – Devon Health and Wellbeing

  Although not a protected characteristic in itself, socio-economic status is an important consideration when looking at intersectionality (intersectionality is a term to describe how more than one protected characteristic impacts someone). This is because people who are marginalised can experience economic disadvantage, for example (under the protected characteristic of disability) only 30 per cent of autistic people are in full time employment (ONS Outcomes for disabled people in the UK: 2021) and ADHD people are 60 per cent more likely to lose their job or three times more likely to quit than neurotypical people (Barkley, ADHD in Adults: What the Science Says UMASS Study 2008). Although not protected under the Equality Act 2010, people sometimes experience bias and unfair discrimination because of their socio-economic background such as the area they live in.

  A report into food poverty commissioned by the Council in 2021 showed that households significantly more likely to be food insecure than average:

  • Had an income of between £16,190 – £19,999 and children (44%) .
  • Had one or more household member with a health condition limiting ability to do day to day activities (37%).
  • Rented their accommodation from the council or housing association (34%) or privately (33%).
  • The main respondent was either long term sick (35%), student (34%), other (30%), unemployed (28%) or currently furloughed from their work (28%).
  • Was in receipt of means tested benefits (25%).

  The study also found some evidence that households in which the household was either Black ethnicity or mixed heritage were more likely to be food insecure. This was explored further and in 2023 the research reported that there were many commonalities with the mainstream experience of food insecurity as highlighted in the bullet points above. Shame and embarrassment created stress and anxiety, and food provision lacked cultural diversity (such as fish, yams, plantain, cassava and buckwheat, and a preference for fresh food over canned) and this resulted in under-representation in food support services.

  The County Council has pledged to treat Care Experienced People as a protected characteristic. A UCL study shows that 70 per cent of care experienced people die early; more than half of the people who are in custody up to the age of 21 years old have been in care (Become Charity); and a quarter of the homeless population is care experienced (The Independent Review of Children’s Social Care).

  For young people attending higher education, there are increasing pressures of managing finances. Increasing debt and lack of suitable, affordable housing for young people is a major challenge. It was suggested that the County Council and public sector partners have an opportunity to look at their property portfolios in addressing a housing crisis for young people.

  The successful Apprenticeship Programme also offers an alternative route into education for young people (including young people with special educational needs and disabilities) and could be promoted and supported more in the organisation and with partners.

  Job entry level requirements can be a barrier to young people who have not had the same educational opportunities as their peers either due to protected characteristics or socio-economic background. Kickstart was highlighted as a successful programme for getting young people with additional needs into employment, the learning from this programme was that more ‘wrap around support’ and manager support is needed.

  There is a fine line between funding religious activities for the purpose of a particular faith group, and funding generic activities set up by a church or faith group; it’s important for funders to understand this difference otherwise vital support in the community delivered by faith communities could miss out on opportunities.



• Communication and engagement

  Keeping people informed of progress and initiatives is a core part of EDI activities. The County Council has a variety of communication channels and methods that provide an opportunity to engage people in the agenda including:

  • Inside Devon – staff website
  • Inside Devon – weekly staff newsletter
  • Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) – staff networking.
  • Social media networks such as LinkedIN.
  • All staff briefing emails from the Chief Executive.
  • Email cascades via managers and elected Members / Group Leaders.
  • Devon County Council newsletter to members of the public.
  • Devon County Council ‘newsroom’ webpage.
  • Attendance at community events and festivals such as Exeter Pride and Exeter Respect.

  People have told us that more could be done to hear the voices of young people and promote diverse community ‘good news stories’.

  Staff would like access to a calendar of equality, diversity and inclusion events, including key religious festivals and sabbaths.

  Encouraging visits to cultural and religious venues can help raise awareness of diverse faith communities and reduce fear and prejudice.



• Community safety and hate crime

  A 38 per cent rise in hate crime over 2021/22 continues a pattern of year-on-year increases. Racial hate crime continues to account for the highest proportion, most recently 50 per cent of all hate crimes (Devon and Cornwall Police data). Periods of economic difficulty traditionally provide a fertile ground for extremist narratives, for example anti-immigration and anti-disability rhetoric. Partner intelligence and available data indicates that tensions in communities have increased over the last three years. It is widely felt that there is also an under-reporting of Hate Crime due to a variety of barriers in reporting to the Police. Third party (such as wide voluntary and community sector) reporting systems are needed for diverse communities to make Hate Crime reporting accessible.

  Women are at greatest risk of sexual and domestic abuse. Domestic abuse has escalated in intensity and severity in recent years. Police records show a 5 per cent rise over the last year and a 10 per cent rise compared to pre-pandemic (Women’s Aid: 2022). There has been a 34 per cent increase in police recorded rape and sexual offences over 2021/22 (this rise is likely to be at least partly due to greater reporting). There has also been an increase in women forced into sex work through an inability to meet the increasing cost of living. As a major employer and community leader, there is an opportunity for DCC to take pro-active steps in reducing domestic violence and abuse and fostering healthy relationships through training and awareness raising. The training could particularly target young people to increase personal awareness and prevent them from becoming victims, as well as elected Members and Managers in line with their community and organisational leadership and support roles.

  The Equality Reference Group report that the pandemic has impacted on the social development of young people through increased isolation and exposure to ‘phobic attitudes during lockdown, whether online or in the family. This has led to an increase in young people experiencing identity-based harm through the expression of prejudiced views in schools.

  There is an opportunity for adults and young people out in communities and in schools to be ‘active bystanders’ to help reduce the level of prejudice related incidents and hate crimes.

  In the 2022/2023 academic year, 40 per cent (163 out of 409) of Devon schools reported bullying and prejudice related incidents (with 1,054 bullying and prejudiced related incident reports received). However, where schools do not report, there are concerns that incidents of racism, religious hatred, transphobia and homophobia are not being dealt with effectively. Further incentives are needed to encourage schools to report and respond.



• Complaints and Discriminatory incidents

  Discrimination Incidents and Bullying Reports

  DCC provides a Discriminatory Incidents and Bullying report form which staff, service users or members of the public can use to report incidents of discrimination or bullying. People can report anonymously or use this process to request further support such as signposting to formal complaints procedures or support to resolve their concerns. Between April 2022 and March 2023, the County Council received 54 incident reports through this process.

  39 reports related to employment issues. Of these: 7 were reported by an advocate (on behalf of a victim); 14 were reported by the victim / recipient of the behaviour; and 18 were reports from a witness or observer. 25 reports described bullying, 7 reports described disability discrimination, bias or harassment, 6 reports described race discrimination, bias or harassment, 4 reports described sexual harassment, 2 reports described sex discrimination, 1 report described transphobia, 1 described religion or belief discrimination or bias, and 1 report of other unacceptable behaviour.

  26 of these reports were anonymous or did not request further support. 13 reports requested further support and were referred to HR Direct to resolve their concerns. HR Direct provides the Acceptable Behaviour Helpline for its employees, including former employees. The helpline provides a confidential and informal service for anyone affected by a current or historic issue of harassment, bullying, discrimination or abuse. Advisers on the helpline can listen, talk through the options available and, if appropriate signpost to other sources of support and advice.

  In relation to equality, during 2022 and 2023, HR Direct dealt with 1 racism concern, 1 concern around racism / sex discrimination, 2 concerns about sex discrimination or harassment, and 1 concern about disability discrimination – this includes referrals from the report form above that are not bullying related, or direct calls to the helpline. In some cases, these concerns would proceed to a formal grievance or disciplinary, in other cases they would result in informal resolution or other forms of support.

  Recommendations or comments from the incident report form included (general themes):

  • Act on reports / address incidents.
  • Provide better support for staff to raise concerns.
  • LGBTQIA+ and neurodiversity training.
  • Training for managers on compassionate, supportive and empowering leadership.
  • Raise awareness of how to stand up to behaviours.
  • Exit interviews (held by independent person/not the line manager).
  • Review policies and procedures.
  • Third-party investigations.
  • Greater accountability.
  • Treat reasonable adjustments as a priority.
  • Feedback on how things have been addressed.
  • Regularly check how staff are feeling.

  9 reports were from service users or members of the public. 5 of these reports related to behaviours in the community (not DCC) including 2 of racism, 1 of disability harassment, and 2 unspecified. 4 complaints about DCC services related to disability of which 3 requested further support and were signposted to the complaints procedure.

  An additional 5 reports were of abusive behaviour by members of the public towards County Councillors.

  Grievances and disciplinaries (staff)

  Between April 2022 and March 2023, there were 4 formal grievances relating to equality. 1 concerned disability, 2 concerned race, and 1 concerned race, sex and gender reassignment.

  There were three disciplinaries relating to equality. 2 related to race and 1 related to sexual orientation.

  Customer complaints (service users)

  During 2022/2023 we received and investigated 24 complaints that raised concerns about discrimination from service users. A further 2 complaints mentioned “discrimination” but as these did not relate to a protected characteristic in the Equality Act, they have been disregarded as discrimination complaints.

  • 18 complaints were about disability discrimination (poor access or lack of reasonable adjustments/additional support needs being met). 1 about a disabled parking bay was rejected (District Council issue), 3 were unsubstantiated, 6 were not upheld. 4 were partially upheld and 3 were upheld (resulting in remedy or apology), 1 case remains open.
  • 3 complaints of racism. 2 were not upheld and 1 was partially upheld (apology and staff training).
  • 1 complaint of transphobia (misgendering) unsubstantiated.
  • 1 complaint of religious discrimination (failure to meet religious observance needs) partially upheld.
  • 1 complaint of sex discrimination (gender stereotyping) not upheld.

  4 of the complaints were about services received at recycling centres, 9 were about highways including pavements, traffic enforcement, and disabled parking bays, and 4 were about SEND (special educational needs and disabilities) support.



• Digital accessibility

  Cost of living may also affect digital inclusion with fewer people able to afford mobile or broadband access, but digital access or ‘self-service’ is often seen as a cost-saver for organisations – therefore where organisations push customers through exclusively digital routes, more people who are impacted by the cost of living (as described in the section above) or have difficulty accessing digital information could be excluded.

  The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 requires us to ensure our websites and mobile applications are accessible. Improvements have been made to make DCC’s website fully accessible. The County Council also has existing obligations to disabled people under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure accessibility of information. However, not all written information follows accessibility standards (including plain English) or is designed with digital accessibility in mind. For online material, html format (rather than PDF or Word) is the most accessible. Reporting inaccessible content needs to include non-digital routes, otherwise people can get ‘stuck in a loop’.



• Getting around

  Much of Devon’s bus network is not commercially viable and relies on subsidy. Limited public transport options particularly affect young people, older women and disabled people. Those in deep rural areas such as north Devon can face up to a five-hour daily commute to study or to work. The cost of living also impacts younger people who do not have access to free transport, unlike people over the age of 65 who do (but don’t have the higher need to access essential education or work). As a comparison, London and Manchester provide free public transport to under 25s.



• Health and wellbeing

  Health is an area for which there are evidenced differences in outcomes for people with certain protected characteristics. For instance, disabled people, unpaid carers, people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups, Travellers and Gypsies and people who identify as LGBT+ experience significant inequalities in accessing services. There is also a clear north-south economic divide in Devon, with higher levels of deprivation in the north of the county.

  Joint Strategic Needs Assessment – Devon Health and Wellbeing

  Mental health problems can affect people at any stage of their lives and can significantly impact physical health, education and employment prospects, and life expectancy.

  Mental health issues have increased and there are higher waiting lists for community-based support. More people than ever are now requiring additional low-level or early intervention support.

  Some children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing has been severely impacted during the pandemic (SHEU survey Devon, 2022) and it is currently estimated that around five to six young people in every class now have one or more mental health problems. Young Devon report that for young people who have grown up with the impact of austerity, Covid (including missing out on education and qualifications), and the cost of living crisis means there is now a “tidal wave” of young people presenting with mental health issues. Young Devon report there has been a 55 per cent increase in mental health issues in the past four years. Feedback from the Equality Reference Group also suggests there is little support in schools for addressing mental health issues. As an example, the Intercom Trust report a high increase in LGBT+ people needing mental health support, particularly young people – this is explored further in the section below on LGBT+ inclusivity.

  Living Options Devon report that disabled (which includes those living with long term health conditions) and Deaf people still face anxiety from Covid such as feeling anxious about leaving home due to them being more susceptible to the illness, or having become disabled due to Covid. Indoor environments need to be properly ventilated with use of HEPA filters to improve accessibility for disabled people. People are not returning to activities, or the activities that took place before Covid have not restarted, and there has been a subsequent loss of skills with social interaction.



• LGBT+ inclusivity

  National systems for recording sex or gender are not inclusive of intersex and non-binary people. For example, Care First currently only provides options for man, woman, and “indeterminate” (which is viewed as offensive), and HMRC and pensions only request ‘male’ and ‘female’ options. In some cases, only sex is asked and therefore information about a person’s gender identity is missed; even where a question is asked about whether someone has undergone gender reassignment, a person’s gender is not necessarily identified from the answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’. In 2020, case law established that non-binary (and gender-fluid) people are included in the protected characteristic of Gender Reassignment, however non-binary and intersex people are not currently legally recognised – therefore it is only possible to record ‘male’ or ‘female’ on a birth certificate. This is traumatic for people who do not have physical characteristics, or identify as, male or female. Regardless of what sex definition is used for medical or other purposes, names, pronouns and titles or honorifics for customer records must reflect a person’s affirmed gender, and diversity monitoring for both sex and gender needs an inclusive third option, regardless of what is requested from government agencies.

  Measurable data on sexual orientation is not routinely gathered which leads to ‘invisibility’ in commissioning and reviewing services. There is a need to continuously raise awareness with staff to ask questions about diversity and inclusion and how they are challenging discrimination, particularly in social care practice.

  There has been an increasingly hostile environment towards transgender women. Factors such as expression of ‘gender critical beliefs’, lack of understanding of gender dysphoria and biology, and fears of cisgender women’s safety in women-only spaces have contributed to this. Trans people need to feel understood, safe and respected. LGBT+ staff say they “still encounter outdated and intolerant views of LGBTQ+ people (especially trans, non-binary, queer and gender non-conforming people)”.

  The Intercom Trust have raised concerns about proposed changes in the way schools respond to the needs of transgender pupils including statements from Government about not recognising a child’s true gender identity (and maintaining a child’s sex assigned at birth which is based upon basic external physical characteristics at birth). This can result in not putting in place provisions such as gender-neutral toilets or observing a child’s name that reflects their gender. Children with gender dysphoria will experience increased trauma and mental health issues as a result. There are concerns that, if a child confidentially discloses gender dysphoria to a member of school staff, advice to immediately raise this with the parents/guardians could trigger safeguarding issues and violate privacy if the child’s family are hostile.

  Long waiting lists for gender reassignment support in the NHS is causing a public health crisis. The waiting list for the southwest Laurels adult clinic is currently (at October 2023) a minimum of 7.5 years for the initial assessment. For under 18s, the waiting list is currently around 4 years, and no-one is being taken off the waiting list at present with a new service planned to start in April 2024.

  The Intercom Trust also report that without professional support, young people have been self-administering unprescribed hormones (sourcing online) or unsafe binding, for example. There isn’t a clear process for safeguarding across Children’s Services and MASH (multi-agency safeguarding hub) that is consistent, supportive and respectful of transgender children and young people’s needs. Guidance is needed, alongside robust data and evidence of the issues beyond the anecdotal. There is a need for ‘safe spaces’ for LGBT+ young people to come together, and safe points of contact in services for children and schools (an LGBT+ person or ally).

  The Intercom Trust report that practices in health services remain outdated, for example, only targeting gay men for PrEP (HIV prevention medication) or not appropriately screening for things like cervical and prostate cancer.

  There is a need to highlight the impact of transphobia and intersex and non-binary exclusion across services and political / decision making bodies to build understanding and response. There is a request for the County Council to be “bold and brave” in its response to these concerns.

  Policies and codes of conduct need to be reviewed to check they are LGBT+ friendly and promote zero tolerance of discrimination and harassment.



• Staff diversity profile (at August 2023)

  Workforce total: 5,608

  Completion rates of diversity data (figures as a percentage)

  Age: 94.65

  Disability: 38.18

  Ethnicity: 64.34

  Nationality: 64.37

  Religion and belief: 45.27

  Sexual orientation: 42.19

  Gender identity: 50.99

  NB figures below are a percentage of completed records rather than total workforce. Accuracy increases with higher completion rates; a completion rate of at least 95 per cent would be ideal.

  Age

  16 to 24: 2.94

  25 to 34: 15.28

  35 to 44: 22.48

  45 to 54: 28.37

  55 to 64: 26.54

  65+: 4.28

  Disability

  Disabled: 9.15

  Not disabled: 87.20

  Prefer not to disclose: 3.64

  Ethnicity

  White British: 91.16

  White Other: 4.07

  Other: 2.55

  Mixed Heritage: 1.27

  Black / Black British: 0.94

  Nationality

  British English: 63.49

  British Other: 29.78

  Other: 3.52

  British Welsh: 1.22

  British Scottish: 0.72

  Irish: 0.69

  Zimbabwean: 0.58

  Religion and belief

  Christian: 41.12

  No religion/belief: 36.90

  Atheist: 12.25

  Other religion/belief: 5.24

  Prefer not to disclose: 4.49

  Sexual orientation

  Heterosexual or straight: 88.46

  Prefer not to disclose: 5.64

  Bisexual: 2.28

  Gay: 1.82

  Lesbian: 1.27

  Other: 0.68

  Sex

  Female: 71.87

  Male: 28.13

  (Based upon HRMC/pension reporting requirements)

  Gender identity

  Woman: 35.64

  Man: 14.57

  Other/non-binary: 0.13

  Prefer not to disclose: 0.64

  Not recorded: 49.01



• Staff experience

  In our autumn 2022 survey, we asked if staff had experienced bullying and harassment at work in the last 12 months. 8 per cent of respondents said that they had experienced this. This is within the range reported in the Civil Service People Survey 2021 but still unacceptable.

  There is a need to assist staff by raising awareness of unacceptable behaviour and supporting staff to challenge unacceptable behaviour. Staff have asked us to make it easier to report unacceptable behaviour whilst maintaining confidentiality, creating a greater culture of challenge through ‘effective bystander’ intervention, and building confidence that raising issues will elicit change. Staff are not always able to raise concerns with their line manager and need other routes for resolving issues of unacceptable behaviour; there is an opportunity to address this as part of the review of the Acceptable Behaviour Policy being carried out as part of the Race Equality Action Plan. There is a need for Human Resources to clearly communicate their role in supporting staff.

  Alongside results of surveys, workforce diversity data will help the County Council make decisions based on an accurate understanding of the makeup of its workforce, their experiences, and their unique needs, developing workforce solutions which meet the needs of every individual. There is a need to communicate to staff how the data we gather is anonymised, used and contributes to improvements.

  Recruiting and retaining a sufficient workforce is increasingly difficult across the country, seriously impacting on the availability of services and the effectiveness of our health and care system. Attracting a diverse workforce by ensuring processes (particularly interview and progression processes) are free from bias and are inclusive, valuing neurodiversity, and promoting inclusive ways of working will make the County Council a place where people want to work. The County Council could do more to promote its benefits and advertise or run careers fairs in places that would attract diverse talent.

  Feedback from the engagement event highlighted that staff networks provide a great opportunity to have open conversations. Staff networks have grown, but they feel that greater clarity and endorsement is needed to support participation in networks including time to participate during work time and time for the co-ordinator / ambassador role.

  Staff also told us that some connectivity and relationship building has been lost through increased remote working. Some younger people may prefer an office presence for networking and socialising, to develop knowledge through exposure to situations or ‘tuning into’ workplace conversations in their vicinity. Whereas older workers who have worked in the organisation for many years have already established those networks and experiences, so won’t necessarily identify this as a need and be happy to work remotely the majority of the time. Some neurodivergent people may prefer building relationships online before meeting in person.

  Gender

  Gender Pay Gap figures could be improved by developing flexibilities and strategies which support women through life events, empowering women to continue engaging in their career development, removing bias associated with part time working in senior roles and bias associated with menopause and caring responsibilities. There are more women in part time roles than men, with limited opportunities for job sharing in senior roles. Job share brings greater resilience to a team and job sharers are often very adaptable and loyal.

  Women’s Health needs relating to pregnancy, menstruation and menopause (noting these can also affect trans men and non-binary/gender fluid people) could be better reflected in policies, including positively managing absence and breaks, and creating an inclusive and supportive working environment and culture.

  Staff undergoing gender reassignment have requested the option to have initials rather than first names as part of email addresses, to allow space and flexibility in selecting a new name.

  It has also been requested that pronouns are added to a Microsoft Teams profile, however this will be dependent on changes by Microsoft. Currently this can only be achieved by adding information to the status comments box (this could also be applicable to #MyNameIs phonetic spelling to aid pronunciation of names). There are opportunities to promote the use of pronouns and “#MyNameIs pronounced:” in email signatures and identity badges.

  Religion and belief

  New prayer and contemplation facilities are being developed at County Hall. Users would like clarification around rules for use, clear signage to its location, and communications about it. Washing facilities are being modernised to support Wudu and improve access for disabled staff. The facilities will be available for visitors, but staff with religious observation needs have requested they should be prioritised.

  People of faith tell us there is a fear of talking about faith in the workplace. In addition, public holidays inherently favour people with Christian faith (Christmas and Easter) and people of minority faiths have to take annual leave for their festivals, which need to be considered as part of work scheduling. There is no option to exchange public holidays for annual leave.

  Catering used by the County Council needs to clarify kosher and halal options.

  Disability access

  A springtime staff Accessibility in the Workplace survey has highlighted a range of issues including co-ordination of Access to Work support and reasonable adjustments. Staff say they “reach dead ends in trying to get what they need to work effectively” and can experience barriers caused by a line manager, long turnaround times (for both diagnosis and equipment), or lack of support in identifying reasonable adjustments.

  Disabled and neurodivergent staff do not feel that their requests are taken into account when offices are refurbished.

  Neurodivergent staff would like access to quiet spaces in the workplace and autistic-friendly office spaces. Neurotypical and neurodivergent people experience social interactions differently; greater understanding and compassion is needed for both in-person and online interactions through agreed ‘etiquette’. Options to work from home or access virtual meetings need to be consistently valued and respected, and availability of adjustable office equipment and ICT software were also highlighted.

  Staff with physical and sensory disabilities reported issues with getting around County Hall and accessing facilities such as the (old) Prayer and Contemplation Room, kitchens, windows, doors and toilets. There are some specific requests including: visible strips on stairs, working loop systems, and adjustments to lighting.

  Maps, pictures and signage would help people navigate sites and identify accessible options, including emergency evacuation procedures.

  Staff are concerned about use of ‘absence triggers’ for disability related absences and would like clarity on the policy for this. It is felt that disability related absence should be recorded and treated separately to sickness absence. Clarity and consistency is needed for time off for medical appointments.

  Disabled staff also highlighted some workplace benefits and solutions such as online application systems, apps and discounts are not always working for them. There is a lack of awareness and understanding of disabilities.

  The impact of disabling barriers in the workplace is that staff feel they have been unable to progress their career.



• Understanding our communities (population data from Census 2021 including languages)

  The population of Devon (County Council area) from the 2021 Census was 811,640. The 2022 mid-year population estimate was 826,319, making Devon the 11th largest out of 24 County Councils. The County Council area covers 2,535 square miles and is the second largest English local authority by area after North Yorkshire.

  Devon has a growing, and an ageing, population. It has proportionately more older people than the rest of England and 63 per cent of the growth in the last ten years has been in the 65+ age group. Devon’s population has grown due to internal migration, planned development and people living longer. Age and disability are closely related, with older people being more likely to be disabled. Add to this the rural nature of the county, access to services and opportunities can be a challenge.

  Devon is one of the least socially mobile counties in the United Kingdom, with areas that have seen lower economic growth such as Torridge and North Devon having particularly low levels of social mobility. Around one in eight children live in poverty in Devon, with a large gap between the highest (33.3% in the Forches area, Barnstaple) and lowest (1.1% in Teignmouth Road, Dawlish) rates.

  There are large gaps in educational attainment in Devon. People living in more deprived communities, boys, and pupils with English as a second language all experience poorer attainment.

  Devon’s young people have generally good health, but hospital admissions in children and young people are considerably higher for mental health conditions, self-harm and injuries. This gap is even wider for vulnerable groups such as disadvantaged and looked after children.

  Data from the 2021 Census is being released and providing a better picture of diverse communities across Devon, including their intersectionality. Protected characteristic profiles for the Devon County Council area can inform decision making and be used to benchmark representation. We also need to better understand how well we are performing in relation to our equality objectives and people’s experiences in accessing services or employment opportunities by making better use of community, service user and workforce data.

  2021 Census Profile for areas in England and Wales – Nomis (nomisweb.co.uk) (Devon County Council area profile)

  Population summaries (Devon County Council)

  (figures as a percentage of the total population 811,640) (figures rounded up):

  Age

  	Count	Percentage
  Aged 4 years and under	35,345	4.4
  Aged 5 to 9 years	41,294	5.1
  Aged 10 to 15 years	51,534	6.3
  Aged 16 to 19 years	36,500	4.5
  Aged 20 to 24 years	44,202	5.4
  Aged 25 to 34 years	84,568	10.4
  Aged 35 to 49 years	134,032	16.5
  Aged 50 to 64 years	174,769	21.5
  Aged 65 to 74 years	109,049	13.4
  Aged 75 to 84 years	71,152	8.8
  Aged 85 years and over	29,193	3.6

  Disability

  Disabled (day to day activities limited a little): 11.8

  Disabled (day to day activities limited a lot): 7.7

  (Total disabled 19.5)

  Ethnicity

  Asian / Asian British: 1.46

  Black / Black British: 0.30

  Mixed heritage: 1.35

  White British: 92.63

  Other White: 3.62

  Other ethnicity including Arab, and Gypsy, Roma and Irish Traveller: 0.63

  (Asian, Black, Mixed and Other ethnicity total: 3.75)

  There have been several settlement schemes taking place since the Census 2021. Data from Devon County Council showed:

  • Nearly 200 Afghan refugees arrived at bridging hotels in the county. Some of these refugees have settled in Devon and others have resettled outside the county. As at September 2023, 292 asylum seekers (20+ nationalities) are being accommodated in one remaining hotel. All other bridging hotels have ended.
  • Around 500 people from Hong Kong arrived in Exeter under British National (Overseas) Visa Welcome Scheme.
  • During 2022, around 1,600 Ukrainian refugees arrived in Devon under the Homes for Ukraine Scheme and the figure for 12 September 2023 was 1,981. Not all arrivals will stay in Devon.

  National origin (place of birth)

  England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 92.87

  Europe (not British Isles): 3.22

  Africa: 0.95

  Central and South Asia: 0.50

  South East Asia: 0.50

  East Asia: 0.44

  North America: 0.41

  Ireland: 0.31

  Australasia and others: 0.30

  Middle East: 0.25

  Caribbean: 0.07

  Top 20 Languages

  Polish (3,958 people)

  Romanian (2,161)

  Spanish (1,189)

  All other Chinese (1,177)

  Arabic (895)

  French (717)

  Portuguese (684)

  Lithuanian (652)

  Italian (638)

  Tagalog or Filipino (587)

  Bulgarian (545)

  German (541)

  Hungarian (505)

  Cantonese Chinese (457)

  Malayalam (451)

  Russian (408)

  Turkish (382)

  Bengali (361)

  British Sign Language (338)

  Greek (334)

  Languages spoken in the community are not necessarily an indication of interpreting or translation needs. Local interpreting agency information (Multilingua) shows the highest demands in 2022/23 relate to the following languages, as well as British Sign Language:

  Albanian

  Arabic

  Amharic

  Bengali

  Bulgarian

  Czech

  Cantonese

  Dari / Farsi

  French

  Hungarian

  German

  Italian

  Latvian

  Lithuanian

  Mandarin

  Polish

  Pashto

  Portuguese

  Romanian

  Russian

  Slovak

  Spanish

  Tigrinya

  Turkish

  Ukrainian

  Gender identity

  Gender identity the same as sex registered at birth (cisgender): 94.02

  Trans woman: 0.07

  Trans man: 0.06

  Trans (but no identity given): 0.11

  Other gender identity: 0.10

  (Total trans/other: 0.34)

  Not answered: 5.64

  Religion and belief

  Christian: 46.89

  No religion or belief: 44.49

  Not answered: 6.63

  Other religion or belief: 0.66

  Muslim: 0.60

  Buddhist: 0.41

  Hindu: 0.17

  Jewish: 0.11

  Sikh: 0.05

  Sex

  Female: 51.5 (417,640 count)

  Male: 48.5 (394,040 count)

  Sexual orientation

  Heterosexual or straight: 89.60

  Gay or Lesbian: 1.30

  Bisexual: 1.30

  Pansexual: 0.2

  Asexual: 0.1

  Not answered: 7.50



• Women’s representation

  Women make up only 30 per cent of all elected Members despite making up 51 per cent of the population of Devon. Additionally, women make up only 20 per cent of the Council’s Cabinet which makes strategic decisions for the county of Devon. As a result, decisions may be made without full consideration of women’s needs and perspectives; both quantitative and qualitative gender data is needed to help inform decisions.

  Women’s issues and gender equality should be a ‘headline’ and not hidden behind other protected characteristics; more visible role models are needed alongside confidence in talking about women’s health without embarrassment.

Recommended priorities for the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan (EDIAP)

These are recommendations put forward by colleagues as part of the engagement event for the Council to consider. These are not a commitment to action. In developing the EDIAP, other objectives may be identified by service areas, the Equality Commission, or the EDI team, and include those already committed to under the Race Equality Action Plan.

Objectives have been aligned to our People First workforce strategy themes: voice, recruitment, wellbeing, belonging, learning, monitoring and data. However, EDI objectives for Devon County Council (DCC) can cover service provision and broader community wellbeing.

• Short term

  Objective	Focus / source
  Theme:	Voice
  Jointly agree a set of principles and ways of working for all staff networks: Develop a standard Terms of Reference. Clarify protected work time for participating in corporate improvement activities, accessibility requirements, and opportunities to co-produce activities where relevant.	Intersectional
  Create a peer network for young DCC employees (Young Workers Club) and appoint a sponsor from senior management for the network who can support / champion / unblock issues.	Age
  Create a Women’s Support Group for staff and elected Members and appoint a sponsor from senior management for the group who can support / champion / unblock issues.	Gender
  Theme:	Recruitment
  Provide clear information to disabled job applicants on how to request reasonable adjustments.	Disability
  Theme:	Belonging
  Senior management commit to ensure that disabled and neurodivergent staff are fully involved in office, building and facility re-design and needs are considered (via networks or individuals directly affected). ‘Walk-throughs’ would be a helpful part of the process.	Disability
  Complete prayer and contemplation facilities at County Hall for staff, elected Members and visitors.	Religion and belief
  Theme:	Learning
  Implement personal equality action plans for Strategic Leadership Team (Chief Executive and Directors).	Race
  Publish a calendar of religious, cultural and equality, diversity and inclusion events.	Intersectional
  Theme:	Democracy
  Appoint an elected Member with a portfolio for women’s equality.	Gender
  Council commits to treat all protected characteristics as equal priority.	Gender



• Medium term

  Objective	Focus / source
  Theme:	Voice
  Strengthen support for staff diversity networks such as administrative support, advice / starter packs for new networks, and opportunities for Co-ordinators or Chairs of each network to meet, connect, share experiences, and seek peer advice.	Intersectional
  Theme:	Recruitment
  Introduce ‘anonymous shortlisting’ (where names and other information is removed from application forms).	Intersectional
  Co-produce tailored induction programmes for First time workers / young people (Young Devon can advise on how they deliver their Managing Young Workers Programme). International recruits. Disabled and neurodiverse staff.	Age, Race, Disability
  Theme:	Wellbeing
  Continue to promote messages of ‘zero tolerance’ for staff, service users and communities, with clear consequences for acts of discrimination. Ensure the Acceptable Behaviour Policy and Unacceptable Customer Behaviour Policy are followed when issues arise. Include guidance on how to call out sexual harassment and sexism in the workplace. Include guidance on dealing with interpersonal and gender-based abuse amongst the workforce.	Intersectional, Gender
  Theme:	Belonging
  Ensure Occupational Health referral guidance is accessible and designed around the needs of staff as well as managers.	Disability
  Introduce an accessible guide for reasonable adjustments in the workplace. The guide will: Clarify expectations for managers in making adjustments and ensure these are followed. Introduce ‘Reasonable Adjustment Passports’ which can follow staff as they move role and line manager. Clarify reasonable adjustments in relation to supporting access to online meetings (including ‘cameras on or off’) and home or hybrid working. Consider a self-assessment or self-referral process.	Disability
  Appoint disability co-ordinator/s to provide a route for disabled staff to raise immediate accessibility needs and have these addressed within an agreed timescale. A co-ordinator can help address issues, oversee access to work and reasonable adjustment requests, and assist disabled staff to have conversations with managers around reasonable adjustments.	Disability
  Theme:	Learning
  Engage and educate managers around equality, diversity and inclusion by clarifying roles and responsibilities.	Intersectional
  Develop managers to support young people consistently across the organisation; listening to young people and appreciating that fresh eyes make a difference.	Age
  Create opportunities for young people to experience work in different parts of the council.	Age
  Theme:	Democracy
  Report to Health and Wellbeing Board, Scrutiny, Cabinet and Full Council on domestic violence and abuse, health inequalities, and impacts (particularly on children and young people) of the exclusion and ‘hostile environment’ towards transgender, intersex and non-binary people. As part of this, provide a ‘masterclass’ on these issues to increase elected Members’ understanding of needs and experiences.	Gender
  Increase the representation of women as County Councillors and members of Cabinet.	Gender
  Theme:	Monitoring and data
  Review absence monitoring of disabled employees within iTrent.	Disability
  Ensure trans, intersex and non-binary data collection for staff and service users is fit for purpose (the right questions are being asked) and increase data collection for effective monitoring. Ensure all data reporting is non-identifiable.	Gender
  Monitor that managers handle incidents of racism and other discrimination, abuse and harassment issues effectively.	Race



• Longer term

  Objective	Focus / source
  Theme:	Voice
  Provide a range of opportunities for staff and service user feedback (including anonymous), information exchange and opportunities to co-produce and influence decisions.	Intersectional
  Theme:	Recruitment
  Remove potential bias / barriers from job descriptions and adverts by creating more generic job roles and focussing more on skills rather than experience and qualifications (which can disadvantage younger people, in particular).	Intersectional
  Develop and implement an accessibility improvement plan for recruitment and induction. As part of this, ensure job descriptions, adverts and interview processes follow accessibility standards.	Disability
  Widen recruitment advertising to attract more diverse talent.	Intersectional
  Introduce peer-buddies who can (in particular) support new disabled staff, young people and international recruits to the organisation or team.	Age, disability, race
  Assist young people looking for work by promoting the Youth Hub About the Youth Hub – Skills Launchpad Devon (skillslaunchpad-devon.org.uk)	Age
  Theme:	Wellbeing
  Ensure adequate policies and processes are in place to enable employees who are victims and survivors of domestic abuse to access support in the workplace. As part of this: Ensure victims and survivors feel safe and experience compassion and flexibility in the workplace from colleagues and managers that meet their needs when in crisis or in recovery from domestic abuse. Provide support through organisational policies such as flexible paid emergency leave not covered by other leave policies, paid leave to access therapy, support or court proceedings, reasonable adjustments to working patterns and locations, access to salary advances, facilitation of relocation to a different area of Devon. Introduce a workplace domestic abuse peer mentor program. Current guidance: Domestic violence and abuse, and stalking – guidance for employees, managers and members – tasks and guides (devon.gov.uk)	Gender
  Apply for White Ribbon accreditation and become a member of EIDA (Employee initiative on domestic abuse)	Gender
  Appoint a multi-faith support officer / Chaplain for staff as part of the Employee Assistance Programme.	Religion and belief
  Theme:	Belonging
  Ensure that absence, flexible working (when you work) and agile working (where you work) policies support staff to manage caring responsibilities, disabilities and health needs, individual experiences such as experiencing domestic abuse and reproductive health needs such as menstruation and menopause. As part of this, ensure that performance in the workplace is measured on outcomes and not physical presence (‘presenteeism’); provide support and development for managers who need to adopt new ways of working that are not focussed on presenteeism.	Intersectional
  Streamline employment policies or clarify how they interrelate, and ensure consistent inclusion of intersectionality.	Intersectional
  Conduct an accessibility audit and develop and implement an accessibility improvement plan for sites, facilities such as accessible toilets, and workspaces as well as colleagues working in the community. Include opportunities for short- and long- term changes and assistive technology.	Disability
  Carry out a review of all employment policies, workplace benefits, processes and ICT applications to ensure they follow accessibility standards and take account of disabilities. This includes risk assessments, discounts, eye-test vouchers, online systems or apps such as those for car parking and bus travel discounts.	Disability
  Carry out a review of all policies (employment and service) to ensure they are LGBT+ inclusive and develop a policy or statement on transgender, intersex and non-binary rights.	Sexual orientation, gender
  Provide prayer and contemplation facilities at other sites such as Taw View and Great Moor House.	Religion and belief
  Create safe spaces, trust, and embed a positive culture around religion and belief.	Religion and belief
  Aspire to be a lead organisation around the employment of disabled people.	Disability
  Theme:	Learning
  Develop Career Pathways for young people and introduce Career Conversations (mentors for apprentices who will support the individual in exploring their career options in the organisation).	Age
  Consider provision of neurodivergent coaches and tips / tools for neurodivergent staff as part of the Employee Assistance Programme and / or Coaching Network.	Disability
  Run career development opportunities for women, particularly younger women (the Our Time programme is too small and not suitable for women in junior roles).	Gender
  Introduce mandatory training / competency requirements for managers on how to support staff with disability or neurodiversity. Include in induction packs for managers.	Disability
  Provide training for managers on having sensitive conversations around women’s health / health needs relating to menstruation and menopause.	Gender
  Provide disability training with a focus on compassionate and respectful practice towards colleagues and calling out discrimination. Include information about the importance of keeping accessible toilets free for use by disabled staff with visible and hidden disabilities.	Disability
  Provide LGBT+ training and encourage discourse through e-learning and in-person activities, providing ‘safe spaces’ for people to ask questions.	Sexual orientation and gender
  Collaborate with the voluntary and community sector to provide equality, diversity and inclusion training. For example, run training days around religions and beliefs with an opportunity for staff and elected Members to visit cultural and faith venues.	Religion and belief, race
  Theme:	Monitoring and data
  Monitor for consistent application of employment policies in practice by managers, including: absence policies, time off for attendance at medical appointments, flexible and agile working, recruitment and reasonable adjustments.	Intersectional
  Clear and regular progress reporting of EDI activities. Promote ‘success stories’ alongside awareness and education, and challenge discrimination by using examples/scenarios.	Intersectional
  Publish anonymised EDI data. Suggested EDI Measures include: a)     Measure the extent to which LGBT+ data is collected, analysed and reported on. b)    Bullying and prejudice related incidents in schools (including interventions and outcomes), including LGBT+ data. c)     Discriminatory incident reports. d)    Qualitative information from the voluntary and community sector. e)     Qualitative information from staff networks. f)      The extent to which people (staff and communities) feel psychologically safe (by protected characteristics). g)     Workforce data on protected characteristics: recruitment, leavers, internal promotions / opportunities, reasons for leaving and retention. h)    Qualitative workforce data on recruitment and retention – for example, if groups are not applying for jobs. i)       Ethnicity pay gap. j)       Occupational health data. k)     Training completion rates against targets. l)       Benchmarking with other local authorities. In relation to data, it will also be important to be clear about the reasons for collecting sensitive diversity data and how it will be used.	Intersectional
  Provide greater clarity of the journey in reducing the Gender Pay Gap, including more qualitative information and benchmarking.	Gender
  Ensure equality impact assessments identify and address any disproportionate impacts on women. Benchmark with other local authorities on their approaches to gender equality impact assessment. Check for gender equality policy and practice with commissioned services.	Gender