Race Equality Scheme - How we will consult our staff and our community

Our Staff

We will consult our staff on equalities issues generally and the Race Equality Scheme particularly in a number of different ways.

A small staff reference group has been established from volunteers who responded to a personal letter seeking their support. The group will provide a first response. We will write to all our ethnic minority staff with a copy of the Race Equality Scheme and seek their views on it.

Our trade unions will also be consulted through the regular monthly meeting on policy issues (Empol).

The Race Equality Scheme will be placed on the Council's intranet and views sought by means of a Chief Executive's newsletter.

Our Community

There is a relatively small ethnic minority population in North East Lincolnshire with the population widespread. The exact size, make up and location of our ethnic minority community is not known and more work is needed to ensure consultation with both groups and individuals is meaningful.

There is a Racial Justice Forum but this is in the process of reconstituting itself and has therefore not been in a position to respond to consultation.

Information on different cultural and religious groups in the area is available but, given the timescales in which the Scheme has had to be prepared, it has not been possible to personally visit and discuss the Scheme with these groups. In order to undertake some consultation (but recognising its limited value) the draft document was sent to each group seeking their views but with a commitment to personally discuss the Scheme with them in the coming months.

Further work on consultation appears in the action plan.