The Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Sub-Committee was scheduled to meet on Monday, 16 June 2025, to discuss a range of topics, including an update on the Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Review, gender, ethnicity and disability pay gaps, and a social mobility report. The committee was also expected to hear a presentation from a representative of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Deputy Caroline Haines was scheduled to chair the meeting.

Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Review

The sub-committee was scheduled to receive an update on the Equity, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EEDI) Review, which was commissioned to assess the City of London Corporation's current position and future ambitions in the EEDI space. The review was conducted by Belonging Pioneers between November 2024 and April 2025.

The review used a phased methodology that included:

• document analysis
• a staff and member survey
• stakeholder interviews
• a listening circle¹
• a synthesis workshop

Belonging Pioneers used the evidence gathered from these interventions to identify key themes, gaps, and opportunities for embedding EEDI across the City Corporation mapping these against a maturity framework.

The final products of the review included an executive summary, a full report with annexes, two standalone annexes, two draft foundational toolkits, and four supporting spreadsheets. The EEDI Team was scheduled to review these materials to extract actionable insights and align them with organisational priorities. The findings and recommendations were intended to provide a foundation for the next phase of strategic development.

The sub-committee was asked to note the final products of the review, note the proposal to use the review's findings as an input into the creation of a cross-corporation strategic framework for EEDI², and participate in a discussion on next steps facilitated by the Equalities Director.

Gender, Ethnicity and Disability Pay Gaps

The sub-committee was scheduled to receive a report providing the City of London Corporation's gender, ethnicity, and disability pay gaps as of March 2024.

The report stated that the City Corporation has little to no gender pay gap across its workforce, and the long-term trend in other measures remains positive. Overall, the pay gap figures reported were broadly consistent with those from previous years, with some small shifts compared to March 2023, although the median disability pay gap has reduced to zero (from 7.1%).

The report noted that the levels of non-disclosure observed highlight the continued need to actively work with the workforce to improve data, especially the levels of disclosure on protected characteristics across employees and the casual workforce.

The sub-committee was asked to note the report for information.

Social Mobility Report

The sub-committee was scheduled to receive a report on social mobility, including the City Corporation's 2025 submission to the Social Mobility Employer Index (SMEI). The SMEI is described as a valuable benchmarking tool to assess and enhance efforts in this area.

The report noted that the City Corporation's rankings in the SMEI have varied since 2018, with a significant improvement in 2024 due to a more collaborative and feedback-informed approach. In 2025, the EEDI team engaged colleagues across the organisation to compile the SMEI submission. Since 2024, the City Corporation has:

• Continued to prioritise Social Economic Background (SEB) on par with protected characteristics in Equality Impact Analysis (EQIA).
• Increased declaration rates for SEB, through engagement with the Executive Leadership Board, Senior Leadership Team, internal comms teams, all staff networks and all staff events, moving from 16% to 29% for SEB.
• Engaged Executive Leadership Board in their Away Day to jump start the Theory of Change for Social Mobility.
• Trained EEDI Practitioners in facilitating Theory of Change.
• Collected SEB data from candidates, the first local authority in England to do so.
• Strengthened EEDI leadership through appointment of Equalities Director.
• Recruited dedicated senior EEDI professional for Social Mobility portfolio.
• Launched 'Social Mobility in the City', one of the City Belonging Networks open to all businesses in the Square Mile.
• Transformed the Free School Meals (FSM) process at Aldgate School by incorporating paper systems onto digital platforms, enabling automation of online checks for change of circumstance, instant decisions and higher accuracy and uptake of FSM.
• Supported City Corporation's Social Mobility Network to profile their news, e.g. participation in the Lord Mayor's Parade; promoting Listening Circles e.g. Education, and Accent Bias.

The sub-committee was asked to note the contents of the report and the appended 2025 Social Mobility Employer Index submission.

Wholesale Markets Zero Tolerance Policy

The sub-committee was scheduled to receive a report on the introduction of a zero-tolerance policy at the City of London Corporation's wholesale markets³. The report noted that the wholesale markets serve as critical hubs in London's food distribution network, and while they are a thriving and lively environment full of diversity and culture, there have been incidents of social behaviour, discrimination, or verbal/physical abuse reported from time to time.

The overarching goal of the zero-tolerance policy is to instil a culture of compliance, respect, and safety at the City of London Corporation's wholesale markets. The key objectives include:

• Promoting a safe and professional environment
• Enforcing compliance with regulations
• Improving public perception

The sub-committee was asked to approve the introduction and implementation of the zero-tolerance policy across all three City of London Corporation wholesale markets, note the allocation of resources for monitoring, enforcement, and compliance training to support the policy's effective execution, and note the regular reviews of policy outcomes to ensure alignment with operational goals and stakeholder expectations.