Decision Maker: Strategy and Resources Policy Committee

Outcome: Recommendations Approved

Is Key Decision?: Yes

Is Callable In?: No

Date of Decision: April 30, 2025

Purpose: This report is the main way we report on our statutory equality duties. The Council is legally required under S149 of the Equality Act 2010 as noted above to provide an annual report of progress against its Equality Objectives, on how we are meeting the General Equality Duty, our workforce in terms of pay gaps and other areas.

Content: 9.1 The Chief Operating Officer presented a report setting out details of the duty to annually publish information demonstrating how we are meeting our statutory duties under the Equality Act 2010 and associated Public Sector Duties (PSED). This includes publishing information relating to citizens and employees with protected characteristics.   The Annual Equality Report now submitted sets out an overview of how the Council met its duties and Year 1 progress against our Equality Objectives 2024 to 2028.  The report also sets out the proposed Equality Awareness Days we will support in 2025 to help us in our duty to foster good relationships between people who share protected characteristics and those who do not.     9.2 RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-       (a) notes the Annual Equality Report, specifically:   (1) the progress made in meeting our equality objectives and the public sector duty; and   (2) endorses the equality objectives set out in the report;   (b) agrees the proposed Annual Equality Awareness days to be marked in 2025/26, as set out in the report;   (c) requests that officers continue to develop the council’s corporate performance framework to include progress against the equalities objectives and greater analysis of performance in relation to the Council Plan from the perspective of equalities, diversity and inclusion;   (d) notes the developing role of the Finance and Performance Committee as the body responsible for oversight and scrutiny of performance including equalities performance and workforce data; and   (e) notes the gender pay gap report and request that officers include the equivalent data for disability and ethnicity in a comparative format annually.     9.3 Reasons for Decision     9.3.1 The Annual Equality Report 2024 helps to meet the specific duty to publish information on an annual basis which demonstrates how we are meeting our statutory duties under the Equality Act 2010 and associated Public Sector Duties (PSED).      9.3.2 We have set out awareness days for 2025/26 (see annex 1 of the report) which we are asking the Committee to agree. These awareness days cover all protected characteristics and aim to foster good relationships and encourage participation in public life for groups who are often underrepresented.     9.4 Alternatives Considered and Rejected     9.4.1 Alternative options include doing nothing, publishing a smaller report or integrating the report into the Council’s performance management framework.     9.4.2 These options were discounted as the council has stated its commitment to publish its progress with regards to equalities, diversity and inclusion and specifically has committed to provided updates with regards to the findings of the Sheffield Race Equality Commission.     9.4.3 It should also be noted that the recommended approach meets the Councils duty to publish information on an annual basis to demonstrate how we are meeting the Equality Act 2010 and associated Public Sector Duties (PSED). This includes publishing information relating to citizens and employees with protected characteristics to ensure we continue to create a fairer city for all.     9.4.4 Ultimately the Council will seek to provide more information with regards to equality, diversity and inclusion as part of its performance management framework (on a quarterly cycle), this will be developed during 2025/26 with oversight from the Councils Finance and Performance Committee.