The Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee met on Wednesday 16 September 2026 to discuss the Council's annual equalities report, the future of the Disabled People's Commission, and the committee's work programme. Key decisions included noting the annual equalities report and agreeing to receive further updates on specific actions, noting the report on the Disabled People's Commission and agreeing to receive a written update on its future, and agreeing the committee's work programme for 2026/27.

Annual Equalities Report

The committee received an update on the Council's work to advance equality, inclusion, and diversity, focusing on progress against the objectives set out in the Council's Single Equality Framework 2024-2028. Alex Glanz, Head of Policy, Strategy and Chief Executive's Office, presented the report, highlighting that while the Council has made progress in areas such as workforce representation and making the borough more accessible, there are still areas for improvement. An internal audit had provided a 'Satisfactory' assurance rating, but identified weaknesses in the quality assurance and oversight of Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs), governance, and reporting.

Key actions agreed in response to the report include:

• A written update on the Birmingham and Lewisham African and Caribbean Health Inequalities Review (BLACHIR) work will be provided to the Committee.
• A written update on the accessibility of the Council's website, particularly in relation to languages, will be provided.
• The directorate equality action plans will be shared with the Committee.

Councillor Tanya Dunne raised concerns about the accessibility of the Council's website, specifically asking if the 88% compliance rate included accessibility for different languages. Alex Glanz committed to finding out and providing this information. Councillor Dunne also questioned the effectiveness of the new EIA template in addressing inconsistencies in how EIAs are completed. Nohaila Alavi, Director of Strategy, Equality, Transformation and Performance, explained that alongside the new template, the Council is revamping the governance around EIAs, including implementing a dip testing process and reporting through the Corporate Equalities Board.

Discussions also covered the under-representation of Black staff at senior levels within the Council. Nohaila Alavi outlined a multi-pronged approach to address this, including general anti-discrimination work, creating more internal secondment and progression pathways, reviewing recruitment processes to ensure representative interview panels and anonymous shortlisting, and developing a diverse leaders programme. The committee also discussed the importance of staff feeling safe to disclose information regarding their protected characteristics, with a commitment to internal communications campaigns to encourage disclosure.

Disabled People's Commission

The committee received an update on the recommendations of the Lewisham Disabled People's Commission, focusing on the establishment of a Disabled People's Organisation (DPO) and the development of co-production practices. Alex Glanz explained that the Council has been supporting the development of a DPO since February 2025, with the aim of enabling effective co-production of policy with disabled residents.

A key concern raised by Nigel Bowness, Chair of the Steering Committee for the DPO, was the uncertainty surrounding the long-term viability and funding of the organisation, with the current two-year support term ending in February 2027. The committee discussed the options of the DPO becoming independent or continuing to work closely with the Council. Councillor Wellington Gil expressed concerns about the challenges of independent operation and suggested continuing to work with the Council might be more beneficial.

The committee agreed to note the report and requested a written update once a decision on the future of the group has been made. The Council intends to use existing funding to support a viability assessment of the group, potentially with specialist external support, to inform future decision-making. The development of a corporate reasonable adjustments policy, to be co-produced with the DPO, was also highlighted.

Select Committee Work Programme

The committee agreed its work programme for 2026/27. The programme includes items such as a community safety update, licensing and gambling policy, and an accessibility review. The next meeting of the committee was scheduled for 10 November 2026.