Call for Equality Training for Lichfield District Councillors “As Soon As Possible”

With the publication of Lichfield District Council’s Equality & Diversity statistics, Our workforce equality, diversity and inclusion data.pdf, the Leader of the Principal Opposition Labour Group has called for greater awareness of equality impacts for Council members. 

Cllr Sue Woodward has welcomed the Council’s commitment to addressing Equality and Diversity issues across its workforce but says more needs to be done to ensure members are fully aware of the implications of their decisions.

The report states that in December 2022, the Council employed 315 people, of which 129 were female (41% compared to 51% of residents in
the district) and 186 were male (59% compared to 49% of residents in the district). Just over 3% of our of the Council’s employees were from black and other ethnic backgrounds (compared to 5% of the district) and of those staff who provided the information 2.7% stated they had a disability (compared to 18% of

residents living in the district).

Cllr Woodward said:

“In terms of the Council workforce, progress is being made to ensure that it reflects the Lichfield District communities that it serves and I welcome this but more still needs to be done on the recruitment of women, black and ethnic minority officers and officers with disabilities. We must not allow the needs of these groups to be overlooked.

Of more concern to me is that the membership of the Council, the elected councillors, is far less diverse than our communities. This makes it all the more important for councillors to be aware of impacts on the under-represented groups in our communities and in our workforce when we are making decisions. 

I’ve seen far too many examples of inappropriate behaviour and language since the elections. The bias may be unconscious, or not, but it can not be ignored. 

I’ve therefore called on the Leader and Chief Executive to ensure that Equality & Diversity training for councillors will be organised as soon as possible, that it should be made compulsory for all members and that direct advice should be given to members who are felt to have crossed certain lines.  I’ve had positive responses from the Council Leader and Chief Executive but now want this to happen as soon as possible.”