The EDI team, established in 2020 and led by a Head of EDI since 2021, is a small but dedicated group of 4.5 staff within People and Culture services. At that time, our workforce did not reflect the diversity of the communities we serve.
Engagement data revealed key issues: only 54% of staff felt a sense of belonging; 33% of leadership roles were held by women, and just 7% by employees from global majority backgrounds. Pay gaps were stark—17% ethnicity and 9% gender—highlighting an urgent need for strategic change. This led to EDI becoming a core driver of organisational transformation.
The early phase of our journey focused on:
Building understanding across the Council. EDI knowledge was mixed and buy-in limited. We delivered awareness sessions, created an EDI hub and toolkit, and recruited over 50 EDI Champions to support culture change.
Securing senior and employee commitment. Using workforce data, lived experience, and benchmarking, we highlighted inequities and the risk of inaction. We developed dashboards and insight packs to engage senior leaders in accountability and support middle managers to shift mindsets.
Partnering with EDI experts. Collaborations with Business in the Community, Purple Space, Business Disability Forum, and ENEI ensured our work was evidence-led and credible.
Given disparities in workforce data, pay gaps, and lived experiences, we began with a focus on race equity. We signed the Race at Work Charter and committed to increasing representation and progression of global majority staff.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we partnered with Vercida to host ‘Big Conversations’, engaging 700+ employees and facilitating 30 focus groups. Insights shaped our EDI Strategic Workforce Action Plan, with clear baselines and four themes: Holding Ourselves Accountable, Inclusive Recruitment, Driving Equity, and Engaging Everyone in Inclusion.
Key achievements include:
More diverse recruitment panels beyond hiring managers, improving candidate experience.
-A women’s mentoring pilot led by senior leaders boosted confidence and career readiness—30% of participants from global majority backgrounds advanced through BITC mentoring.
-The Black on Board programme (with OLMEC) improved board-level diversity—over 70% of 30 participants secured roles or promotions.
-Action plans on Disability, Anti-Racism, and Gender Representation put equity and progression at the centre of our agenda.
-Quarterly pay gap dashboards inform strategic decisions and are regularly reviewed by senior leadership, described as “fantastic” and vital for tackling underrepresentation.
-EDI involvement in recruitment, grievances, and staff awards ensures fairness is embedded in internal processes.
Driving Inclusion through an Intersectional Lens
Our work is grounded in intersectionality—recognising the overlapping experiences shaped by race, gender, disability, sexuality, and faith. We ensure collaboration, accountability, and sustainable change.
Notable achievements:
-Cultural and awareness events (e.g. Pride, Windrush Day, Ramadan, Yom Kippur, Menopause Awareness Day) are now part of everyday practice, enhancing belonging.
-Our Inclusive Mentoring Scheme connected 200+ staff with senior leaders. Called “life-changing,” it built confidence and leadership skills. Leaders applied insights—for example, adapting inductions for neurodivergent staff and proactively offering adjustments.
-The EDI Toolkit (300+ hits in the first month) supports inclusive leadership, pay gap monitoring, inclusive language, and features lived experience videos. It’s been shared externally as good practice.
-Co-created action plans with networks and Champions have driven outcomes including fairer recruitment, better disability support, flexible working, and improved cultural competency.
-Training on Safe Spaces, Microaggressions, and Unseen Racism has helped staff speak up and leaders respond effectively. People Leaders now regularly reflect on inclusion in meetings and 1:1s.
Embedding Inclusion in Everyday Practice
The team has reshaped how inclusion is experienced, discussed, and acted upon:
-Our Anti-Racism Podcast Series has made learning accessible and sparked honest conversations on race, bias, allyship, and leadership.
-Over 30 annual events, co-led with Champions, Networks, and local communities, celebrate culture and lived experience, creating authentic engagement.
-75% of staff now agree the Council is inclusive and provides equal opportunities—up 3% since 2024.
