Equality improvement priorities 2021 to 2025

Introduction

We know that some of our communities have poorer outcomes than others and this affects them individually as well as the city as a whole. It is important for everyone to benefit from being part of a strong economy and our focus on a compassionate city approach will help us do this.

We are committed to making equality a reality for all the citizens of Leeds. Leeds will be a city where people are able to recognise, value and embrace diversity and difference. We will support people from different backgrounds and ages to feel comfortable living together.

We will work with organisations across Leeds to promote a clear and consistent message that prejudicial views or behaviour that could result in hate incidents or crimes are not tolerated or condoned. 

We will work with communities to ensure people are treated with dignity and respect and the causes of unfairness are understood and addressed.

We value the contributions that all citizens in Leeds make to our city and we want everyone to recognise and appreciate these. We will ensure that we show kindness, and empathise with the difficult situations people find themselves in. We will do what we can to work with them to help them alleviate these.

In our aim to be a compassionate city, we want to live in an equal society which recognises different people's different needs, situations and goals and removes the barriers that limit what people can do and can be. We will consider all the protected characteristics covered in the Equality Act 2010, and we will also widen our considerations to others who are disadvantaged in other ways, for example, by poverty.

Our priorities do not include all our work across all the protected characteristics, but highlights those areas where there are significant differences in outcomes for people due to those characteristics. We believe that by addressing these areas we will make Leeds a better city for everyone.

We welcome all communities in Leeds and value the contributions that our citizens make to our city.

Leeds City Council's Equality Improvement Priorities and performance indicators/ measures for 2021 – 2025 are aligned to the eight 'Best City' priorities:

  • Age-Friendly Leeds
  • health and wellbeing
  • Child-Friendly City
  • culture
  • sustainable infrastructure
  • Inclusive Growth
  • housing
  • Safe, Strong Communities

There are also three cross council Equality Improvement Priorities:

  • budget
  • employment and organisational culture
  • procurement

Best City Priority: Age-Friendly Leeds

Equality Improvement Priority:

  • ensure everyone can benefit from an age friendly city where people age well, regardless of where they live or their protected characteristics, enabling older people to be valued, feel respected and appreciated, and are seen as assets
  • influence across the council and wider partners to ensure age, as a protected characteristic, is considered in strategic priorities and plans
  • recognise the barriers faced by older people who are, or are at risk of, being vulnerable, marginalised or disadvantaged, and put interventions in place to remove or reduce these barriers

Why is this important

Leeds has an ambition to become the 'Best City to Grow Old in' and is taking a system wide approach working towards the World Health Organisation's Age Friendly Communities Programme. The Age Friendly Leeds Board has developed an Age Friendly Strategy and action plan which cuts across all the Best Council Plan priorities. 

The aim of the strategy is to create a city where ageing is seen as a positive experience that brings new changes and opportunities, the views and opinions of older people are sought and valued, and older people have access to the services and resources they require to enable them to live healthy and fulfilling lives. 

Key actions

  • develop a greater understanding of the needs of older people with protected characteristics by:
    • using data and intelligence gathered for the State of Ageing in Leeds report
    • working with third sector organisations and engaging with older people to develop insight into the needs and experiences of older people with protected characteristics
  • influence across the council and wider partners to ensure age, as a protected characteristic, is considered in strategic priorities and plans;
  • work with commissioners/services to develop and implement age friendly principles to ensure services are accessible and inclusive of older people and those with protected characteristics;
  • tackle age discrimination through the Age Proud Partnership, implementation of the anti-ageism campaign and intergenerational working.;
  • promote the Age Friendly Ambassador programme, the role and sign up process across the city
  • develop a programme of work to support older people to maximise their income with an initial focus on pension credit uptake
  • respond to national consultations to ensure the voice of older people is heard especially those with protected characteristics. e.g. accessible homes standards consultation
  • work with partners to ensure a preventative approach is taken in later life to address individual risk factors as well as the wider determinants with a focus on those who are more likely to experience inequality to ensure they age well

Key measures

We will use our key performance indicators within the Age Friendly Strategy. Where possible additional analysis will be completed to explore each of these in relation to protected characteristics to enable us to see progress against this priority.

Financial Security in Later Life

  • Income deprivation affecting older people

Healthy Ageing

  • Healthy Life Expectancy at birth and at 65 by gender
  • Disability free life expectancy at birth and at 65 by gender

Age Friendly Housing

  • The number of new properties built to accessible standards M4 (2) and M4 (3) - adaptable and wheelchair accessible

Other areas of interest are 50+ employment, social isolation and accessible transport.

In addition, a State of Ageing in Leeds report is being developed to understand what it is like to age in Leeds. Data and insight will be captured and will provide intelligence about demographics and protected characteristics within Leeds.

Best City Priority: Health and Wellbeing

Equality Improvement Priority: Health and Wellbeing

Review and respond to the impact of COVID-19 on communities and communities of interest with a focus on health inequalities.

Why is this important

There remains enduring inequality in the city. Some of us experience worse physical and/ or mental health and wellbeing because of where we live, how much we earn, the air we breathe or the pressures we face every day. As we have been acutely experiencing throughout 2020 so far, the cost is too great to our people, our economy and our city. 

With so many factors contributing to health and wellbeing, our challenge is to develop a broad approach reflecting the importance of housing, employment, community and the environment whilst being specific about the areas we need to focus on to make the biggest difference.

Key actions

  • work with community health development providers to understand the impact of COVID-19 in inner city wards
  • develop the Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) pathfinder programme, expanding the reach across the city
  • support the development of asset based community development across the Council and wider health and care system

Key measures

  • total numbers of people moving from outreach into groups. The 3 Better Together services are given an annual target of 1,500 people to join groups
  • individuals and communities are better connected
  • communities identify and work to bring about the changes they want to see
  • people have good friends

Equality Improvement Priority: Active Leeds

Support the protected characteristics and demographics most affected by COVID-19 to become or remain physically active to decrease health inequalities. 

Why is this important

There remains enduring inequality in the city. Some of us experience worse physical and/ or mental health and wellbeing because of where we live, how much we earn, the air we breathe or the pressures we face every day. As we have been acutely experiencing throughout 2020 so far, the cost is too great to our people, our economy and our city. 

With so many factors contributing to health and wellbeing, our challenge is to develop a broad approach reflecting the importance of housing, employment, community and the environment whilst being specific about the areas we need to focus on to make the biggest difference.

Key actions

  • agree and resource a method to establish a baseline of PA activity levels for priority groups and neighbourhoods, with a Leeds specific children and young people activity level indicator
  • continue to build on our approach working with priority groups and in priority neighbourhoods
  • support the implementation of the Get Set Leeds priorities, including, where appropriate, shifting staff resource and capacity
  • build a more diverse Active Leeds workforce representative of the communities it serves, with apprenticeships on offer to train and develop individuals
  • build up the network of Active Leeds equality champions, role models and influencers across the service
  • effective monitoring of the impact of COVID-19 on Active Leeds service users and staff, particularly, those protected characteristics disproportionately affected by the impact of the pandemic
  • restart and remodel the Active Leeds Equality working group, ensuring better representation across the service
  • continued audit of Active Leeds colleague representation on internal staff networks and external equality hubs, and put plans in place to increase this number
  • work with partners across the city in the field of physical activity to deliver on a city wide approach to targeting inequalities
  • continue to develop campaigns (real people from priority groups to promote programmes) and programmes (weight management programme as an example) to target priority groups to leisure centres
  • continue to develop health programmes targeted towards priority groups who have suffered as a result of COVID-19 and maybe suggesting long COVID health issues
  • enhance the physical activity offer which is part of tier 2 adult weight management services for men, people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups, people living in deprived areas and people living with physical and learning disabilities (this is funded by a 1 year Public Health England Grant 2021-2022)

Key measures

  • reduce inactivity levels in all children and adults in the city to pre COVID-19 levels as measured by Sport England Active Lives Survey. (Adult Pre-COVID level 21.8% 138,800 people- (Nov 2020) COVID-19 level 25.6% (163,900 people) (doesn't include effect of third Lockdown which could have greater impact on activity levels) (Children (West Yorkshire) 35.5% less active 116,000 children, 32.1% 104,000 pre COVID-19 levels)
  • reduce inactivity levels for each protected characteristic by 1% each year. (Baseline data will need to be established as currently not recorded robustly)
  • use of qualitative insights as a measure with the use of case studies etc. – using examples of work on the impact on individual lives from the protected characteristics

Best City Priority: Child-Friendly City

Equality Improvement Priority: Educational Attainment

We recognise that children from some backgrounds protected by equality law have poorer educational outcomes. The purpose of this priority is to address this inequality of outcome, reducing its impact and prevalence so that all of the youngest citizens of Leeds do well in learning and have skills for life.

Why is this important

The introduction of the 3As Strategy in 2019 (attendance, attainment and achievement) was driven by our ambition to support all children and young people to reach their full potential. 

The strategy aims to close the gaps between more and less advantaged children and young people through collaborating with internal and external partners. Children and young people will be supported to engage positively with education and will be offered opportunities that lead to positive, lifelong pathways. 

Through this, we will give all children and young people in Leeds, particularly those who are vulnerable and/or disadvantaged, an empowering start in life and enable them to thrive in a vibrant and compassionate city.

Key actions

  • identified the key quantitative data that we will use as our KPIs
  • developed a qualitative reporting framework
  • developed work streams of the Children and Families Equality and Diversity Board
  • identified priority actions for each work stream
  • developed a reporting process for each of the work streams
  • consulted with colleagues from other directorates in the council and from third sector partners to hear their views and garner their support
  • listened to the views of children and young people and embedded a 'You said – We did' approach

Key measures

  • number of children who are living in households where domestic violence, parental mental health and / or parental substance abuse are present
  • children living with parents who have a Learning Disability
  • the number of children who are subject to a child protection plan
  • the number of children who are considered to have social emotional or mental health (SEMH) needs
  • the disproportionate number of black and mixed heritage young men who have their SEMH needs misunderstood as bad behaviour
  • data around the diversity of our workforce including foster carers

Equality Improvement Priority: Supporting Families

We recognise that children from some backgrounds protected by equality law are at risk of having a poorer start in life and are at more risk of being in state care or in custody. 

The purpose of this priority is to address this inequality of outcome, reducing its impact and prevalence so that all of the youngest citizens of Leeds are protected, grow up having fun and are supported in their family wherever possible.

In all of our work, we will be mindful of race based inequalities.

We will explore and address:

  • disproportionality
  • too many black and mixed heritage young men who have their SEMH needs misunderstood as bad behaviour
  • too many black and mixed heritage young men receiving the most serious court disposals
  • how we can avoid poorer outcomes for children from the most deprived areas of the city
  • how to reduce escalation of cases by addressing family's needs at an early stage – via our early years and early help work
  • ensuring our workforce is more representative of the communities we serve including our foster carers
  • addressing risks and exploitation which occur outside the family
  • ensuring equality of opportunity for all children, young people and families in the city

Why is this important

Our child-friendly city aspiration is visible throughout this Best Council Plan in the work we are doing to make Leeds the best city in the UK for children and young people to grow up in; to improve the homes and places in which children live and play; and to increase their overall health and wellbeing. 

We want to make a difference to the lives of children and young people who live in Leeds, to have a positive impact on improving outcomes for all children, while recognising the need for outcomes to improve faster for children from disadvantaged and vulnerable backgrounds.

Key actions

  • identified the key quantitative data that we will use as our KPIs
  • developed a qualitative reporting framework
  • developed work streams of the Children and Families Equality and Diversity Board
  • identified priority actions for each work stream
  • developed a reporting process for each of the work streams
  • consulted with colleagues from other directorates in the council and from third sector partners to hear their views and garner their support
  • listened to the views of children and young people and embedded a 'You said – We did' approach

Key measures

  • free school meals
  • rate of looked after children per 10k of the population
  • numbers of children on a child protection plan
  • rate of young people with black and ethnic minority heritage in custody
  • rate of first time entrants into the youth justice system for young people from different ethnic backgrounds
  • data around the diversity of our workforce including foster carers
  • data around sexual and criminal exploitation
  • take up of early help in prevention services

Best City Priority: Culture

Equality Improvement Priority

Through Leeds Culture Strategy, engage Leeds communities to create and enable new opportunities to promote increased engagement with culture by Leeds diverse communities through Leeds 2023 and the council's existing cultural and grants programmes.

Why is this important

Leeds backs culture in its widest sense. We believe it has a vital role to play in realising our Best City ambition, recognising the contribution it can make to individuals' physical and mental health, educational and employment options and quality of life. 

We also recognise the contribution it can make to the city's confidence, profile and economy. Our culture both defines our rich differences, and brings us closer together – its purpose is the very opposite of social distancing. Sharing the diverse cultures of our city helps people to get to know and respect their neighbours and it can help build wider community cohesion. 

Most of all, culture can be fun and life-affirming. Thousands of arts, cultural and community organisations, and everyone in the city, make Leeds culture what it is and their exceptional contributions will continue to be valued.

Key actions

2021 - 2022 – Establish the measures/frameworks:

  • develop the Culture Strategy Delivery Framework and associated measures agreed across the culture service
  • align cultural grants programmes to effectively assess contributions to equality and diversity
  • support development of the Leeds 2023 evaluation framework to include equality impacts
  • establish greater awareness of staffing profiles in the sector – to focus primarily on arts@leeds funded organisations and Arts Council funded National Portfolio Organisations (subject to accessibility of data)

2022 - 2023 – Telling the Story:

  • generate case studies which promote the city's diversity
  • deliver (or support delivery) of up to 3 key projects which promote the city's diversity
  • Leeds 2023 Year of Culture is engaging and employing diverse communities

2023 - 2024 – Year of Culture

  • specific indicators/measures to be determined

2024 - 2025

  • specific indicators/measures to be determined

Key measures

  • produce the Culture Strategy Delivery Plan through which we will assess the impacts of culture on diverse communities across Leeds through its performance management
  • ensure that culture service delivery places equality at the heart of our programmes and public engagement via robust equality impact assessment and analysis of customer feedback
  • monitor diverse communities' engagement with and representation in Leeds 2023 and the council's cultural and grants programme.

Best City Priority: Sustainable Infrastructure

Equality Improvement Priority: Climate Emergency

To ensure that work to deliver the city's climate ambition of net zero provides opportunities for and is inclusive of all communities, including those characteristics protected by law under the Equality Act 2010.

Why is this important

Like other growing cities, Leeds faces a number of challenges, including adapting to climate change, linking people to services and employment, enabling people to better manage their wellbeing and increasing the number of people choosing active travel and public transport.

Sustainable and joined up infrastructure has a vital role to play in responding to these challenges. A resource-efficient and connected city will be a better, healthier place to live, more competitive and better placed to ride out future economic and climate shocks. The city's infrastructure is facing significant short- and medium term challenges, however, as social distancing requirements have become a national priority.

Our sustainable infrastructure priority reflects the council's 2019 declaration of a climate emergency and our ambition to work towards being a net zero carbon city by 2030. We carried out a Big Leeds Climate Conversation to raise awareness and explore what people thought about some bold ideas to cut emissions. The 8,000+ responses received and Leeds Climate Change Commission's and Citizens' Jury's recommendations are informing the council's strategy: practical steps we can take now and further work required.

Key actions

  • energy efficiency – to develop projects that target those areas of greatest deprivation so that we can work to reduce fuel poverty and improve living conditions for our most vulnerable citizens
  • charging network – to ensure that the city's electric vehicle charging network is accessible to all residents and is also complementary to the wider Transport Strategy that seeks to deliver decarbonisation of transport and also modal shift. As such vehicle charging facilities must also ensure that other road users such as pedestrians and cyclists are not impacted. As such charging should focus on a hub approach to meet demand, rather than create additional street furniture
  • White Rose Forest – to target schemes in areas with the highest levels of deprivation and the lowest tree canopy cover
  • Air Quality Strategy – to develop and implement an action plan that helps to improve air quality for all citizens but especially those living in greatest deprivation and that supports those with accessibility needs
  • communications and engagement – to ensure that our communications and engagement work is representative of the communities that we serve, is accessible, and is actively targeted to reach all of our communities.

Key measures

The key performance indicator for success for the climate emergency is reduction in carbon emissions. The equality measures will include measurement by geography and where relevant by household against protected characteristics. This will include interventions, such as, retrofitting, tree planting, charge points etc.

Equality Improvement Priority: Highways and Transport

Deliver well designed transport infrastructure, streets and public realm that is inclusive, people focused and accessible to all.

Why is this important

Like other growing cities, Leeds faces a number of challenges, including adapting to climate change, linking people to services and employment, enabling people to better manage their wellbeing and increasing the number of people choosing active travel and public transport. Sustainable and joined up infrastructure has a vital role to play in responding to these challenges. 

A resource-efficient and connected city will be a better, healthier place to live, more competitive and better placed to ride out future economic and climate shocks. The city's infrastructure is facing significant short- and medium term challenges, however, as social distancing requirements have become a national priority.

Key actions

  • liaison with and support from the Access and Usability Group, DAWN staff network, Leeds Involving People and Leeds Disabled People's Organisation in relation to public realm, Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) schemes and other Connecting Leeds projects
  • demonstrate on a scheme by scheme basis how consultation with identified groups has been undertaken to inform better outcomes
  • introduce a streets for people designer checklist to ensure new schemes are accessible and inclusive
  • deliver an Equality Action Plan for the Highways and Transportation Service through a service level equality working group, including targeted recruitment to improve representation
  • promote diversity calendar events and awareness raising with Highways and Transportation staff
  • undertake staff equality and diversity training for Highways and Transportation staff

Key measures

Performance will be measured by level of scheme engagement on a case by case basis, feedback via identified user groups and National Transport Strategy survey in relation to indicators for Leeds on Accessibility, Safety and others (specifically including satisfaction with dropped kerb crossing points, maintenance of highway verges, trees and shrubs and overall satisfaction with the state of footways).

Best City Priority: Inclusive Growth

Equality Improvement Priority: Inclusive Growth

Ensuring equality is a key focus of supporting Inclusive Growth and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and building economic resilience for Leeds and everyone living and working in the city.

Why is this important

Our ambition is for a strong economy within a compassionate city. We will deliver this through inclusive growth which seeks to ensure that the benefits of prosperity reach all our communities and citizens. 

This means tackling inequalities across the city, raising skills levels, creating more high quality jobs, improving health and wellbeing, focusing on our communities, embracing the digital revolution, supporting innovators and entrepreneurs and harnessing the economic benefits of all sectors. 

Looking at the economic aspect of our climate change ambitions, it is estimated that Leeds could save £277m a year if it exploited cost-effective opportunities for energy efficiency and low carbon development.

Inclusive Growth is an integral part of the Best Council Plan – supporting the city's economic recovery from COVID-19 and building longer-term economic resilience; supporting growth and investment, helping everyone benefit from the economy to their full potential; supporting businesses and residents to improve skills, helping people into work and into better jobs; targeting interventions to tackle poverty in priority neighbourhoods; and tackling low pay.

Key actions

  • respond – where required, continue to take immediate actions to support businesses and the economy as we have done since lockdown in March 2020
  • reset and renew – ensure we understand the challenges and opportunities that we face in recovery and that we have a clear focus and direction on the projects and partnerships that will address them
  • build resilience – maintain a long-term view of our aspirations to deliver Inclusive Growth, address the Climate Emergency and be the best city for health and wellbeing. Ensure that our decisions lead us towards these goals

Key measures

A part of ensuring we build resilience into our economy is how we measure the actions that are being taken. More than ever, we now need to understand how our interventions are addressing inequality and we need more real-time information about the economy to inform our interventions. 

This will also assist us to be more agile in our response and able to pivot/change as evidence of impact and opportunity emerges. We will continue to work with our partners, such as the Open Data Institute (ODI), to try and obtain and use new and different types of data.

As a way to measure Inclusive Growth alongside traditional economic measure we are adopting the Social Progress Index (SPI), as well as measuring success through lived experience. Designed by the Social Progress Imperative, a global non-profit organisation based in Washington DC, the SPI first launched in 2014 and is now used across the world, including by the United Nations, as a comprehensive measure of real quality of life to complement rather than replace traditional economic measures.

The SPI is built on three themes: Basic Human Needs; Foundations of Wellbeing; and Opportunity. We have been working to populate the indicators with data for the city. 

At the current time, we are working to collect data against a range of indicators and we are engaging with partners on this work, including in the health and third sectors, to capture feedback and act upon it. We are aiming to have a version available later this year. As part of this work, council officers will be trained in the methodology to run the SPI so we are able to take this forward in the coming years.

Equality Improvement Priority: Employment and Skills

Focusing on disabled people, supporting businesses and residents to improve skills, helping people into work and into better jobs.

Why is this important

Our ambition is for a strong economy within a compassionate city. We will deliver this through inclusive growth which seeks to ensure that the benefits of prosperity reach all our communities and citizens. 

This means tackling inequalities across the city, raising skills levels, creating more high quality jobs, improving health and wellbeing, focusing on our communities, embracing the digital revolution, supporting innovators and entrepreneurs and harnessing the economic benefits of all sectors. 

Looking at the economic aspect of our climate change ambitions, it is estimated that Leeds could save £277m a year if it exploited cost-effective opportunities for energy efficiency and low carbon development.

Key actions

  • relocate employment hub services to community settings and continue to deliver tailored programmes of support
  • seek to expand, align and develop employment hub provision in line with funding opportunities and capacity
  • re-engage residents into learning via the Adult Learning Programme, improving skills and opening up pathways into work
  • contribute to and support the Leeds Learning Disability and Autism Employment Task Groups to deliver against action statements in improving employment related outcomes for people with either a learning disability or autism
  • drive the employment priority from within the All Age Mental Health Strategy to raise awareness and improve accessibility of employment, education and training
  • deliver on the recovery and resilience locality action plan which seeks to reduce inequality and reduce poverty, particularly for those most adversely affected by COVID-19
  • work with Anchor organisations to increase our collective impact in this space
  • build this priority into the development of our refreshed talent and skills plan

Key measures

Increase the number of people with improved skills or moving into work who have a disability or long term health condition, particularly focussing on those experiencing mental ill health.

Best City Priority: Housing

Equality Improvement Priority

Ensure that consideration of equality and the characteristics protected by law is a key focus of our delivery of Housing services with a focus on:

  • delivering a housing growth programme that provides housing of the right quality, type, tenure and affordability in the right places
  • providing the right housing options to support older and vulnerable residents to remain active and independent
  • improving energy performance in homes, reducing fuel poverty
  • minimising homelessness through a greater focus on prevention

Why is this important

One of the biggest challenges Leeds faces is to provide enough quality and accessible homes to meet the city's growing population, whilst protecting the quality of the environment and respecting community identity. The need for affordable housing and affordable warmth are key issues in meeting this challenge.

The council has committed to a significant council housing new build programme, including specialist extra care housing schemes, which are being built to the Leeds standard: better urban design, meeting space standards and using sustainable construction. 

We work closely with health agencies to ensure that homes meet the health needs of residents, carrying out adaptations and rehousing support to enable disabled people to live independently and prevent admission to hospital or residential care.

Key actions

Housing growth:

  • deliver 1,500 new homes by March 2025 to address local housing needs, with a number of these targeted at the priority neighbourhoods or other areas where there is a lack of new council housing or inequality and poverty issues
  • deliver up to 230 extra care housing places for older people in four new schemes to be commissioned and managed by an external provider with all new homes constructed and operational by 2023
  • deliver up to 200 extra care housing places for older people in three new schemes to be procured and managed by the council with all new homes constructed and operational by 2023
  • to deliver each phase/scheme of the programme utilising and being informed by equality analysis to meet the needs of different customer groups in different places
  • deliver all new homes to the Leeds standard including high levels of insulation to achieve high 'SAP' (energy efficiency) ratings
  • to work with the health and housing team to allocate new homes at an early stage to include any adaptations as part of the build, where this need is identified

Energy performance and fuel poverty:

  • to invest £100m over the next five years in measures to help tenants reduce their energy bills, cut carbon emissions by improving energy efficiency over the next five years
  • gas central heating and boiler replacements to take place in prioritised areas
  • targeted improvements to properties with Low 'SAP' (energy efficiency) ratings
  • targeted investment to achieve a minimum Energy Performance Certificate Band E energy rating for all homes
  • to specifically improve the energy performance of 1,000 council homes within the next 12 month period
  • install and evaluate within 26 high-rise blocks ground source heat pumps, benefitting around 2,600 homes
  • deliver a major green energy refurbishment programme in Holt Park - whole house retrofits to improve energy efficiency to 190 flats located on the Holt Park estate
  • the conversion of expensive and inefficient electric heaters to gas central heating in houses in Swarcliffe

Homelessness prevention:

  • work with partners in a variety of forums and groups to seek to increasingly assist customers to sustain their current tenancy be resolving the issues leading to tenancy failure
  • coordinate and direct the partnership work via the Leeds Homelessness Forum with a clear focus on homelessness prevention and multi-agency work to sustain tenancies
  • prevent or relieve homelessness in at least 80% of completed housing options cases
  • deliver a minimum of 500 private rented tenancy sign ups
  • increase opportunities for customers to access the service in a 'digital first' way
  • increase the number of people receiving their housing advice service on a localised or digital basis

Key measures

  • to increase the amount of new council homes to meet identified housing needs across the city with a target of delivering 1,500 homes by March 2025
  • to increase the provision of extra care homes across Leeds for older people, with a target to deliver up to 430 extra care housing places by 2023
  • to reduce the number of households in fuel poverty and improve thermal comfort of our properties
  • to maintain a high 'successful prevention' rate for customers threatened with homelessness with a focus on increasing 'stay put' solutions where possible

Best City Priority: Safe, Strong Communities

Equality Improvement Priority

Improve equality outcomes across Safer Stronger priorities and programmes of work. Being responsive to local needs, to create thriving, resilient communities, promoting respect and tackling the causes of poverty.

Why is this important

Safe, Strong Communities is one of the eight Best City Priorities in the Best Council Plan 2020-2025. The Best Council Plan states that Leeds is a growing and richly diverse city, with people of different ages, backgrounds, cultures and beliefs living and working alongside each other. 

As a City of Sanctuary, we celebrate this diversity and want Leeds to be a welcoming city for all, where people get on with each other and feel part of their local neighbourhood. 

To achieve this, we need strong local leadership, to increase community conversations to resolve problems locally, raise aspirations, create better links to social and economic opportunities, and improve resilience to extremist narratives. Increasing community engagement and participation will reduce dependency on public services, building thriving, more resilient communities that make the best use of their strengths and assets to overcome challenges.

Key actions

  • improve the approach to migration in Leeds
  • keeping people safe from domestic violence and abuse
  • prevent and reduce levels of hate incidents by ensuring victims witnesses and third parties of hate incidents are supported and offenders are brought to justice
  • improve equality outcomes in the council's approach to Locality Working with a focus on addressing inequality and poverty
  • helping people out of financial hardship by tackling the financial challenges of poverty, deprivation and inequality

Key measures

  • improving access to services
  • shifting attitudes and behaviours
  • increasing awareness and understanding
  • strengthening resilience and building capacity
  • building and creating cooperative partnerships
  • number of self-reported domestic violence and abuse incidents
  • preventing hate crime
  • responding to hate crime in our communities
  • increased reporting of hate crime incidents
  • improving support for victims of hate crime
  • building our understanding of hate crime incidents
  • increase provision of welfare and debt advice
  • growth in credit union membership
  • frontline staff are aware of services and referral routes to assist with financial difficulties

Cross Council Priority: Budget

Equality Improvement Priority

To ensure that in the determination of the annual revenue budget appropriate consideration is given to ensuring that it complies with the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and that financial spend is increasingly aligned with the council's strategic aim of reducing inequalities.

Why is this important

The financial climate for Local Government presents significant risks to the council's priorities and ambitions. The council continues to make every effort possible to protect frontline service delivery, and whilst we have been able to balance the budget each year since 2010, have continued to deliver a broad range of services despite declining income, and have avoided large scale compulsory redundancies, it is clear that the position continues to be difficult to manage. 

Resource implications will impact on all communities but those who have been identified at being at the greatest potential risk of negative impact include:

  • disabled people – including all impairment groups
  • BAME communities
  • people from new and emerging communities
  • women
  • older and younger people
  • low socio-economic groups (within this group, there is over-representation by disabled people and BAME communities)

To mitigate this risk, the council has an agreed process in place to ensure that equality and diversity are given proper consideration when developing policies and making decisions, the majority of which will have a financial implication.

The council's 5-year rolling Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) considers the factors and influences that may impact on the council's financial resources in the coming years, providing the framework for its financial planning in line with the ambitions and priorities set out in the Best Council Plan (BCP). The Best Council Plan can only be delivered through a sound understanding of the organisation's longer-term financial sustainability, which enables decisions to be made that balance the resource implications of the council's policies against financial constraints. 

This is the primary purpose of the MTFS Strategy which also provides the financial framework for the annual budget. The most recent MTFS for 2021 - 2022 to 2025 2026 was approved by the council's Executive Board in September 2020 and, as with the annual budget, draws on a range of data and insight, including the most recent socio-economic analysis (for example, population, labour market and the Index of Multiple Deprivation). 

The council's annual budget continues to allocate resources in line with the BCP, aiming to tackle poverty and reduce inequalities. As such, despite the significant reductions in the revenue budget in recent years – and in particular for 2021 - 2022 - demand-led services that support the most vulnerable in the city remain protected while the council also remains committed to the Low Pay Charter, aiming to match (subject to affordability) the Living Wage Foundation's recommended minimum rate of pay across its workforce.

A strategic equality impact assessment (EIA) is carried out as part of the process of developing the council's annual budget.

Equality considerations were built in from the start of the council's Financial Challenge Programme established in 2020 to identify savings to contribute towards closing the significant budget gap of £119m estimated for 2021 - 2022. A cross-council group reviewed and supported the development of initial savings options; equality impact screenings were carried out on all service review savings proposals (these potentially impacting on the public and/or council staff) and included in the public reports considered by the council's Executive Board in September, October, November and December 2020; and as these have moved into formal decisions being taken, full equality impact assessments have also been carried out where the initial screening identified a need to do so, ensuring due regard has been considered and appropriate action taken or planned.

When a delegated decision to implement a budget saving is taken then the decision maker will need to take account of equality issues and carry out an EIA.

The capital programme sets out a plan of capital expenditure over future years and further spending decisions are taken in accordance with capital approval processes, as projects are developed. This is when more detailed information will be available as to where in the city capital spending will be incurred and the impact on services, buildings and people. Service Directorates will include equality considerations as part of the rationale in determining specific projects from capital budgets.

Key actions

  • that Equality Impact Screenings are carried out on all service review savings proposals and on all budget decisions identified as relevant to equality as they are considered during the decision making process
  • an Equality Impact Assessment of the budget at a strategic level will continue to be undertaken and feature as an appendix in the annual revenue budget report which is received at Executive Board and Full Council
  • we will also continue to ensure that when updating the MTFS and preparing the annual budget, appropriate data and insight (including the most recent socio-economic analysis and performance management information) is considered with the aim of aligning our resource allocation with the council's strategic ambition to tackle poverty and reduce inequalities, as set out in the Best Council Plan

Key measures

Alignment between the council's financial spend and our strategic aim to reduce inequalities.

Cross Council Priority: Procurement

Equality Improvement Priority

To ensure our contract processes have a positive impact on the council's equality and diversity aims and objectives through the money the council spends via its contracted arrangements.

Why is this important

We believe 'spending money wisely' is about more than efficiency, savings and managing risk. For example, the council spent in excess of £992 million (revenue and capital expenditure) during 2020-21 on the procurement of its goods, works and services. That level of spending each year can have a massive influence on the big issues that face the city, as outlined in the Best Council Plan and supporting city strategies (for example, Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Inclusive Growth Strategy).

The goods and services we choose to buy and commission, the suppliers we select and the influential relationships we aim to maintain with our suppliers by recording their approach to equality will improve the wellbeing of local people and the council as a whole. Detailed below is the status of the council's supplier profiling:

  • total number of contracted suppliers: 991
  • number of contracted suppliers that are local (within the Leeds Metropolitan Boundary): 325 (32.7%)
  • number of suppliers that are regional (West Yorkshire): 327 (32.9%)
  • number of suppliers in the Leeds City Region (West, South and North Yorkshire): 338 (34.1%)
  • number of contracted suppliers that are SMEs: 728 (73.4%)

The above data will be tracked and monitored via the social value recorded evidence. This includes the council's internal management information system YORtender, the supplier vetting database and reports produced by FMS.

Key actions

We will build on our strong foundations and seek to improve economic, social and environmental wellbeing from our contracts, over and above the delivery of the services required by exploring how those activities can deliver the council's wider strategic equality improvement priority outcomes at no extra cost. Such activities will include:

  • monitoring social value in contracts and reporting on this
  • monitoring 'Leeds' local spend and reporting on this
  • reporting on number of suppliers who are not delivering the foundation living wage and gain an understanding of their action
  • reports on our contracted providers' completion of the modern day slavery questionnaire

Key measures

Social value involves looking beyond the price of each individual contract and looking at what the collective benefit to a community can be when a public body chooses to award a contract. There are a variety of measures that ensure public money is not spent on practices which lead to unfair discrimination, the following are areas we can report on:

  • percentage of women (Full time equivalent FTE) hired on the contract
  • percentage of BAME employees (FTE) hired on the contract
  • percentage of LGBT+ employees (FTE) hired on the contract
  • number of disabled employees (FTE) hired on the contract as a result of a recruitment programme

Improve the overall value for money for the council in terms of the goods, works and services procured through its supplier base by ensuring the following:

  • foundation living wage
  • good employment practices
  • modern slavery
  • delivery of budget savings through procurement

The council will take into account in its tender evaluation and contracting processes a contractor's approach to equality in terms of its employment practices and service delivery.

Monitor and report on organisations whose contract has been terminated on grounds of failing to comply with equality and/or budget requirements.

Local spend with suppliers within Leeds.

Cross Council Priority: Employment and Organisational Culture

Equality Improvement Priority

  • making the council the best place to work, in line with our People Strategy 2020-25
  • creating a great all round experience for all staff, with the support of their leaders and managers, in a positive organisational culture driven by our council values
  • helping all colleagues to be their best at work – so that they feel like they count, are supported to be well at work, and are valued for who they are
  • creating a diverse and representative workforce at all levels in the council through fair recruitment, progression and development
  • doing more to listen to and understand the real, lived experiences of colleagues at work , and build a culture in which people have a strong voice and feel able to speak up
  • taking a zero tolerance approach to racism and discrimination, and challenge and address inappropriate behaviour
  • continuing to build modern and inclusive workplaces, practices and team cultures
  • supporting staff through change – especially in relation to our ongoing financial challenges, workforce reductions and service reviews

Why is this important

Our staff networks continue to play a positive and influential role across the council, in the past year more so than ever before. More than 1,000 colleagues continue to actively engage across the seven staff networks. They have played a key role in working with the organisation to address some of the challenges presented by COVID-19, in particular, the BAME Staff Network and the Disability and Wellbeing (DAWN) Staff Network played a key role in developing the Individual Risk Assessment process and briefings for staff. Members of the BAME Staff Network and the council's Corporate Leadership Team worked together to create a joint statement and action plan in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of George Floyd.

We have worked with staff networks and a whole range of internal partners to engage staff in our wellbeing offer with the ultimate aim of making sure it meets the needs of all staff groups. One of our primary engagement tools has been our wellbeing pulse surveys which gave us a lot of information about how members of the workforce are feeling and what we can do to support them.

The BAME Staff Network have conducted a survey of BAME colleagues in the council. 800 employee responded. We will continue to seek out and use staff feedback to refine our understanding and response.

Leeds City Council also continues to engage with its partners, including the Anchor Institutions, the Health and Social Care Academy, NHS and other networks, to share its policy and practice, learn from others and augment its impact across the city and its communities.

We use the full range of quantitative measures listed in our key performance indicator list to track our progress, and recently this has enabled to identify and take specific, targeted action in relation to BAME colleagues, disabled staff and those who are carers.

Key actions

  • delivering our People Strategy Action Plan
  • developing and agreeing a corporate workforce vision for Inclusion and Diversity
  • delivering our joint Corporate Leadership Team and BAME Staff Network Race Equality Action Plan 2021- 2023
  • reviewing our Staff Network and Equality and Inclusion governance arrangements
  • developing a more granular and robust equality, diversity and inclusion dataset to help us track progress and make the best, evidence based decisions
  • delivering a refreshed inclusion training and development offer for staff and managers
  • Workforce Race Equality Standard
  • Freedom to Speak up Guardian programme
  • equality impact on Future Working Arrangements programme
  • Core Business Transformation programme – technology, systems and business processes that promote inclusion, and give people the best tools for the job

Key measures

  • better workforce diversity and representation levels, especially at senior levels
  • improved employment opportunities for people from priority neighbourhoods and communities
  • improved city wide social mobility through stronger arrangements with partners and across the system
  • improved staff engagement scores
  • appraisal rates of 100%
  • reduced the gender pay gap
  • maintaining 'living wages' across the council workforce
  • reduced levels of racism, discrimination and inequality in the workplace
  • improved staff wellbeing
  • Equality Impact Assessment findings – service reviews and council wide programmes such as Future Working Arrangements
  • ongoing equality monitoring of any staffing reduction, early leaver schemes and voluntary measures linked to our financial challenge work
  • successful accreditations and assessments – Stonewall and Disability Confident Employer