2022-2023 annual commitments
For the year 2022-2023, we committed to identifying annual projects which would show our progress towards:
- our corporate equality objectives
- the issues our residents and employees told us were important to them
We have produced a summary of the work carried out under each equality aim.
So far, we've seen:
- great progress in mental health support for staff
- improvement in access to services across the city
- an emphasis on partnership working and co-production/co-design
- a focus on events to celebrate and bring our diverse communities together
As we move into our second year of annual commitments, these are now included in internal service plans. This is to further embed the principles of EDI across the organisation.
Employees
To help and support our workforce, who are representative of the community, to be strong and bounce back when things are tough.
- Mental Health First Aid Programme
- new Mental Health and Wellbeing Staff Network
- new Employee Wellbeing Task Force
- new Neurodivergent Staff Forum
- Learning and Development EDI Improvement Action Plan
Access to services
To provide support in:
- accessing services for all
- accommodating diverse needs
- promoting inclusion at all levels, including a developed digital literacy offer
MySouthend
- improved online forms for residents
- planned 2-year project to replace platform
Refreshed Equality Analysis (EA) process
- 100% EA's captured to facilitate internal reporting to senior management
- re-worked template inc. data sources/signposting plus new data packs on intranet
Cohesive community
To raise awareness of the richness in diversity. This can be achieved by celebrating our communities' differences and what unites us.
- Multicultural Women's Group established
- Faith and Belief Network Development
- 2 Eid celebrations
- Southend-on-Sea City Council signed Essex Faith Covenant 8 November 2022
- City Celebration Fund: 14 community organisations funded for events throughout the year
Partnership working
We want to work together with people who have real-life experience to influence new plans and policy.
- Street Prostitution Strategy for Women - with Storehouse/Aspirations
- year 1 of 3 multi-agency safeguarding forum established
- conference co-designed with Aspirations October 2022
- Southend-on-Sea highlighted nationally for best practice and collaboration