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BAME representation within the workforce

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Dear Kingston upon Thames Borough Council,

1. Please provide information on BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) representation within your Local Authority workforce (data/info from 2019 onwards)?
2. In light of the Green Park ‘Service Leadership’ report, what is your Local Authority doing to:
a) ensure BAME representation in senior leadership positions?
b) ensure BAME representation across the entire workforce?
3. How does your Local Authority ensure the Public Sector Equality Duty is applied, with particular reference to BAME representation within the workforce?

Yours faithfully,

Sylvia Taylor

RBK FOI, Kingston upon Thames Borough Council

Thank you for your email, we will respond to your request within 20
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Kind regards 

The Customer Care Team 

The Royal Borough of Kingston 

London Borough of Sutton 

--

Customer Care Team

London Borough of Sutton

[3]www.sutton.gov.uk

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Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames

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References

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2. https://www.kingston.gov.uk/info/200175/...
3. http://www.sutton.gov.uk/
4. http://www.kingston.gov.uk/

Kingston Customer Care Team, Kingston upon Thames Borough Council

1 Attachment

Reference: FOI-184599513
Date of request: 17/03/2020
Title of request: BAME representation within the workforce

Dear Sylvia Taylor,

Thank you for your information request.

Your request is being considered and, if it is held, you will receive the
information requested within the statutory timescale of 20 working days as
defined by the Freedom of Information Act 2000, subject to the information
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Yours sincerely,

Customer Care Team

Disclaimers apply, for full details see :
(https://www.kingston.gov.uk/info/200281/...)

Kingston Customer Care Team, Kingston upon Thames Borough Council

1 Attachment

Dear Sylvia Taylor,

Reference: FOI-184599513
Date of request: 17/03/2020
Title of request: BAME representation within the workforce
Request details:
Dear Kingston upon Thames Borough Council,

1. Please provide information on BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic)
representation within your Local Authority workforce (data/info from 2019
onwards)?
2. In light of the Green Park ‘Service Leadership’ report, what is your
Local Authority doing to:
a) ensure BAME representation in senior leadership positions?
b) ensure BAME representation across the entire workforce?
3. How does your Local Authority ensure the Public Sector Equality Duty is
applied, with particular reference to BAME representation within the
workforce?

Yours faithfully,

Sylvia Taylor

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Please use this email address for all replies to this request:
[1][FOI #654747 email]

Is [2][Kingston upon Thames Borough Council request email] the wrong address for Freedom of Information
requests to Kingston upon Thames Borough Council? If so, please contact us
using this form:
[3]https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

Thank you for your information request. We have processed this request
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000/ Environmental Information
Regulations 2004.

You asked about: BAME representation within the workforce

1. Please provide information on BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic)
representation within your Local Authority workforce (data/info from 2019
onwards)?
Unknown 260 Any other ethnic group 12 Asian/Asian British - Any Other
Asian background 29 Asian/Asian British - Bangladeshi 4 Asian/Asian
British - Chinese 5 Asian/Asian British - Indian 29 Asian/Asian British -
Korean 2 Asian/Asian British - Pakistani 9 Black/Black British - African
42 Black/Black British - Any Other Black/African/Caribbean background 9
Black/Black British - Caribbean 15 Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Group - Any Other
Mixed/Multiple ethnic background 12 Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Group - White
and Asian 4 Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Group - White and Black African 6
Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Group - White and Black Caribbean 8 Other Ethnic
Group - Arab 2 Prefer not to say 45 White - Any Other White background 55
White - English/Welsh/Irish/Scottish/Northern Irish/British 597
2. In light of the Green Park ‘Service Leadership’ report, what is your
Local Authority doing to:
a) ensure BAME representation in senior leadership positions?
b) ensure BAME representation across the entire workforce?
3. How does your Local Authority ensure the Public Sector Equality Duty is
applied, with particular reference to BAME representation within the
workforce?
At RBK our internal Diversity and Inclusion vision is:
“to cultivate a representative workforce which promotes equalities - to be
an organisation where every one of us has a responsibility to create and
sustain an inclusive work environment”.  
Our Chief Executive, Ian Thomas is BAME and our Senior Leadership team is
33% BAME.  Last May we launched the BAME + allies staff group which  now
has 45 active members who attend regular meetings and are in place to
support BAME staff and work with allies to bring awareness of issues /
concerns.
The network, supported by a member of the Senior Leadership Team, a
Council Member and HR,  is fully visible across the council and have held
several talks from BAME senior leaders to increase their profile within
the workforce and talk about how they progressed to their senior
position.  Articles were included in our all staff newsletter to ensure as
wide a reach as possible and all staff were invited to our annual
celebration of Black History Month in October.  The last event held
attracted c. 100 members of staff, hosted by our Chief Executive and our
Network Lead.  The network also run charitable events for all staff to
take part in, recognising local BAME charities.
The network has also worked with HR to develop a statement for our
recruiting pages encouraging applications from BAME applicants.
Their terms of reference are:
To act as a point of reference for all Directorates on issues of race
relations and ethnic diversity, thereby assisting the Council in securing
the delivery of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and Equality Act
2010.
To work towards combating racism and ensuring that services and employment
by the Council are sensitive to all cultures, religions, and ethnicity –
thus valuing and recognising diversity within the workforce and the
community.
To act as a forum for discussion of ideas, support and sharing of issues
on matters concerning employment practice, quality of service delivery and
provision with regards to black and minority ethnic groups.
To influence effective policy development and strengthening its
application within the Council to ensure that BAME members of staff are
properly represented throughout the workforce at all grading levels.
To influence management practice, policies and procedures as they relate
to discrimination and race relations – including equality in employment
opportunities, employee relations, training, development, clarity of roles
and responsibilities.
To contribute to awareness raising and drawing up positive action policies
to tackle imbalances in recruitment, career development and training.
To provide a support system to all black and minority ethnic staff within
the organisation, working with Directorate managers and personnel
services.
To take an active role in monitoring the Council’s Equal Opportunities
Policy.
To elect a group representative/s to attend the Corporate Equal
Opportunities Forum enabling two-way communication.
The BAME+ network have their own intranet page accessible to all staff,
they have a google+ community open to all where staff can share and
exchange articles, ideas etc.  The network is also promoted to all new
joiners during their formal induction.  
As a council we publish our equalities workforce report annually and work
with Directorates should there be any issues which need addressing at a
local level.
As an HR department we are also exploring the possibility of blind CV
selection as we move to a new recruitment system; and we are actively
encouraging diverse interview panels.  We are also hoping to run some
unconscious bias training for all Managers and ‘Active Bystander’ training
for all staff to give them the tools to call out any behaviour which does
not fit with our new RBK Values - Supportive, Transparent, Appreciative
and Respectful.
Further information

If you are interested in the data that the council holds, we recommend
that you take a look at Kingston Council’s Open data initiative. We now
have a wide range of data about the borough available for public use all
available in one place: https://data.kingston.gov.uk

Right to Review

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been dealt with you can request an internal review. Tell us why you are
unhappy with our response within 40 working days, and it will be looked at
afresh. We will aim to provide you with our review response within 20
working days.

If you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of the review you have a
further right to appeal to the Information Commissioner, who regulates the
implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and Environmental
Information Regulations 2004. The Commissioner can be contacted at the
following address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Enquiry line: 0303 123 1113

Yours sincerely,

Customer Care Team

Disclaimers apply, for full details see :
(https://www.kingston.gov.uk/info/200281/...)

References

Visible links
1. mailto:[FOI #654747 email]
2. mailto:[Kingston upon Thames Borough Council request email]
3. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/change_re...

We don't know whether the most recent response to this request contains information or not – if you are Sylvia Taylor please sign in and let everyone know.