How is Coventry City Council promoting Diversity and Inclusion?
The Council has produced a Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (2025 to 2028), and policy statements. The Council has produced a range of resources to support staff including an Inclusion Guide and an annual Diversity and Inclusion calendar. The Councils Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and action plan is subject to reporting into a quarterly Diversity and Inclusion Board chaired by identified Councillor Leads.
A number of areas of development are continuing to take place in the Council. These include;
- The Council’s Recruitment and Selection Policy – the purpose of this policy is to provide a values-based framework to ensure that the Council has a fair, objective, consistent and transparent recruitment and selection process that promotes best and inclusive practice. Policy covers end to end recruitment process and responsibilities of recruiting managers and the recruitment team. Supported by an Inclusive Recruitment and Selection Toolkit that has been created to help recruiting managers make good recruitment and selection decisions which are lawful, fair, non-discriminatory and in line with recruitment best practice
- Recruiting for Workforce Diversity Training – the course ensures all recruiting managers involved in any recruitment and selection activity have the required knowledge, are clear on organisational standards and are able to implement best practice so that we can promote and encourage diversity in recruitment and selection. We continue to train new employees who are hiring managers; between January and December 2025, 75 managers attended the training
- Inclusive Interview Panel - The Council now has a pool of trained employees who will support our recruitment and selection processes (shortlisting, interviewing and assessment) for all posts which are Grade 8 and above. The point of this exercise is to bring a point of difference to our recruitment and selection processes, rather than to bring technical expertise to the process. We have 34 employees accepted into the pool who bring inclusivity into selection processes from a disability perspective, LGBTQ+ and from the global majority. As of Quarter 4 (2024 to 2025) January to March the appointment of employees from minority ethnic backgrounds has increased to 41.8% from 40.9% (Quarter 4 2023 to 2024). The Council commenced the inclusive panel work from September 2024
The Council adopted the governance framework within the Race Equality Code 2020. To become accredited (in 2022) the Council had to submit a statement explaining how it planned to apply the 4 principles (Reporting, Action, Composition, Education) across the Council. As a result, the council has produced a Race Equality Position Statement.
The Councils Race Equality Plan is in development with an identified Executive Sponsor for Race. The Council is a signatory to the Race at Work Charter and will look to contribute to the next annual survey.
Adult Social Care commissioned an organisational wide programme of training (for senior managers, front line managers and staff) on ‘Social Graces’. Social Graces upholds individuals’ rights, encourages inclusivity and celebrates diversity. This commenced in October 2024 with sessions throughout 2025 with a plan to become a core training activity. The tracking and review of the take-up of the Degree Level Social Work Apprenticeships by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff, informed promotion and targeting of opportunities in 2025.
A service wide training programme has been commissioned within Children’s Service through ‘Social Matters’ to provide specific training to enhance staff knowledge of Anti-Racist practices and proactive allyship, in alignment with the Coventry Family Valued approach. Social Graces continues to be available as part of the Training Brochure for all colleagues to access. Monthly group discussion and reflective sessions titled ‘Continuing the Narrative’ provide the service with safe spaces to discuss, reflect and develop understanding of diversity needs. Both Adults and Childrens services have Diversity and Inclusion Action and Development plans.
During the course of 2025 we held 3 engagement sessions to talk about the SC-WRES findings and actions planned. We also worked in partnership with embRACE network with staff focus groups from children’s and adult’s services to explore further the experience of staff from a minority ethnic background in recruitment and experiences of harassment, bullying, or abuse.
Adult Social Care Direct
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Address: Coventry City CouncilPO Box 7097
Coventry
CV6 9SL