- The EFLG is part of the LGA’s sector support programme offer to the local government sector and as such engagement with the framework is voluntary.
- The framework can help with compliance with the Public Sector Equality Duty which is a legal obligation of the Equality Act 2010.
- The framework references the nine legally protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation. It also encourages councils to consider other issues that might be affecting their staff such as caring responsibilities as well as issues affecting communities like socio-economic inequality and isolation including rural isolation.
- The EFLG is supportive of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s six selected domains of equality measurement which it has identified as the areas of life that are important to people and that enable them to flourish. They are: education, work, living standards, health, justice and personal security, and participation.
- The modular design of the framework reflects the fact that councils come in all shapes and sizes with different resources, communities and priorities. It recognises that action on all equality issues at once is not always possible.
- Developing EDI processes and practices is an ongoing process for all councils, regardless of what level a council is performing at (even in excellence there is room for improvement).
- The framework supports the LGA’s Equality peer challenge and other peer challenges.
The framework sets out four modules for improvement, underpinned by a range of criteria and practical guidance that can help a council plan, implement and deliver real equality outcomes for employees and the community. The four modules are:
- understanding and working with your communities
- leadership, partnership and organisational commitment
- responsive services and customer care
- diverse and engaged workforce
For each module there are three Levels. Developing, Achieving and Excellent. The levels are progressive and cumulative so an organisation can plan and chart its progression against different priorities. Councils can be at different levels of the framework for different modules or themes.
Developing - The developing level criteria contain the basic building blocks for each priority. An organisation at the Developing level has made an organisational commitment to improving equality. It is putting in place processes to deliver on equality issues and is working towards meeting or is meeting the statutory requirements.
Achieving - An organisation at the Achieving level has policies, processes and procedures in place and is delivering some good equality outcomes. It is not only meeting but can demonstrate exceeding statutory requirements.
Excellent - An organisation at the Excellent level has mainstreamed equality throughout the organisation and can demonstrate that it is delivering significant outcomes across its services that are making a difference in its communities. The organisation not only exceeds statutory requirements but is an exemplar council for equality and diversity in the local government and wider public sector.
Underlying each module are a number of themes, each with a short descriptor at each level of the framework. Each theme has a set of indicators or criteria that can be used to self-assess or plan activity.
Understanding and working with your communities
- collecting and sharing information
- analysing and using data and information
- effective community engagement
- fostering good community relations
- participation in public life.
Leadership, partnership and organisational commitment
- political and officer leadership
- priorities and working in partnership
- using equality impact assessment
- performance monitoring and scrutiny.
Responsive services and customer care
- commissioning and procuring services
- integration of equality objectives into planned service outcomes
- service design and delivery.
Diverse and engaged workforce
- workforce diversity and inclusion
- inclusive strategies and policies
- collecting, analysing and publishing workforce data
- learning, development and progression
- health and wellbeing.