A workplace diversity programme by an LGBTQ+ lobby group has been rejected by Ards and North Down Council.
A report by council officers on Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme and Workplace Equality Index, was noted at the council’s monthly Corporate Committee, but was not adopted after the DUP, UUP and a unionist independent blocked it.
The programme was voted down by nine unionist votes against seven votes from Alliance, the Greens, and two independents.
At the full meeting of the council (January 26), Alliance Councillor Connie Egan, who forwarded the motion leading to the report, said: “While I was disappointed the council didn’t choose to go down the path of taking part in the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme, I accept the decision taken by the committee, and look forward to see what actions we can take to support LGBT people in our organisation.”
Stonewall has over 900 member organisations and has worked with thousands of the UK and the world’s leading employers such as MI6, councils, local and central government and private organisations such as Vodafone and Barclays.
Recently high profile employers have withdrawn from the scheme, including the BBC, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, OFCOM, and the Cabinet Office.
An EHRC spokesperson said the programme “did not constitute the best value for money” while the BBC Director General said “the BBC cannot be impartial when reporting on public policy debates where Stonewall is taking an active, campaigning, role”.
At the Ards North Down Corporate Committee, Independent Ray McKimm criticised the council for highlighting these cases. He said: “I found the report strangely spends a considerable amount of time talking about three or four of its almost 1000 members being unhappy with a perceived lack of good value. A point that was frankly lost on me when the report was supposed to be about the participation in the scheme.”
He added: “I was surprised to find we are largely unaware of the LGBTQ staff who are part of our 800 strong workforce. I found we have no mechanisms to communicate with them, address their needs, or make their voices heard.
“There is no way of knowing the numbers of our staff who identify as LGBTQ, but going by the national statistics available to us, we can expect that broadly speaking, no less than 50 to 60 of our staff may identify as such.
“Among those folk, we know that one in four feel the need to conceal their sexual identity at work. We know that more than one in three LGBTQ staff do not know anyone else in their organisation with similar sexual orientation.
“And sadly one in four believe their sexual orientation will have a negative effect on their career path. Further, around 40 percent have found negative comments about LGBTQ from a colleague or from colleagues in the workplace.
“It would appear despite the work we have done, and that work is acknowledged, that without mechanisms to communicate with the LGBTQ staff, address their needs, or make their voices heard, we still have a long way to go. The continued support of Stonewall is very much needed.”
Independent Councillor Tom Smith said: “We are already doing good work, and I don’t think that should be underestimated or denied. Again we are talking about money here - £2,500. Every penny will count going into this financial year and the year after that.
“I don’t think we should be spending money unnecessarily, and I think the good work that is already being done by our own officers should be applauded and we should carry on in that vein.”
The council report states: “Ards and North Down Borough Council currently holds the NI Diversity and Inclusion Charter Mark AWARE Certificate awarded by Legal Island, which expires in February 2022.
“The feedback from Legal Island at the time of assessment was excellent and suggested that the council has gone to considerable lengths to apply equality and diversity in the workplace citing an impressive range of activities, practices, and procedures to deliver first class initiatives.
“AWARE are currently considering an overhaul of the charter mark process and how it falls in line with their diversity and inclusion training so, at this stage, no decisions have been made as yet regarding future accreditation.”
