That Cabinet recommends to Council:

1.      that the list of Policy Framework documents set out in Torbay Council’s Constitution be updated to include the Inclusion Strategy for Torbay for 2025 – 2030 and that the Strategy be approved; and

2.      subject to 1. above, the Inclusion Strategy for Torbay for 2025 – 2030 action plan as set out in Appendix 2 to the submitted report be approved.

Under our Public Sector Equality Duty, the Council must publish one or more equality objectives every four years.  The Inclusion Strategy aims to holistically bring together the Council’s work on inclusion and its equality objectives into one overarching document to support the Council to meet its Public Sector Equality Duty.

An alternative option would be to not progress with an Inclusion Strategy or publish refreshed equality objectives.

This was not deemed to be a suitable option.  The Council had a legal obligation to publish equality objectives.  Under the Public Sector Equality Duty, it was important that the Council promoted and fully embedded inclusion. A strategic and joined up approach would help to achieve this.

The decision in respect of 1. above will be considered at the Adjourned Annual Council meeting on 15 May 2025.  The decision in respect of 2. above will come into force and may be implemented on 29 April 2025 unless the call-in procedure is triggered (as set out in the Standing Orders in relation to Overview and Scrutiny).

Under the Equality Act the Council was subject to the Public Sector Equality Duty which meant that the Council needed to give ‘due regard’ to equality.  The General Duty required the Council to: 

·         Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and other conduct prohibited by the Act; 

·         Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not; and 

·         Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not.

In August 2021, the Council set its equality objectives.  The Council had subsequently refreshed its equality objectives which would sit within the Inclusion Strategy.  The Council had taken steps to promote inclusion, however, the Council was aware that further work was needed to fully mainstream inclusion across the Council and was fully committed to doing so.  The proposed equality objectives aimed to support the Council to continue this work in a meaningful and impactful manner.  The equality objectives would be delivered through a mixture of business-as-usual activities and specific activity included within the Inclusion Action Plan.

At the meeting Councillor Tranter proposed and Councillor Tyerman seconded a motion that was agreed unanimously by the Cabinet, as set out above.

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