More training is needed to ensure members of Lichfield District Council are aware of the impact of their decisions on under-represented groups, an opposition leader has said.
It comes after the local authority published statistics which showed that 41% of its workforce was female, compared with 51% of residents in the district overall.
Other statistics in the equality and diversity statistics showed that just over 3% of employees were from black or ethnic backgrounds compared to 5% of the overall district population, while only 2.7% of staff said they had a disability compared to 18% of residents in the area.
Cllr Sue Woodward, said that the council needed to look at ways to ensure it continued to represent the diversity of the district as a whole.
Cllr Woodward said:
“In terms of the council workforce, progress is being made to ensure that it reflects the Lichfield District communities that it serves and I welcome this but more still needs to be done on the recruitment of women, black and ethnic minority officers and officers with disabilities.
“We must not allow the needs of these groups to be overlooked.
“Of more concern to me is that the membership of the council – the elected councillors – is far less diverse than our communities.
“This makes it all the more important for councillors to be aware of impacts on the under-represented groups in our communities and in our workforce when we are making decisions.
“I’ve seen far too many examples of inappropriate behaviour and language since the elections. The bias may be unconscious, or not, but it can not be ignored.”
Cllr Sue Woodward, Lichfield District Council
The statistics come after a councillor was criticised for the use of language to describe disabled people at a meeting in August.
Cllr Woodward said she had called on the leadership of the district council to ensure equality and diversity training was organised “as soon as possible”.
“The training should be made compulsory for all members, and direct advice should be given to members who are felt to have crossed certain lines.
“I’ve had positive responses from the council leader and chief executive but now want this to happen as soon as possible.”
Cllr Sue Woodward, Lichfield District Council
