National Assembly recognised as exemplar organisation on equalities issues

31 August 2012

The National Assembly for Wales has published its Annual Equality Report 2011-12.

It gives an overview of the implementation of the final year of the Commission’s Equality Scheme 2008-2012.

Since that scheme was published, the Assembly has increased its engagement with under-represented groups across Wales, developed inclusive staff policies and have improved the mechanisms in place to support Assembly Members.

The Assembly’s work in this field has led to it being recognised as an exemplar organisation.

For example, it is ranked 20^th in Stonewall’s UK Workplace Equality Index 2012. The Index lists the top gay-friendly workplaces in Britain and we are proud to have improved our position in the Top 100 for the fourth consecutive year

“Equality has always been a core principle within the Assembly and we continue to be committed to promoting equality of opportunity and to challenging discrimination,” said Presiding Officer Rosemary Bulter AM.

“Equality is based on the concepts of fairness, dignity and respect and is an area to which we are personally committed.

“We have had many highlights over the last year which we celebrate in this report. We take great pride in engaging with the people of Wales and the many wonderful guests that we have hosted.

“From speaking on the main stage at the Cardiff-Wales Mardi Gras to celebrating International Women’s Day with a group of truly inspirational women, from welcoming the Archbishop of Canterbury to speak at the Pierhead to visiting diverse groups across Wales, I have had the pleasure of meeting a wide range of the people that we represent.

“And the recognition and awards we have received from external bodies such as Stonewall Cymru also demonstrates how seriously we take our commitment to being a truly diverse and progressive organisation.”

Highlights of the Assembly’s equalities programme during 2011-12 include:

• Promoting democratic engagement through our ‘Vote 2011’ campaign. This campaign was created to encourage people to vote in the Assembly election and referendum. As part of this, we ensured that information was produced in a range of accessible formats;

• Developing the way we engage with the diverse people of Wales. We have continued to welcome a wide range of visitors to the Assembly and have increased our work with diverse community groups and third sector organisations across Wales;

• Supporting our staff networks to play an active role in impact assessing our policies;

• Being ranked 20^th in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2012. The Index lists the top gay-friendly workplaces in Britain and we are proud to have improved our position in the Top 100 for the fourth consecutive year;

• Supporting staff members to learn British Sign Language (BSL). Building on our deaf-awareness training, a number of staff have now taken BSL classes, with one group completing the Level 2 course;

• Hosting a wide range of events and exhibitions by diverse groups. We have marked a variety of occasions including Black History Month, International Women’s Day, World Mental Health Day and the launch of Diverse Cymru.

• Providing information and support for Assembly Members in relation to equality. Following the election in May 2011, we developed a range of factsheets to inform Members of their responsibilities as employers and service providers under the Equality Act 2010.

• Consulting widely with a range of diverse groups across Wales when developing our new Equality Plan 2012-2016.

The National Assembly Commissioner with responsibility for Equalities issues, Sandy Mewies AM added: “We have made great strides in delivering on our own tough equalities targets.

“But we must not be complacent. Despite the great strides that we have taken since our first Equality Scheme was published in 2008, we recognise that we still have improvements to make.

“We aim to be an exemplar organisation in the way that we support our staff, Assembly Members and the public that we serve. Our new Equality Plan, published in April 2012, outlines how we will continue to promote equality so that our services, information and buildings are accessible to all.”

There are a number of immediate objectives which the Assembly will work towards achieving in 2012.

Those objectives include:

• Creating a specific staff training programme on equality;

• Carrying out an accessibility audit of the Assembly estate;

• Improving the accessibility of our information;

• Improving how we capture staff equality data;

• Rolling out an Equality Impact Assessment tool; and

• Launching a multicultural staff network and a women’s staff network.