South Tyneside Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Strategy 2024 - 2027

Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB) are a set of related values that we recognise as really important in making South Tyneside a place where people live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives.

Equality is about fairness, breaking down barriers and making sure that everyone has the same opportunities.

Diversity is about recognising the ways in which people differ and celebrating these differences.

Inclusion is about actively ensuring that all people feel welcome, respected and able to take part in services or opportunities.

Belonging is a vital social component of life that goes beyond acceptance into a group. It is the psychological feeling of connectedness, safety, power, wholeness and belonging to a social, spatial, cultural, or professional group.

We are all different in countless ways. Our individual experiences and identities shape the way we think, act, and relate to others.

There is power and opportunity in our things that make us unique and they should be celebrated. At the same time, it’s also important to be aware that certain characteristics can make us more vulnerable in a variety of situations and circumstances.

EDIB is important to us in South Tyneside because our people and their wellbeing is at the heart of everything we do.

We are committed to being ‘Respectful’ and ‘Understanding’, which are key parts of our ‘PROUD’ organisational values.

We will not stand for hate, prejudice or unfair treatment. We are all different but we are all human.

Every person in South Tyneside deserves the same respect and fairness. We will continue to be an unshakable voice for EDIB - which means not just treating everybody the same, but challenging inequality, creating equity, and making sure that everybody in the community has the support they need to thrive.

EDIB is important to us as a Council because:

• People who feel seen, appreciated, and listened to are more likely to be healthier and happier, benefit from services and want to do more for themselves, each other, and their areas.
• When we respect, understand and are representative of our communities, we are better able to advocate for the people we serve, including those who might otherwise be overlooked or marginalised.
• Services that are designed for and with a diverse range of people are much more effective in having a positive impact and improving lives.
• Employees who feel valued, understood, and treated fairly will be happier and perform better in their roles as public servants.
• It’s the law - we have a legal duty to support and protect employees and service users from discrimination.

And…it’s the right thing to do!

• 94.4% of residents are white and 5.6% of residents are from a black or ethnic minority group. (2.9% of resident are Asian, 0.5% Black, 1.4% Mixed, and 0.8% other ethnic groups.) Beacon and Bents is one of the most ethnically diverse South Tyneside wards, with 19.2% of residents identifying as Asian, 1.1% as Black, 2.3% as Mixed, and 1.9% Other.
• 2.34% residents do not have English as a first language
• Languages spoken in South Tyneside include: English, Bengali, Polish, Arabic, Panjabi, Portuguese, Persian/Farsi, Kurdish, Urdu, Romanian, and British Sign Language
• 48.5% of South Tyneside residents are male and 51.5% are female
• 95.35% of residents identify with the gender corresponding to the sex assigned to them at birth. 0.38% identify with a gender other than the sex assigned to them at birth (including 00.6% trans, 0.06% trans women, and 0.05% non-binary). (4.1% of people chose not to answer to census question on gender identity).
• 1 in 5 residents have a disability.
  • 2.2% adults have a learning disability.
  • 5.7% adults have limited mobility
  • 23% adults are deaf or hard of hearing
  • 21.9% have musculoskeletal problems
  • 19.1% of those aged 18+ have a diagnosis of depression or anxiety
• Religions practised in South Tyneside:
  • Christianity: 52.6% residents
  • Islam: 2.5% residents
  • Sikhism: 0.3% residents
  • Hinduism: 0.2% residents
  • Buddhism: 0.2% residents
  • Judaism: 0.02% residents
• 9.3% of residents are aged 75 or over
• 21.9% of residents are 19 or under
• 4.5% of residents are carers who provide 19 or more hours of unpaid care per week
• 2.63% of residents aged 16+ identify as lesbian gay, bisexual or another non-heterosexual sexual orientation
• 22.3% of school pupils in South Tyneside have some level of special educational needs. 17.3% have SEN support while 5% with a higher level of need have a formal Education, health and Care Plan in place.
• 1.01% of local children and young people are in care (308 children and young people as of March 2024, out of 29659 children and young people who live in the borough.)
• 1 in 20 adults in South Tyneside (5.3% of the population, or 6464 residents) have previously served in the armed forces (either regular or reserve forces), a higher proportion than England overall (3.8%).

Statistics presented here are based on 2021 Census data unless otherwise stated. It should be noted that there has been some recent criticism of census research methods in relation to optional questions about gender identity and sexuality.

Did you know…?

While we know diverse identities are a strength to be celebrated, it’s also important that we recognise that people with different characteristics also experience difference obstacles and inequalities in everything from health and wellbeing to employment, education, crime and social care, and even the effects of climate change.

Gender and Pregnancy / Maternity

• Nationally, the gender pay gap, the gap between average earnings for men and women, is at 14.3%, and similarly locally, we know that on average women living in South Tyneside earn £3.13 less per hour than their male counterparts (£13.13 compared to £16.26).
• Motherhood is a major factor in the gender pay gap, with a 2023 study observing a ‘motherhood pay penalty’ of £4.44 between the average hourly pay of mothers and fathers nationally.
• Suicide is 3 times more common among men than among women.
• Young women between the ages of 16 and 23 are 3 times as likely to experience a common mental health issue as men of the same age (26% compared to 9%).
• Men are more likely than women to smoke (14.6% of adult men compared to 11.2% of adult women are smokers) or to drink at levels considered high risk (28% of men compared to 15% of women).

Disability

• Nationally, employees with a disability earn on average £2.05 less per house (17.2%) than non-disabled employees.
• Locally, the gap in the employment rate between those with a physical or mental long term health condition and the overall employment rate is at 14.2%. The gap is worse for those with a learning disability, at 64.8% locally.
• Disabled people are 4 times more likely than people without a disability to report feeling lonely ‘often or always’ (13% compared to 3%, Community Life Survey 2023 / 2024).
• The average life expectancy for men with a learning disability is 23 years shorter than for men in the general UK population, and for women it is 19 years shorter.
• There were 48 cases of disability motivated hate crime incidents recorded in South Tyneside in 2022 / 2023.
• Adults with a disability are more likely than those without a disability to experience crime or anti-social behaviour (21.1% disabled adults, 20.8% non-disabled adults).
• Adults with a disability are 3 times as likely to experience domestic abuse as those without a disability (ONS – Disability and Crime, UK: 2021).

Ethnicity and Religion

• Just 25% of South Tyneside’s White residents hold qualifications at level 4 (degree equivalent) compared to 36% of Asian residents, 37% of residents from mixed or multiple ethnic groups, and 50% black residents.
• Nationally, people from Chinese, Indian and White Irish ethnic groups on average earn more than the median UK income, whereas other ethnic groups, including Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Arab people, earn lower than the national average.
• People from Bangladeshi, Pakistani and Gypsy or Irish Traveller ethnic backgrounds have much poorer outcomes than average across a range of health indicators nationally. (Kings Fund, ‘The Health of People from Ethnic Minority Groups in England’ 2023).
• 159 incidents of race related and 13 faith related hate crime took place in South Tyneside in 2022 / 2023.
• People from black or Asian ethnic backgrounds are less likely than white or mixed counterparts to have engaged in the arts in any way over the last year. However, people from an Asian background are more likely than average to have visited a public library in the last year (25% compared to 19%). (Participation Survey 2023)

Age

• The average reading level in South Tyneside is the same of that of a child aged 9
• 10.3% of 18-21 year olds in South Tyneside are claiming benefits (as of December 2023), nearly twice as much as the proportion of overall claimants aged 16-64 (5.6%).
• 25% of people aged 65+ do not have internet access at home, compared with 1% of those aged 35-44 (Ofcom Adult’s Media Use and Attitude Report 2023).

LGBTQ+

• Lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans workers in the UK earn 16% less on average compared ot those non-LGBT+ colleagues, according to 2019 YouGov research.
• 16% of gay, lesbian, bisexual or queer and 38% of transgender respondants to the 2017 National LGBT survey said that they had experienced a negative reaction to their sexual orientation or gender identity when they accessed or tried to access public health services in the preceding 12 months.
• There were 55 homophobic hate crime incidents and 11 transphobic hate crime incidents that took place in South Tyneside in 2022/23.

See the 2024 South Tyneside Equalities Information Report and the ‘Our South Tyneside’ Borough Profile 2024 for additional information on the access and outcome gaps experienced by people with different protected characteristics both locally and nationally.

The Equality Act 2010 is the primary legislation that governs equality-related issues in the UK, protecting people from discrimination in the workplace and in wider society.

A key component of the Act is the Public Sector Equality Duty, which places a specific duty on public sector organisations (including local authorities), requiring them to have due regard for the need to:

1. Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act
2. Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not
3. Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not

The Equality Act identifies nine characteristics which benefit from its protections – which subsequent case law has helped clarify over the last decade:

Age

Age covers people of different ages, age groups and life stages, such as retired people, young people, or people aged 40-49.

Sex

Sex, for the purposes of the Equality Act, is assigned at birth, as either male or female, based on external and internal sex and reproductive organs. Trans men and women in the UK can apply for a Gender Recognition Certificate to change the sex recorded on their birth certificate to reflect their lived identity.

Note: The Act allows exceptions for the provision of separate or single sex services (including services which may limit access to trans people with a Gender Recognition Certificate) in certain circumstances for reasons such as hygiene, intimate personal health, or privacy.

Disability

Disability is defined by the Equality Act as a physical or mental condition that has a substantial and long-term effect on a person’s ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities. This might range from sight or hearing loss to difficulties with mobility, speech, or manual dexterity, to conditions which cause seizures or chronic tiredness, to learning difficulties, neuro-divergence or mental illness conditions which can make cognitive processing more challenging.

Gender Reassignment*

Transgender people, people whose gender identity does not correspond with the sex assigned to them at birth, are protected under the Equality Act. This protection applies not just to people with a formal gender recognition certificate, but also to people at any point in their individual transition process, from those proposing to socially reassign their gender, to those who have chosen to undergo legal or medical transitions.

Race

‘Race’ can mean colour, nationality (including citizenship), national origin or ethnic identity (which may derive from a range of factors, including culture, religion, ancestry, language or dialect).

Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation can include a person’s attraction to or experience of sexual relationships with people of their own sex, the opposite sex, or both sexes*.

Pregnancy and Maternity

Pregnancy describes the gestational period where a person has a baby inside them; maternity describes the period where a person who has given birth (including still births) is entitled to maternity leave.

Note: although parenthood / caring is not in itself a protected characteristics under the Equality Act, various wider legislation also extends specific important rights and protections to non-birthing partners, including fathers, sex-sex partners, adoptive parents and other carers or children.

Religion or Belief

Religion or belief is defined under the Equality Act as ‘any religious or philosophical belief’, including a ‘lack of belief’. It encompasses mainstream religions (for example, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism, and more), including denominations or different belief systems within religions (for example, Catholic, Anglican, Baptism, or Evangelist Christians, or Sun or Shia Muslims). It also encompasses non-mainstream religions, such as paganism, or non-religious philosophical belief systems.

Marriage and Civil Partnership (in employment only)

While cases of marriage or civil partnership discrimination are rare in the modern day, in times gone by it was not unusual for married individuals (women in particular) to be dismissed from employment or otherwise receive unfavourable treatments in the workplace following marriage, often because of societal beliefs about differences in lifestyle between single or married people. While divorced or separated people can also experience stigma or mistreatment, people who are single, cohabiting, divorced, or who have had their partnership dissolved are not protected under the Act. This protected characteristic is also unusual in that it only applies in employment-related circumstances; there is no specific requirement for services to cater for the needs of people or non-employees who are married or in a civil partnership.

While the Equality Act (and other closely linked legislation such as the Gender Recognition Act) remains extremely significant in supporting protections for different groups of people, ways of thinking and talking about gender identity continue to evolve since it was first established and therefore it does not always align to modern language usage or conceptions of gender. For example, the Act uses certain language that is no longer typically used (for example, ‘transexual’ rather than ‘transgender’), rather than ‘transgender’) and uses ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ interchangeably. While there are some ongoing structural and legal consequences of these longstanding positions (for example, gender pay gap reporting is expected to be collected and presented as a male / female binary), it should be noted that case law has in some instances redefined some of its less clear elements and therefore further extended some of its protections, bringing the law up to date with changes in society (for example, Taylor versus Jaguar Land Rover Ltd confirmed that the protected characteristic of gender reassignment applies to gender fluid and non-binary people as well as to trans men and trans women).

The Equality Act protects people with these nine protected characteristics from direct discrimination (treating a person or group less favourably than others) and indirect discrimination (where a policy applies to everybody but has a particular unfavourable effect on a particular group). It also protects people from being discriminated against because they are incorrectly perceived to have one of these characteristics or because they are associated with somebody with one of these characteristics (for example, a carer may be subject to discrimination by association with a disabled person).

While only these nine characteristics are legally protected under the Equality Act and the Public Sector Equality Duty, we recognise that there are other characteristics and circumstances which can lead to unequal outcomes and which are important to consider and mitigate against wherever possible in decision-making.

These include but are not limited to:

Poverty and Economic Insecurity

The ‘socio-economic duty’ referenced within Section 1 of the Equality Act, stating that public authorities should consider the ways in which their decisions impact inequalities that result from socio-economic disadvantage, was never formally implemented in England (although it has been formally adopted in Scotland and Wales). However, in South Tyneside we see the profound impact socio-economic disadvantage has on people’s health and wellbeing and therefore we have explicitly committed within our Vision and Ambitions to focus on improving financial security for our residents. In recent months we have developed a partnership-led Anti-Poverty Strategy to make progress on this important agenda.

Care Experience

The Council passed a motion in 2023 to make ‘care experience’ a local protected characteristic, recognising that people who have experience of being in care face stigma and discrimination through no fault of their own. The Council committed to providing this cohort of residents with the same protection as those that the Equality Act extents to age, disability, race, religion and other protected characteristic. A recent partnership-wide Corporate Parenting Summit rallied stakeholders around a number of ‘promises’ for our care experienced young people.

Armed Forces Service

As a signatory to the Armed Forces Covenant, the Council has made a public commitment to the principle that armed forces service personnel, veterans and their families should not be at a disadvantage when they try to access public services such as education, employment, housing, or health care.

In short... we all are. EDIB is everyone’s business.

All of us at some point in our lives will experience some form of discrimination. As residents, neighbours, friends, partners, family members and people who use local services, we all have a role to play in supporting each other and making our communities inclusive and welcoming.

Council employees and elected members also have an important advocacy role to fulfill. Regardless of where you work or which area you represent, it is our collective responsibility champion this agenda and all that it entails. This includes, in line with our ‘PROUD’ values, being considerate of others’ needs, taking a zero tolerance approach to hate and discrimination, raising concerns via safeguarding reporting arrangements if we are worried somebody may be being mistreated, and speaking up if we see or experience something that goes against our values (either by sharing concerns with managers or by making use of the Speaking Out whistleblowing policy where appropriate). It’s about us being aware of our public sector duties and enacting those every day in how we work. It goes beyond our professional duties and is about us being visible champions and ‘waking the talk’ when it comes to Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.

Our Efforts So Far

Over the years, across different service areas, we have taken a wide range of action to uphold the aims of the Equality Act and improve support for residents with different protected characteristics to overcome barriers, forge connections, and tackle bias.

Recent work has included:

• Identity-Based Employee Networks, including Neurodiversity & Disability Network, Women’s Network, Staff Carer’s Network, LGBTQIA+ Network, Armed Forces Network, Carer’s Network and Multi-Cultural Network
• Inclusive Events, including the South Tyneside Parade
• Annual Intergenerational Debates led by our Young People’s Parliament
• Anti-Hate Crime activities, including a Hate Crime Champions Network, annual Hate Crime Conference and innovative Mate Crime Awareness Campaign
• Targeted Health Support – including bespoke stop smoking programmes for people with severe mental health challenges and an innovative smoking in pregnancy incentive scheme
• More accessible facilities – including newly installed Changing Places toilets in Bents Park and South Shields Town Hall, and with new accessible play equipment installed at 11 parks across the borough.
• HR Policies and Guidance to support diverse employee groups – including a Carer’s Policy and Menopause Guidance
• STEMettes & Targeted Career and Employment Support for Underrepresented Groups
• Celebration of Diverse Local Cultural and Societal Contributions
• Workspace improvements including new Multi-Faith and Expectancy Mothers Rooms
• Co-production at the heart of the Living Better Lives Strategy, with care users with lived experience sharing their stories and insights at staff and partner roll-out events
• A workforce EDI survey
• Enhanced Employee Training Offer – including courses on ‘Disability Awareness & Etiquette’, ‘Trans Allyship’, ‘Understanding Pronouns’, and ‘Discrimination – How Can We Challenge Prejudice?’
• Refreshed partnership model, ensuring more diverse voices are represented in decision-making
• Age Friendly Community programme working make South Tyneside a place where people of all ages live healthy and active later lives
• Campaigns and events organised for celebration and awareness dates including PRIDE, International Women’s Day, Learning Disability Week, White Ribbon Day, Interfaith Week, and Black History Month
• Libraries and Culture Exhibits Celebrating History of Diverse Groups – including the ‘How Women Won the Vote’ exhibit
• Anti-Racism Charter and Anti-Racist work such as on a Statues Audit
• Period Dignity and Period Poverty Campaigns, with donated products available in toilets in schools, leisure centres, and other Council sites.
• Dedicated support for the local Armed Forces community recognised through the Ministry of Defence Employer Recognition Status Gold Award including bespoke housing and social prescribing support, year-round events celebrating armed forces contributions, and work with local employers to promote employment opportunities for veterans and reservists
• Dedicated services including SEND Inclusion service, Hearing Impaired Service, Vision Impaired Service and Adults with Learning Disabilities Team
• Support for unpaid carers, recognised with Level 1 of the Carer Confident scheme, including a pioneering Young Carer’s Covenant, employment support for carers, and a carers policy for Council employees with clear guidance for managers

Next Steps

While we’ve done a lot of positive work to date, we know that this is an ongoing effort with no end point.

Both locally and nationally, people with protected characteristics still face discrimination and experience unequal outcomes – and while we have seen inequalities reduce in some areas, in others, new issues are emerging and outcome gaps are growing.

We made a clear commitment in our 2023 - 2043 Vision and 2023 - 2026 Strategy to ‘target support to make things fairer’ in our borough. We want everybody in South Tyneside, of all ages, abilities, faiths, ethnicities, genders, orientations and circumstances, to live happy, healthy and fulfilled lives, and to be financially secure, healthy and well, connected to jobs and part of strong communities.

Over the last year, we have undertaken a number of reviews to inform where we go next. As well as listening to a wide range of local stakeholders and learning from colleagues in neighbouring local authorities, we have used the latest Local Government Association Equalities Framework to formally benchmark our current position, identify our strengths and shape our areas for improvement.

We have therefore identified a new set of Equality Objectives to guide our next steps on Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.

These are:

1. Improve Our Data and Understanding
2. Strengthen Our Approach to Engagement and Co-Production
3. Continue to Embed EDIB into our Culture, Workforce, and Everything We Do

We have already identified a number of initial actions to move us forward in these three areas (set out in the appended Phase One action plans).

These actions range from improved the quality of our information on workforce characteristics, a proposed partnership summit on meaningful engagement with diverse local communities, an enhanced training offer for employees and elected members, and a reverse-mentoring scheme that will help build relationships and support dialogue between decision-makers and those with diverse lived experience.

These action plans are iterative and will evolve as we progress on our improvement journey. Over the coming months we will broaden and deepen our engagement with a diverse range of people to further shape and evolve these action plans. We do not have all the answers – we will be looking to a wide range of residents, representatives, groups and partners to develop these plans with us.

We are confident that these objectives and initial action plans will provide a positive foundation and springboard for continued work across the Council and South Tyneside to promote Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging.

Improve Our Data and Understanding

Aims

• Evidence and insight-driven action and intervention
• Informed and empowered decision-makers
• A workforce that is reflective of our community

Key actions

• Equalities Information Report
• Interactive Local Data Observatory
• Geospatial Insight on Residents
• Workforce Data Collection Campaign
• Track and Analyse More Employee Outcomes and Inequalities

Strengthen Our Approach to Engagement and Co-Production

Aims

• Services supported to listen and work with rather than ‘do to’
• Diverse groups empowered to share insights and shape local improvements
• Inclusive, respectful communications and customer service

Key actions

• EDIB Partnership Summit
• Engagement Framework and Toolkit
• Awareness Calendar
• People’s Panels
• Increased Community Coordination
• PRIDE Campaign
• Ongoing Employee Network Development
• ‘From Adversity to Diversity’ Community Cohesion Event
• Poverty Truth Commission

Continue to Embed EDIB into Our Culture, Workforce and Everything We Do

Aims

• EDIB recognised as a priority and shared responsibility
• Every employee empowered with the knowledge and tools to play their part in supporting EDIB
• Managers empowered to lead diverse, inclusive teams and services that deliver for all residents

Key actions

• Equality Impact Assessment Review
• All-Staff EDIB Strategy Launch
• Manager Training Programme
• Training Review
• Age Friendly, Anti-Racism and Care Confident Commitments
• Reasonable Adjustments Passports
• Reverse Mentoring
• Digital Accessibility Campaign
• Inclusive Recruitment Efforts

See appendix 1 for more detailed action plans linked to each of the objectives.

A formal update against the EDIB Strategy will be undertaken each year and published as part of the Annual Equalities Information Report, which will also include the latest information on local demographics and our workforce profile.

In addition, progress updates will be included each quarter as part of the ‘Targeting Support to Make Things Fairer’ section of the Quarterly Performance Report, which are published on the Council’s website.

Objective 1 – Improve Our Data and Understanding

What do we want to achieve?

• We want... a good understanding of the local population and the additional needs and potential barriers experienced by people who use our services with a range of protected characteristics
• We want... to be able to recognise and address gaps in our existing knowledge about outcome inequalities and which groups do and don’t access or benefit from services.
• We want... to have a good baseline understanding, as an employer, of the profile of our workforce and the ability to analyse how workforce characteristics map against local population, and to be able to recognise and address any inequalities linked to protected characteristics when it comes to pay, recruitment and retention, training and development, or take up of policies such as flexible working arrangements.
• We want... our workforce to reflect and represent our diverse community.

How will we achieve this?

Objective 2 – Strengthen our approach to engagement and co-production

What do we want to achieve?

• We want... to improve our ability, across all services, to listen to and work with rather than ‘do to’ people who use our services and customers, particularly those who face additional barriers.
• We want... to nurture and empower community and employee networks and partnerships with a diverse range of insights, experiences, and perspectives to be able to confidently advocate for and help to shape service improvements.
• We want... our interactions and communications with people who use our services to be respectful and inclusive, and South Tyneside to be viewed as a place where the contributions of diverse communities are valued and celebrated.

How do we achieve this?

Objective 3 - Continue to embed EDIB into our culture, workforce and everything we do

What do we want to achieve?

• We want... EDIB to be recognised as a top priority and for all employees and elected members to recognise their individual and collective responsibility and feel confident in championing EDIB issues.
• We want... all employees and elected members to have the knowledge, skills and tools to deliver services effectively for a diverse range of people who use our services (including a basic understanding of the statutory context, protected characteristics and the additional barriers different people may face, the make-up of the local population, and a basic understanding of ways to mitigate barriers, including physical and digital accessibility solutions, engagement methods, and equality impact assessments to support decision-making).

How will we achieve this?