Content

8.1

The report sets out Sheffield City
Council’s (SCC) proposed approach to celebrating,
commemorating, and acknowledging Equality Awareness Days during
2023-2024.
 
The paper proposes a planned and strategic
approach to awareness days so that we can plan and deliver quality
campaigns whilst measuring impact. This will help us meet our
Equality Duties and Objectives. It will also have an impact on our
values, workplace culture and improve our dialogue and interactions
with our diverse communities. A planned calendar would also prevent
duplication of work across the Council.
 
The paper sets out the plan for agreed
awareness days and will support SCC’s commitment to protected
characteristics and the communities it serves across the city. This
paper proposes a number of awareness days which will be prioritised
over the coming year, and these will be reviewed annually. It will
also identify which others the Council will support this year and
how this will be achieved.
 
The paper sets out how nominated awareness
days/months will be acknowledged (social media, campaigns, media
coverage, etc) and how identified teams across the council will
plan, deliver and measure impact on the series of days. The
approach will be monitored and kept under review by the Strategic
Equality and Inclusion Board (SEIB).

 

 

8.2

RESOLVED UNANIMOUSLY: That
Strategy and Resources Policy Committee:-
 

 

(a) agrees Sheffield City Council’s
proposed approach to Awareness Days and the calendar for 2023-
2024, as set out in the report;
 
(b) agrees that Members, Leadership Teams and
Officers work together and commit to promoting the identified
days;
 
(c) agrees to reviewing the annual calendar
yearly;
 
(d) agrees that the Director of Policy and
Democratic Engagement, in consultation with the Strategic Equality
and Inclusion Board will monitor and review the awareness day
calendar on an annual basis, as not all awareness days can be
acknowledged in the year, and different priorities may arise;
and
 
(e) requests that further consideration be
given to the issue of lighting up the Town Hall for appropriate
campaigns/awareness days.

 

 

8.3

Reasons for
Decision

 

 

8.3.1

The recommendations are suggested so that
quality messages, events, campaigns can be planned for a variety of
awareness days which encompass all protected characteristics and
help SCC meet its Equality Objectives.

 

 

8.4

Alternatives
Considered and Rejected

 

 

8.4.1

The do-nothing option was discounted when
discussing this paper as it was decided that a strategic decision
was needed to enhance this area of work so duplication, confusion,
last minute requests could be prevented, and a concise structured
calendar of events could be delivered.