FOI Request - Training and Procurement Equality Diversity and Inclusivity
Request 101003722824
1. The number of roles in your council (expressed in numbers of full-time employees (FTE), that are mainly or exclusively focussed on issues of equality, diversity, or inclusivity. For example, this could include (amongst other guises) “Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Officer” (EDI) or “Diversity and Inclusion Project Managers”.
For all roles meeting this description, please also provide, in order of preference, either a) the salary of these roles, b) the pay band of these roles, or c) the combined total salary of these roles. Please provide the information that is most in accordance with your data processing practices.
d) Please also advise if the council has any plans to hire further staff in these areas within the next 18 months, and the roles/pay bands that they are likely to occupy.
2. Please provide the number of internal training courses attended by staff which pertain to the issues encompassed by equality, diversity or inclusivity. Please include the name of the courses, the number of attendees, and the duration of the course.
3. Please, if possible, provide details of any internal EDI practices and networks, including the number of individuals who are members of such networks.
4. Please provide details of any external contractors brought in by the council to conduct training, advice, or guidance on issues relating to EDI. Where applicable this should include costs and associated manhours.
5. Please provide details of how equality, diversity and inclusivity is included in your procurement practices, the relative weight afforded to these considerations, and the current value of contracts in which EDI considerations was a part of the procurement process.
Response 24-03-2025
1. 0.5 FTE Equal Opportunities Officer
EDI is also part of the remit of one Quality Improvement Officer (Education). Please note, this is only a part of the remit, not entire remit, as the officer carries a number of different roles
Equal Opportunities Officer: Grade 9 £43,204.20 to £47,370.05
No plans to hire further staff in these areas within the next 18 months.
2. Courses which cover this element include:
An Introduction to Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion
- eLearning
- 30 minutes
- 1008 members of staff accessed
Skills 4 Change
- in person workshop
- half a day
- 25 attendees
Interview Skills
- in person workshop
- half a day
- 26 attendees
Health and Work
- in person workshop
- half a day
- 53 attendees
3. Equalities - Forums attended: Scottish Council Equalities Network (SCEN), Integrate Grampian, Third Party Reporting Centre Forum – 1 member of staff
Education - within Education there is an Equalities and Diversity Group. This group meets to discuss the documentation from Education Scotland and legislations from Scottish Government.
We look at ways to share this information across ELCs, Primary and Secondary settings.
Currently there is representation from Education – ELCs, primary and secondary (approx. 20) 4 ELC, 8 primary and 8 secondary. There is representation from EAL (English as an Additional Language), Health and Union (EIS), Educational Psychology. QIO attends national events through invitation.
HR - Internal Meetings: Equally Safe at Work Meetings
4. None.
5. Our procurement practices include integrated impact assessments for tenders to determine where there are specific equality, diversity and inclusivity requirements. Where issues are highlighted, these are added into the specification as a requirement, and if required the technical criteria, with weightings in respect of that criteria, relevant and proportionate to the overall importance to the project. Our contract register does not hold a record of EDI considerations for each contract to enable us to provide a current value in response to this question.