Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan
Each of the categories listed below detail the tasks necessary to carry out the Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. Download a copy of the Action Plan here.
Category | Task |
| Data and insight | Reviewing baseline demographic data of membership, candidates and leadership positions. To address any gaps in missing data and considerations for additional data to current categories eg social mobility. |
| Data and insight | To identify gaps from data and develop communications plan to enhance communications that are in place regarding the purpose of collating the data and how it will enable the Party to enhance practice. |
| Data and insight | Create an inclusion dashboard that is easy to use for reporting to key stakeholders and FPDC. The dashboard should also include progress against protected characteristics. |
| Governance | Produce a standard format report and present and report to FPDC quarterly. |
| Data and insight | To develop demographic data reporting regarding membership, candidates with regard to: Leavers and Joiners Selection and subsequent elections Candidates retention through their candidate journey (To monitor demographcs against census 2011 data until 2021 census date is availabile Engalnd, Census 2022 Scotland) To monitor and report quarterly |
| Data and insight | Set aspirational targets against data analysis for all areas of the Party for each diversity group, prioritising Black, Asian and Disabled people (and any other underrepresented communities eg social mobility). |
| Engagement | Implement Development day for key stakeholders (eg FPDC, Diversity Officers, Regional Diversity officers, SAO’s, Party Leaders) to ensure shared understanding and commitment to the strategy/action plan once the report has been presented both for Exec team at HQ and FPDC. To ensure that collaborative practice is agreed and implemented from the outset. |
| Engagement | To promote effective dialogue and inclusivity with communities, service users and representatives, from disadvantaged and underrepresented communities across by developing a Liberal Democrat engagement plan with actions to attract a more diverse membership, candidate population. (To carry this out as stated in the Liberal Democrat Community engagement toolkit and support from the Communications strategy and plan). |
| Engagement | To implement a process for effectively sharing best practice eg templates and case studies using a central depository and collaborative working relationships. |
| Engagement | Develop appropriate materials and communications to demonstrate the commitment for the Liberal Democrats to engage with diverse communities eg documentation/flyers, videos, webinars, podcasts. To ensure they are developed using a ‘diversity and inclusive lens’. To ensure that communications and campaigns are developed in alternative formats, so they are accessible. (review Liberal Democrat EEDI Communications strategy and plan to address this). |
| Governance | To agree as a party what EEDI means for its stakeholders and how this will be embedded within all its functions. Finalise Draft EEDI Policy. |
| Governance | Once EEDI policy has been finalised implement a process so all stakeholders have read, understood, and will implement the policy. Linked to ID11. |
| Governance | To establish a central point/body that will be responsible for overseeing, co-ordinating and scrutinising the activities of all EEDI activities and groups within the Party. |
| Governance | To establish a robust and transparent performance and reporting framework that supports the embedding of EEDI across the party that incorporates all stakeholders (across England, Scotland and Wales). |
| Governance | Review every committee, terms of reference, tenure, R&R and application process for direct and indirect discrimination. Current tenure of committee members mitigates against progression of others. Provide clarity of Federal and State roles - mandate and manifesto. Clarity of where EEDI sits within the party organisation. |
| Engagement | To develop methods and processes for joint working, communication and action amongst current member networks to improve representation and the promotion of Inclusion. |
| Governance | To finalise draft Dignity at Work policy |
| Governance | The Code of Conduct should link to other Party policies to ensure a consistent message is given regarding Dignity and discrimination within the Liberal Democrats. |
| Dealing with unacceptable behaviour | To review and enhance the current members, candidates , MP’s and staff complaints process so that appropriate inappropriate behaviours, discrimination are dealt with in a timely manner. |
| Dealing with unacceptable behaviour | To develop trained individuals that will support the resolution of issues and complaints relating to unacceptable behaviour and discrimination. |
| Dealing with unacceptable behaviour | To implement a Freedom to Speak up process/ Whistle Blowing Advocacy process. |
| Learning | Deliver awareness and skill sessions about Dignity at Work for all stakeholders; tailoring them to meet specific needs (eg Managing Dignity in Teams for managers). |
| Dealing with unacceptable behaviour | Ensure that EEDI related complaints are monitored, and regular reports are submitted to the Senior Leadership Team. |
| Dealing with unacceptable behaviour | To scrutinise outcomes of complaints and address any concerns/issues and implement necessary actions eg non appropriate consequences relating to inappropriate behaviours/complaints. |
| Dealing with unacceptable behaviour | Stakeholders eg MP’s to individually and personally sign up to creating change and set the agenda with regard to dealing with unacceptable behaviour. |
| Data and insight | To carry out annual staff, membership and candidate engagement surveys which incorporate EEDI or agree specific EEDI surveys. |
| Governance | To recruit a senior EEDI member of staff to support the Liberal Democrats drive the EEDI agenda forward. Head of Inclusion. |
| Governance | To review the role and support of diversity officers, regional diversity officers, SAO’s and any members/candidates, MP’s with a role in enhancing EEDI practice. Develop role descriptions and governance for all roles. Develop appropriate training and support for roles so all are clear regarding roles and responsibilities Implement a clear and robust process for communication, action, implementation and review for EEDI work of Diversity Officers, Regional Diversity officers and any members, MP’s, candidates involved in implementing EEDI practice. To implement a process for managing, maintaining and sharing EEDI good practice across the party membership. |
| Governance/employees | To update all HR policies to ensure they are fully inclusive (as per guidance/recommendations by DM). |
| Governance/employees | To develop line manager guidance to support policies where appropriate eg menopause, mental health in the workplace. |
| Engagement | To create an Inclusion network for employees within a minority group under the remit of an agreed EEDI Working/Strategic Group. To ensure the network provide a safe space for staff to share lived experience with psychological safety. |
| Engagement | As the staff population is not large. An organisational staff inclusion network with representatives from underrepresented/minority groups could be developed. |
| Engagement | To review feedback from networks on development initiatives and build into strategy development and successes. To have a nominated senior manager/ member as a senior Diversity and Inclusion champion/sponsor for each network, who can support and drive development and action of individual plans. In developing of these roles to ensured that communications are in place that emphasise that embedding EEDI is everyone’s responsibility within the Party. To create a clear term of reference for any networks developed and for senior champion/sponsor roles. |
| Engagement | Employees have clear EEDI objectives and included into the performance management framework - ensure the performance management framework is implemented and managed. |
| Governance | Leaders, committee members responsibilities and accountabilities need to be clearly written into objectives and role responsibilities including membership- all stake holders. |
| Governance | To implement an equality analysis (equality impact) assessment process for Liberal Democrats so that future policies, processes, projects and engagement does not adversely affect any communities/individuals. To ensure that process and practice is anti-racist. Once developed – to implement a process for: Sign off and implementation Ensuring actions to address adverse impacts are implemented Training and learning for individuals who will be carrying out the assessments Process for involving all the appropriate stakeholders Ensuring the equality analysis process is embedded within all functions of the Party. |
| Governance | To ensure that the EEDI strategy and actions & Actions are incorporated into all Party Business/department Plans. |
| Learning | Implement EEDI learning programmes for all stakeholders. Use blended learning approach eg webinars, face to face learning, e-learning. |
| Learning | Determine training needs analysis and make recommendations for implementation. |
| Learning | Review and assess current learning interventions. |
| Learning | Senior management – to include areas such as – Team building, roles and responsibilities in embedding EEDI, inclusive leadership, inclusive recruitment, Race inclusion, Disability inclusion, LGBT+ inclusion, Managing Conversations, Embedding Dignity at work, emotional, cultural, intelligence. Communications ie listening and hearing, Developing inclusive cultures. |
| Learning | Staff – Introduction to Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Race inclusion, Disability inclusion, LGBT+ inclusion, Embedding Dignity at work, working with diverse teams, emotional, cultural, intelligence. Communications ie listening and hearing. |
| Learning | Key leaders within the party membership – Team building, roles and responsibilities in embedding EEDI, inclusive leadership, inclusive recruitment, Race inclusion, Disability inclusion, LGBT+ inclusion, Embedding Dignity at work, emotional, cultural, intelligence. Communications ie listening and hearing. |
| Learning | Members /candidates– supporting and engaging with diverse communities, Dignity at Work, Introduction to Equality, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, Managing bias – Conscious Inclusion, Race inclusion, Disability inclusion, LGBT+ inclusion, emotional, cultural, intelligence. Communications ie listening and hearing. |
| Learning | Put in place a review mechanism to incorporate qualitative and quantitative measures to gain feedback from learning carried out. |
| Learning | Ensure EEDI learning is rolled out as a continuous learning and awareness cycle. |
| Learning | Provide awareness materials on an intranet/share point/shared drive that can be accessed by all eg add to Members area/ staff shared area |
| Engagement | Enhance and increase the imagery of all Party Websites (England, Scotland and Wales) reports and other publications so that consistent messages are shared etc including social media to continue to make it reflect the diversity of the Community to attract more applicants from the Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic, Disabled population and wider community. To ensure they are developed using a ‘diversity and inclusive lens’. |
| Engagement | To consider using ‘real’ people rather than Stock images. |
| Engagement | Ensure agreed terminology and language is consistent eg there is current debate regarding the term BAME and if this term should continue to be used. |
| Engagement | To develop additional materials as appropriate to externally further demonstrate commitment to EEDI Eg develop a short document on the EEDI strategy and actions, updates regarding strategy and lessons learnt. |
| Engagement | Consider signing up to EEDI accreditations/memberships campaigns and implement the required actions. This can support embedding of EEDI, messaging and support campaigns. The advice and guidance from the agreed organisations can also support with the implementation of the EEDI strategy and actions. The logos can then be promoted in materials and when recruiting and engaging externally. To consider the following to support the key priorities and under representation: Membership of Business Disability Forum Membership of Business in the Community/Race for Opportunity Disability Confidence Scheme |
| Engagement | Implement an extensive set of staff/member conversation and engagement events which will be facilitated by external experts. |
| Engagement | Substantially increase outreach work possibly by utilising volunteers as part of engaging with young Liberals, in schools, universities, local community groups, job fair events etc to attract more diverse members, candidates, MP’s. |
| Recruitment | To resource and implement a formal candidate recruitment and development scheme to support and develop diverse candidates – with a particular focus on under representation - Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, Disability, Social mobility. |
| Data and insight | To monitor demographic staff data relating to: Demographic data v roles/grades Demographic data v leavers Demographic data v progression Demographic data v development opportunities (To monitor demographics against use census 2011 data until 2021 census data is available – England, 2022 census Scotland). To also monitor and report quarterly |
| Recruitment | To carry out an inclusive recruitment review of recruitment processes for: Employees Members Candidates To address – attraction, advertisement, attraction, selection/shortlisting, interview process, interview panels, assessment, onboarding/induction, online recruitment. |
| Engagement | Develop appropriate documents to ensure it demonstrates the Liberal Democrats commitment to enhancing the diversity of its teams (staff) and membership. To ensure they are developed using a ‘diversity and inclusive lens’. Eg clear statement and documentation regarding EEDI in recruitment packs. Clear statements and appropriate documentation on the website - To ensure they are developed using a ‘diversity and inclusive lens’. |
| Recruitment | Develop a recruitment and selection Code of Practice for members, candidates and officers. |
| Governance | Develop a robust adjustment policy and guidance for staff , members, candidates and MP’s. Linked to ID59. |
| Engagement | Enhance induction process so stakeholders are clear from the outset regarding the Liberal Democrats commitment to EEDI: This could include: Information provided to them regarding EEDI – policies, procedures, committees in place, governance and accountability. Processes regarding adjustments including adjustment for disability, mental health, menopause, carers, cultural - ensuring all stakeholders have read and sign to state they have understood all EEDI policies. Mandatory EEDI training as part of induction processes that is relevant to the Party and their role. Inform stakeholders of how they can access support – eg. mental health/wellbeing, dealing with inappropriate behaviours, bullying and harassment. |
| Governance | Review appraisal documentation for potential individuals to support succession planning. |
| Learning | Internally develop co-mentoring schemes for external stakeholders. |
| Data and insight | Investigate whether we can develop Lighthouse to show LP their diversity data. |
| Recruitment | We should use name-blind recruitment processes. |
| Data and insight | HQ produces a recommended ethnicity monitoring survey format in line with the policy position. This format should be used in candidate selection, officers recruitment... accross the party |
| Data and insight | Publish workforce data broken down by race and pay band and publish 5 year aspirational diversity targets. |
| Learning | Senior leaders and executive board members should seek out opportunities to underake reverse mentoring opportunities with individuals from different ethnic backgrounds in more junior roles. This will ehlp to ensure that they better understand the positive impact diveristy can have on a company and the barriers to progression faced by these individuals. |
| Recruitment | Reject non diverse lists - When recruiting through a third party or recruitment agency, employers in both the public and private sector should ensure proportional representation on lists. Long and short lists that are not reflective of the local working age population should be rejected. |
| Recruitment | Diverse interview panels: Larger employers should ensure that the selection and interview process is undertaken by more than one person. Wherever possible, this panel should include individuals from different backgrounds to help eliminate any lingering unconscious bias. |
| Learning | Provide mentoring and sponsorship: Employers should establish mentoring and sponsorship schemes internally, which are available to anyone who wants them. |
| Governance | Introduce a volunteer policy framework for the Party. Particulary for those that are helping the party as commitee members and in groups such as this. |
| Governance | Recognise that all volunteers should be treated with dignity and respect at all times and provisions of incentives added to volunteers. |
| Governance | The Party should make reaonsable adjustments for any persons with disability. |