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Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Annual Progress Report 2023

Contents

Forward

This report outlines some of the key activities undertaken by Bassetlaw District Council over the past year in support of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. The report has been adapted to meet the government accessibility requirements which ensures as many people as possible can access our information. The report will be published on our equalities page on the Council’s Website, and hard copies can be requested at our Customer Services offices.

As an organisation, we have a duty to comply with the Equality Act 2010 and the Public Sector Equality Duty, including ensuring that consideration is given to the nine protected characteristics as defined in the Act:- age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

In exercising our functions, we must have due regard to the need to:

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

This report demonstrates how we are working to deliver our 2020-2024 equality objectives and gave due regard to the Equality Duty over the last year.

David Armiger
Chief Executive

Cllr James Naish
Cabinet Member for Communications, Policy & Performance

Our Equality Objectives 2020-24

The Council’s Equality Objectives are set out in the Equality and Diversity Strategy. These are aligned to the Council Plan and respond to the latest data and information on Bassetlaw and its communities. The objectives for 2020-24 are:

Objective 1: Engage and communicate in appropriate and accessible ways
We know that good quality information leads to well-informed decisions, which in turn impact on the suitability and quality of services.

Objective 2: Ensure we deliver inclusive and responsive services
Understand and remove the barriers people face when accessing services. The Council acknowledges the challenges of rural isolation, access to services and limited public transport.

Objective 3: Foster good relations with and within the community
Our diversity is one of our greatest strengths. As a council we want to lead the district in celebrating and promoting our diversity and the benefits and opportunities it brings. We will continue to promote inclusion, fairness, and accessibility, whilst raising the profile of Bassetlaw as a great place to live, study and visit.

Objective 4: Break the cycle of inequality and improve life chances
We know that some groups experience poorer life chances than others, and that poverty can be a significant factor in determining life chances and wellbeing. At a local and national level there are also areas of persistent inequality which remain a considerable challenge. We will continue to focus on those in greatest need to ensure that people can access services and support that works for them.

Objective 5: Develop and support a diverse workforce
We will continue to promote inclusion, fairness, and accessibility in our workplace. A representative workforce will help us deliver services that are accessible, appropriate and that help reduce inequalities.

How we are working to meet those objectives

Objective 1: Engage and communicate in appropriate and accessible ways

Digital accessibility continues to be a priority of the Council’s Communications Team, who now have dedicated officer support to deliver a number of actions associated with improving accessibility on our website and across our digital communications platforms.

For the first time, our Website Accessibility Score Key Performance Indicator hit its target of 96% in Quarter 2 2023/24.

We have secured over 23,000 subscribers across our three Council e-newsletters aimed at tenants, residents, and businesses.

We understand that many residents prefer to receive written communication, therefore, we have continued to provide residents and tenants with targeted information via printed newsletters and information leaflets.

The Council is supporting local communities to get involved in neighbourhood Planning via the new “Know your Place” initiative, which is about encouraging curiosity in what makes your local area unique. Through sharing a range of maps and place-based data, it aims to encourage discussion, build understanding, and to assist communities to start to bring together a list of local priorities. After identifying local priorities, those involved such as the community, Council, and other service provides can then work together to consider how these key issues could be managed or planned for.

“Know your Place” forms part of a national pilot project that Bassetlaw District Council has been involved in, aimed at exploring new ways to support community-led planning. “Know your Place” has been designed to bring together interesting information about local communities, but also potentially contribute to the evidence base needed to develop a neighbourhood plan. Engagement events took place a number of areas in the district including Carlton in Lindrick, East Markham, East Markham, Elkesley, Gringley on the Hill, Harworth & Bircotes, South Leverton and Tuxford.

Meaningful engagement with our tenants and residents helps drive greater involvement. This empowers them to have a stronger voice on how we deliver our services and consequently how we can improve on what we already do. We offer a range of options in how tenants and residents can engage with us and what level of involvement they choose to have. Some of the key events with tenants held in 2023 are shown below and on the “Focus on” section at the end of the report.

Monthly events

  • Tenants and Residents Associations (Harworth, Balmoral, and Mattersey Thorpe)
  • Voices of Bassetlaw tenants group meetings
  • Independent Living Centres Engagement Coffee mornings

Quarterly events

  • Tenants Complaints Panel
  • Bassetlaw Tenant Forum

Annual events

  • Consumer Standards Consultation Events
  • BDC Tenants Meet the Team and Conference

Special events

  • Sandy Lane Consultation Event
  • Harworth Wimpy Consultation Event
  • Fuel Poverty Community Event
  • Investment Planning Consultation
  • Tenant Scrutiny Training
  • Tenant DAHA training
  • Hannah Park External Investment Consultation Event
  • Fuel Poverty Community Event
  • Polish Residents Community Engagement Event
  • Service Review Group
  • Scrutiny Workshop

Residents, businesses, and visitors were able to learn more about Bassetlaw District Council’s plans to regenerate the Priory Centre by visiting a new Engagement Hub located within a vacant unit next to the Priory Centre.

In the first two weeks, more than 850 people visited the Engagement Hub on Bridge Place, Worksop, to look at the plans and images of what the new Priory Centre could look like, learn more about the overall development, and talk to officers involved with the project.

From January to December 2023, the Bassetlaw Youth Council created a project based on the Cost-of-Living crisis, running in parallel to the UK Youth Parliament national campaign on Food insecurity. Consequently, the Youth Council consulted 8 schools in Bassetlaw, and co-ordinated the donation of over 234 kg of food and essential items to the Bassetlaw Foodbank as part of the Youth Council's Food and Essentials Drive.

The Youth Council also engaged in several workshops involving local initiatives and opportunities. This included several presentations on the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) as well as opportunities to become Festival of Science and Curiosity and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Ambassadors; LGBTQ+ awareness and involvement with co-ordinating Retford and Worksop Pride; the creation and launch of the Peace of Mind toolkit for mental health, and sessions from the Nottinghamshire Carers Association, NHS, the Apprenticeship Association, and Bassetlaw District Council officers.

The Youth Council meet in person 6 times per year, and holds representation from all across the district. Meetings are rotated between Worksop and Retford Town Hall with attendance between 8-10 young people per meeting, including the Youth Mayor and Deputy Youth Mayor.

The Council’s leisure and wellbeing service engaged with the public in several face-to-face events in 2023 including:

  • Move More in May – Retford & Langold
  • Beat The Blues Body MOT – Worksop, Retford, Harworth
  • Tour of Britain – Worksop, Retford
  • Learn to Ride your Bike Workshops – Worksop, Tuxford, School Session at Sparken Hill Academy
  • Healthy Sunday – Retford
  • Health and Wellbeing Hong Kong Event
  • New Year Networking Event
  • Panto in The Park, Retford

We continue to improve internal communications by making our staff portal more accessible. We have engaged with staff through our 2023 staff survey and are undertaking more surveys on specific areas of interest. The Bassetlaw Managers forum now meets on a regular basis to share information and offer development opportunities.

Objective 2: Ensure we deliver inclusive and responsive services

In March 2023, Bassetlaw District Council officially opened its state-of-the-art skills and education hub, The Bridge Skills Hub, in the centre of Worksop.

The Council were awarded £3.5million from D2N2’s ‘Getting Building Fund’ to refurbish a long-term vacant building, creating an opportunity to support 300 learners across a range of subjects including health and social care, leadership, and management.

The Bridge welcomed its first students, businesses, and learners to its modern and inspiring building in April last year. During the first year, the Hub has seen 80 students enrol on higher education programmes, including higher-level apprenticeships, foundation degrees, access to HE courses and degree top up courses. Over 450 participants have attended Futures’ Restart Scheme, with over 85 of these now in employment.

A dedicated space for quiet reflection was unveiled at Kilton Forest Golf Course that encompasses a new seating area and an oak tree. Additionally, the clubhouse at Kilton Forest is used regularly by a number of groups and organisations that focus on health and well-being, including men’s mental health support group ‘In Sam’s name’ and the Dukeries Memory Group.

It is hoped that this area of the Kilton Forest facilities will be a space for members of these groups to visit, in addition to visitors to the course and members of staff.

The new area was unveiled by representatives of Bassetlaw District Council who funded the bench and oak tree, alongside trustees from Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL) and Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board.

Bassetlaw District Council has successfully secured £3.4million from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) to improve both pride in the district and people’s life chances in Bassetlaw, over the next three years.

The funding will be used to support three priorities across Bassetlaw; focusing on communities and place, support for local businesses, people and skills.

Some of the projects will include:

  • A Community and Voluntary Grant Programme enabling community and voluntary groups to apply for projects that will make a difference in their local neighbourhoods.
  • Local business investment will see funding for a range of business support services including; the high street, decarbonising businesses, going digital, innovation, business grants, and rural businesses.
  • Investment and delivery of People and Skills programmes in 2024/25 to support those furthest away from the labour market, offer basic skills courses and tailored support to help people in employment.
  • Community infrastructure projects to improve our town centres, improve our green spaces and reduce crime.

A new team of Wardens are helping to make Worksop’s streets safer by tackling all forms of anti-social behaviour in the town centre. Thanks to a joint initiative between Bassetlaw District Council and the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Safer Streets Wardens are now carrying out regular patrols to increase the feeling of safety for people who visit Worksop Town Centre, and its surrounding areas.

New inclusive play equipment has been installed at the Green Flag award-winning Canch Park in Worksop to encourage children with a range of abilities to play together. The new inclusive items, located amongst the existing play equipment include:

  • Ability Swing with Enclosure - Wheelchair Swing
  • Ability Space Whirl - 1.9 m Inclusive Roundabout
  • Tubular Ally Glockenspiel Inclusive Free Standing Music Panel

The Council’s main public buildings have again gained breastfeeding friendly accreditation and have pledged to:

  • support breastfeeding in all public areas
  • provide breastfeeding mums with seating and a welcoming, clean and comfortable environment
  • ensure our staff are positive towards and supportive of breastfeeding mums
  • understand some mums prefer to feed in privacy and help where we can

Larwood House in Worksop, which is owned and operated by Bassetlaw District Council, underwent an extensive refurbishment project to convert 32 bedsits into 18 self-contained one-bed apartments with updated communal areas.

The project, delivered by specialist design and build company Fortem will provide residents with larger living spaces, fully accessible wet rooms, and either a private patio or Juliet balcony.

It will also include communal spaces including a lounge, kitchen and accessible landscaped gardens, a store for personal mobility scooters, a drying room, and a treatment room for visiting mobile hairdressers.

Bassetlaw District Council has pledged to provide extra support to young people leaving the care system, and those who have experience of the care system, thanks to a motion approved by Councillors in 2023.

The Council has pledged to treat ‘care experience’ as if it was a protected characteristic, which will help to protect care leavers from discrimination despite national legislation not yet being in place.

Bassetlaw is now the 33rd Local Authority to carry this motion following an Independent Review of Children’s Social Care headed by Josh McCallister, and a national campaign spearheaded by former care leaver and campaigner Terry Galloway.

Bassetlaw, in partnership with Ashfield, Broxtowe, Gedling, Mansfield, Newark & Sherwood and Rushcliffe Councils already have a joint Local Offer in place. This provides support to care leavers, including; Council Tax exemption; free leisure centre membership; a higher priority on housing waiting lists and an eligible to apply for council housing in any district in Nottinghamshire irrespective of local connections; and, working with New Roots Housing providing supported accommodation to vulnerable young people who don’t have a safe place to live.

Bassetlaw Community and Voluntary Service in collaboration with Bassetlaw District Council and Bassetlaw Place-Based Partnership created a Braille version of the Bassetlaw Cost of Living Booklet to ensure as many residents as possible have access to it. The Braille booklet was translated and produced by the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). 

As part of the Member Development Programme, Councillor Equality and Diversity training sessions took place in June 2023. Part of the sessions were dedicated to the use of correct terminology and inclusive language.

The Council’s vision for 2040 is for Bassetlaw to become the greenest, most sustainable district in which to live and work, building on its legacy of energy production, manufacturing, and logistics to power the net zero economy.

To deliver this vision, we have identified six strategic ‘pillars’ or foundations on which the Bassetlaw of 2040 should be built.

  • Identity - We will build a stronger sense of identity for Bassetlaw as a place to live and work, rooted in its commitment to powering the net zero economy.
  • Skills - We will develop the skills that will be needed to power the UK’s manufacturing industry and green economy, using wage growth to address deprivation and inequality.
  • Business - We will become a great place to ‘do business’ by proactively investing in offices, connectivity and supporting infrastructure.
  • Environment - We will mitigate the impacts of climate change through green energy planning, improving building efficiency and enhancing natural environments.
  • Facilities for all - We will promote partner investment in high-quality education, health and other facilities which should be easy for everyone to access.
  • Healthy district - We will encourage sustainable living and promote good mental and physical health for all Bassetlaw residents.

Objective 3: Foster good relations with and within the community

A series of awards have been given to Bassetlaw residents to recognise the positive contributions they have made within the district. The Achievers’ Awards were presented by the Chairman of the Council to recognise a variety of accomplishments, ranging from fundraising efforts, helping others in the community, and reaching personal goals or triumphs within sport.

Bassetlaw District Council marked Commonwealth Day on Monday 13th March alongside communities in 56 other countries as part of the international celebration, which this year spread the message ‘Forging a sustainable and peaceful common feature.’  The theme combines the active commitment of member states to support the promotion of peace, prosperity and sustainability, especially through climate action, to secure a better future for young people and improve the lives of all Commonwealth citizens.

The Council has been pro-active in building community relations with the Hong Kong Community following the arrival of approx. 300 citizens in Bassetlaw.

The Council, together with key partners from Bassetlaw Community and Voluntary Service, and Christ Church Worksop, hosted a welcome event with key partner organisations attending to help the community access services that they need.

The Council has committed to doing more to tackle domestic abuse and provide extra support to survivors of domestic abuse. Work is being undertaken to achieve Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) Accreditation, a benchmark for how housing providers across the UK should respond to domestic abuse.

This includes a council-wide audit of policies, procedures, and practices, in addition to its entire workforce undergoing training that will increase awareness of the signs of domestic abuse and how to support survivors.

The Council has been working alongside a domestic abuse specialist from the charity Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid to achieve the accreditation. If successful, Bassetlaw will be the second Council in Nottinghamshire to attain DAHA Accreditation.

The Council have been pro-active in involving a range of partners to support the Thriving Neighbourhoods Strategy and associated Delivery Plan for the areas of Worksop Southeast, Worksop central and Worksop Sandy Lane. The Council have engaged with BCVS, Eastern European Community, the Food Bank, Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue, Centreplace and Inspire Learning.  

Bassetlaw District Council is encouraging its male members of staff to make the White Ribbon Promise – a promise to never use, excuse or remain silent about men’s violence against women. All male council members have made the White Ribbon Promise.

Each year, White Ribbon Day takes place on 25th November ahead of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. The Campaign encourages people, especially men and boys, to take action to end violence against women and girls.

As part of the annual White Ribbon campaign, many members of Council staff have made the promise and are wearing White Ribbons in support of the campaign’s objectives.

Objective 4: Break the cycle of inequality and improve life chances

Bassetlaw District Council allocated £160,000 to projects to provide additional support to our communities through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, as part of its early preparations for winter 2023/24.

The funding was provided after the Council hosted a meeting with 20 partner organisations across Bassetlaw to prepare for the impacts of the rising cost of living on residents over the coming autumn and winter months.

In March 2023, Members approved the adoption of a Managing Condensation, Damp and Mould Policy for the Housing Service, which sets out how Bassetlaw District Council will address this problem in its housing stock.

Living with damp and mould can have a serious impact on tenants’ health and wellbeing. The introduction of a standalone Managing Condensation, Damp and Mould Policy clearly sets out the obligations of tenants and the Council as a landlord, by addressing these issues in the Council’s housing stock, in a timely and appropriate manner, and in accordance with legislative requirements and best practice.

Following a consultation with key stakeholders, Members approved a new Homeless Prevention Strategy for 2022 to 2027 to replace the Homeless Prevention Strategy 2017 to 2022. The strategy includes six priorities and a delivery plan. Ultimately our aim is to prevent homelessness occurring in the first instance, but when this fails, the strategy ensures we have the support and expertise in place to provide a professional joined up approach to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

The information provided by a range of agencies painted a stark picture of the issues that some residents are likely to face in the coming months. An example of this is the unprecedented demand for the services of Citizens Advice Bassetlaw which has seen its workload increase from being ‘average’ across the Citizens Advice network to now being in the top five nationally.

Some of the key issues being raised by service users include debt, benefits advice, energy, housing and employment, with the worst-affected age groups being working-age people who have been hit hard by rising mortgage and rent costs.

Bassetlaw District Council officially opened its state-of-the-art skills and education hub, The Bridge Skills Hub, in the centre of Worksop in March 2023.

The Council were awarded £3.5million from D2N2’s ‘Getting Building Fund’ to refurbish the long-term vacant building, creating an opportunity to support 300 learners across a range of subjects including health and social care, leadership, and management.

The Bridge welcomed its first students, businesses, and learners to its modern and inspirational building in April last year. During the first year, the Hub has seen 80 students enrol on higher education programmes, including higher-level apprenticeships, foundation degrees, access to HE courses and degree top up courses. Over 450 participants have attended Futures’ Restart Scheme, with over 85 of these now in employment.

Bassetlaw District Council has committed to doing more to tackle domestic abuse and provide extra support to survivors of domestic abuse.

The Council has taken the first steps to achieving Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) Accreditation, a benchmark for how housing providers across the UK should respond to domestic abuse.

This includes a council-wide audit of policies, procedures, and practices, in addition to its entire workforce undergoing training that will increase awareness of the signs of domestic abuse and how to support survivors.

The Council is working alongside a domestic abuse specialist from the charity Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid to achieve the accreditation. If successful, Bassetlaw will be the second Council in Nottinghamshire to attain DAHA Accreditation.

‘What Next?’ in North Notts encompasses the new education, skills, and employment activity of the North Notts Skills and Employment Board (NNSEB), Skills and Employment Partnership (NNSEP) and the North Notts Careers Hub.  What Next aims to support skills, careers, and employment activity across North Notts, shaping the future workforce and helping provide a potential talent pipeline for local businesses and enabling people to make informed decisions.

We aspire to connect the districts employers with education providers and stakeholders to help raise aspiration, create awareness, and bring careers to life.  A two-day event was held in October 2023, supported by key employers and training / education provider from across North Notts showcasing a range of career opportunities including Apprenticeships, work experience, Study Programmes, T Levels, A Levels and Higher Education options.

Events are organised by Bassetlaw District Council via a key partnership approach with the North Notts BID (Business Improvement District), the North Notts Careers Hub and with the support of our districts’ employers and key stakeholders.

In October 2023, the Council organised a ‘What Next’ event at Worksop College. The event was attended by more than 1,500 students from schools and colleges across Bassetlaw, giving them the chance to interact with businesses, colleges, and universities. The previous event, held at Outwood Academy Portland in March 2023 was attended by around 1,300 young people from schools and colleges across Bassetlaw, where they were similarly given the opportunity to connect with approximately 45 individual employers, stakeholders and education/training providers, helping them discover career choices for the future.

Objective 5: Develop and support a diverse workforce

A Transgender Policy is in place which was designed to ensure that all trans colleagues are supported in the workplace.

The Council has provided domestic abuse training for all staff and elected members, aimed at ensuring survivors of domestic abuse are appropriately supported in the workplace and are signposted to appropriate sources of help.

To improve understanding of mental health and mental illness, Managers within the organisation have been trained in mental health first aid. The Council has signed up to the Mental Health at Work Commitment with the aim of ensuring that staff are supported and can thrive at work. Mental health training has been made available to all staff through our e-learning portal.

The Council is signed up to the Dying to Work Charter, which gives staff with a terminal illness the choice whether to remain in employment. Specific guidance has been introduced for managers on how to support staff with a serious illness.

A shared cost Additional Voluntary Contribution scheme was introduced which provides staff with the opportunity to make additional voluntary contributions to their pension pot and receive both tax and NI savings on the contributions - thus supporting financial wellbeing.

Health screening reimbursement has been introduced whereby employees are entitled to reimbursement for health screening of up to £200. This includes: well-woman and well-man screening; breast screening; heart disease screening and bone density screening, and is an enhancement of the healthcare scheme already in place for staff.

Stand By Her training has been offered to male employees and elected members to help them become better allies to women. This training explores men’s behaviour and attitudes that can lead to harmful behaviour. We provide an opportunity to explore some real-life case studies and examine how men can best respond.

A hybrid working policy has been introduced following feedback from staff, enabling some staff members to combine office and home-based working. The flexi-time scheme has been revised to offer additional flexibility for staff whilst ensuring service provision is maintained. Staff have the opportunity to purchase additional annual leave through salary sacrifice, and 49 employees took up this opportunity for 2023.

The Council has hosted a graduate under the National Graduate Development Programme and is looking to engage with the programme again during 2024. A total of nine apprenticeships are in place as of January 2024.

We aim to recruit from the widest possible talent pool by advertising job vacancies widely, ensuring gender-neutral language in job advertisements, and use of competency-based selection techniques to guard against unconscious bias in the recruitment processes.

The Council continues to monitor its workforce profile and in line with regulations we published a Gender Pay Statement which sets out gender pay information for Bassetlaw District Council using the snapshot date of 31 March 2023. 

Key facts and figures of Bassetlaw District Council’s Workforce are show below:

On 31 March 2023, of a total of 528 employees, 224 males and 163 females were full time roles, and 30 males and 94 females were in part time roles.

In 2022/23 the number of starters and leavers were broadly equal and represented a return to pre-covid levels. Whilst the labour market continues to present a challenge for employers, the result is encouraging and demonstrating the Council’s recruitment and retention initiatives are bringing about positive change. 

On 31 March 2023, 1.57% of the Council’s workforce declared themselves to be in an ethnic minority group, up from 1.36% in 2022 and 0.94% in 2021. This is around 2 percentage points lower than the district average identified within the 2021 census (3.5%).

On 31 March 2023, 8.89% of the Council’s workforce declared themselves as disabled. This is slightly down on 2022’s result of 9.2% however it is slightly higher than the 8.7% district average identified within the 2021 census.

In 2023 the 55-64 age group – which is steadily rising – overtook the 45-54 age group to become the predominant age group within the Council’s workforce, however, there has also been a continuing rise in the proportion of employees aged 65+ and 25-34 since 2018. The data shows that in March 2023:

  • 92% of the workforce are aged 65 and over.
  • 71% of the workforce are aged 55-64.
  • 94% of the workforce are aged 35-54.
  • 83% of the workforce are aged 25-34.
  • 60% of the workforce are aged 24 and under.

A full breakdown of workforce information is show at the end of this report.​

Focus on: Health and Well-being

The Council has a variety of inclusive, accessible activities available in Bassetlaw that we promote widely, including:-

  • Ladies only bike rides Clumber Park every first Saturday in the month information via British Cycling Lets Ride website. Breeze around Clumber Park.
  • Tuesday mornings at Branthwaite Retford Care home activities
  • SAND Sports Club Worksop College (See the ability, not the disability) relocated for the winter months to Christchurch Worksop
  • SANdance Outwood Academy Valley School continuing 6.00pm-7.30pm
  • SAND, PWAPSL (play with a purpose swimming lessons) Bircotes Leisure Centre Thursday evening
  • Supporting Walking Netball, Bassetlaw Belles
  • Delivered Body MOT sessions in Retford, Worksop,Harworth, and Bircotes. This provided non-judgemental advice to all age ranges about their health metrics
  • Ladies only yoga (via zoom) Far Centre (Women’s Aid) this is currently being held at Blyth Memorial Hall Monday mornings 10.00am-11.30am
  • MS Society Retford (Breath Awareness) via zoom Monday afternoons
  • Retford Memory Group Wednesday afternoons
  • Supported The Kilton Feel Good Memory Group (dementia group) with fundraising
  • Attended and supported The Hong Kong Welcome Event at Worksop Town Hall. Offering health and wellbeing advice to new residents of Bassetlaw.
  • Supported the Bassetlaw Young Carers group with health and wellbeing support

We supported a number of initiatives via our communications channels:

  • Men’s Walk and Talk
  • Walking Tennis
  • Rehabilitation Football
  • HAF Programme (previously delivered by BDC, now delivered by NCC)
  • Promoted the national calendar of health and wellbeing campaigns
  • Created cancer awareness post cards and shopping savvy flyer

We delivered the following initiatives:

  • Arts and Heritage Workshops
  • Energy Advice Drop In Sessions in partnership with BCVS, CAB, BPBP, Department for Work & Pensions
  • Launched Peace of Mind Toolkit, which was created by young people for young people to support them with their mental health. This work was part of the Children and Young People’s Alliance which Bassetlaw District Council sits on.
  • Launched health and wellbeing blog. The blog is released monthly and talks about topical issues specifically related to Bassetlaw using our wider determinants of health and Bassetlaw Place Priorities
  • Revamped the benches at Windsor Gardens, providing resting places for the elderly and those with mobility difficulties
  • Grow, cook, and eat taster sessions. 6 week programme
  • Dr Bike maintenance sessions and learn to ride your bike sessions
  • Updated the cost of living booklet in partnership with BCVS
  • Delivered 3 free panto in the parks for families during the summer holidays

For the 'Learn to ride your bike sessions', families did not have to pay to attend, and this was not means tested. Children under the age of 16 could attend the 4-hour session and learned how to ride their bike as well as cycling safety tips. It came to the Leisure and Wellbeing Team’s attention that all schools across Bassetlaw can access free Bikeability Training from ViaEM & The Bikeability Trust. Many schools were unaware the training was free. The Leisure and Wellbeing Team now have a strong partnership with ViaEM and have regular meetings to discuss free training available for all Bassetlaw schools. Bassetlaw District Council promote this regularly, directly with the schools.

Focus on: Pride in Bassetlaw

To raise awareness of LGBT+ History Month, the Council’s communications team created an LGBT+ History Month Display Board. The display included the following information:

  • A definition of Pride
  • Important facts and figures
  • LGBT+ Support Services
  • The Pride Flag and LGBT+ Flags
  • Definition of Hate Crime
  • Local Pride Events 2023 –
    • Worksop Pride - Saturday 8 July
    • Retford Pride - Friday 28 July
    • Harworth and Bircotes Pride – Saturday 23 September
    • Nottinghamshire Pride – Saturday 29 July

2023 was the first year a Pride event was held in Retford. The event was delivered and supported by a range of organisations including LGBT+ Group Alphabetti Spaghetti, LGBT Services Nottinghamshire, together with support from Bassetlaw District Council.

Focus on: Celebrating Multiculturalism

In 2023, Bassetlaw welcomed a community of around 300 Hong Kong nationals who recently settled in Worksop. Further Hong Kong nationals are looking to settle in the district in the future.

The Council was pro-active in its response by organising a Hong Kong Community Welcome Event which took place on the evening of 16 March at Worksop Town Hall. To support the event, the Council invited several partner agencies together with food and drink being available. BCVS produced a welcome to Bassetlaw booklet for the Hong Kong community.

In addition, Cultural Exchange Sessions were organised by the S80 S81 Community Foundation with support from East Midlands Councils and Christ Church Worksop. Sessions involved drinks and mingling, topical talks, and fun activities and lunch. The aim of each session was to offer an opportunity to gain information useful to settling in the UK and into the local area. District Councillors provided donations to support a project aimed at engaging the elderly by personally delivering these invitations, with the aim of making contact with and offering support to this group who are often isolated after moving to the UK.  

On 23 September 2023, BCVS, North Nottinghamshire and St. John’s Church Ukraine Support Group, Polonia Worksop, W2 Academy, Polish Saturday School, and the Hong Kong community welcomed District Councillors to celebrate cultural heritage and cohesion. The aim of the event was to promote diversity, inclusion and understanding of each other in a fun way and included a mixture of cultural music, dance and singing, activities run by the groups’ volunteers. This included art and craft stalls, and yoga sessions. Councillors and Charter Trustees donated towards the charitable event.

Focus on: Tenant and Resident Engagement

Elderly and vulnerable residents

Tenant and Resident Engagement Officers hold coffee and chat sessions at all the Independent Living Centres throughout Bassetlaw on a regular four weekly basis.  They engage with residents within each scheme and within the local vicinity of each Independent Living Centre. The residents have welcomed the opportunity to raise issues, ask questions and have their voices heard. Inclusion is of upmost importance, and all the information which circulates to Bassetlaw residents digitally is also included in poster and flyer format for our non-digital residents.

Hard to reach and minority groups

The Tenant Engagement officers work alongside our partners BCVS to ensure we meet with minority groups and groups where English is a second language using a translator, to ensure we are inclusive in the provision of information shared. We have built a strong relationship with the Polish community.

Rural and hard to reach residents

The Tenant Engagement officers attend community events within Bassetlaw to meet with our rural customers who are generally without any form of inclusion or social interaction. Over the next twelve months we will deliver consultations throughout the rural communities in the form of village Pop up Events to provide communication channels to the unheard, silent voices within the district.

Digital Engagement

We know not everyone wants to attend meetings in person and would rather stay at home, so we are working to promote digital awareness and inclusion to many of our most vulnerable residents by supporting with digital awareness and skills.

Families and Young People

Bassetlaw Council works with other partners in the voluntary sector, promoting family fun days and events in the local parks and in the community centres around the district. In the summer we co-ordinate community litter picks and support agencies delivering programmes of activities suitable for all demographics. 

Disabled residents

Voices of Bassetlaw Tenant and Resident Group work in partnership with the Council, engaging with residents across Bassetlaw. All monthly meetings are fully accessible by providing reserved level access parking and ramped access along with an accessible lift at the venue. Our collaborative approach actively encourages disabled residents and residents who live in rural socially isolated locations without access to public transport to engage and attend.  We provide fully funded accessible transport to and from the meetings and events.

Workforce Statistics

In line with the guidance, we publish our workforce statistics each year. For context, we also show a comparison to the latest census data for the District where data is available.

Employee Gender Breakdown

As at: 

Male

Female

All employees at 31.03.23

51.33%

48.67%

All employees at 31.03.22

52.16%

47.84%

All employees at 31.03.21

52.99%

47.01%

All employees at 31.03.20

52.29%

47.71%

All employees at 31.03.19

51.82%

48.18%

All employees at 31.03.18

50.61%

49.39%

All employees at 31.03.17

52.78%

47.22%

All employees at 31.03.16

53.28%

46.72%

All employees at 31.03.15

51.87%

48.13%

Census 2021 data shows 50.4% of Bassetlaw residents are female and 49.6% are male.

Employees by Gender & Hours at 31 March each year

On 31 March 2023, the Council employed a total of 404 full time staff and 124 part time staff. The below table shows the breakdown of male and female staff, full time and part time.

Full Time

Year

Male

Female

Total

2023

241

163

404

2022

252

166

418

2021

261

168

429

2020

253

169

422

2019

251

165

416

2018

179

114

293

2017

181

104

285

2016

178

99

277

2015

177

98

275

Part Time

Year

Male

Female

Total

2023

30

94

124

2022

26

89

115

2021

31

91

122

2020

33

92

125

2019

33

99

132

2018

29

89

118

2017

28

83

111

2016

33

86

119

2015

31

95

126

Number of staff joining and leaving the Council

Starters

Year Number of staff
2022/2023 58
2021/2020 63
2020/2021 49
2019/2020 55
2018/2019 198*
2017/2018 75
2016/2017 33
2015/2016 48

Leavers

Year Number of staff
2022/2023 59
2021/2020 81
2020/2021 47
2019/2020 59
2018/2019 61
2017/2018 59
2016/2017 35
2015/2016 50

*Starters in 2018/19 includes 150 staff transferred under TUPE.

Age Profile of Employees at 31 March each year

The table below shows the percentage of Staff in each age range.

Year 16-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65+

2023

0.00%

3.60%

13.83%

14.39%

29.55%

33.71%

4.92%

2022

0.19%

2.63%

12.57%

13.51%

33.58%

33.21%

4.32%

2021

0.18%

4.17%

11.25%

13.97%

34.30%

32.30%

3.81%

2020

0.00%

3.84%

11.15%

14.26%

34.19%

32.36%

4.20%

2019

0.00%

5.29%

10.77%

13.50%

35.22%

31.75%

3.47%

2018

0.00%

3.89%

8.03%

17.52%

40.63%

27.74%

2.19%

2017

0.00%

3.28%

8.08%

22.22%

36.87%

26.52%

3.03%

2016

0.25%

3.03%

8.84%

23.74%

36.36%

25.51%

2.27%

2015

0.00%

1.75%

10.47%

22.44%

39.15%

24.44%

1.75%

Between the last two censuses, the average (median) age of Bassetlaw employees increased by two years, from 43 to 45 years of age.

This area had a higher average (median) age than the East Midlands in 2021 (41 years) and a higher average (median) age than England (40 years).

Employees Declaring Themselves as Disabled

The number of employees declaring themselves as disabled remains relatively static. Figures are calculated as a percentage of those employees who have declared whether they are disabled.

As at: Male Female All

31.3.23

4.02%

4.96%

8.98%

31.3.22

4.95%

4.25%

9.20%

31.3.21

4.38%

3.92%

8.29%

31.3.20

4.95%

4.01%

8.96%

31.3.19

4.13%

4.13%

8.25%

31.3.18

4.84%

3.76%

8.60%

31.3.17

4.50%

3.70%

8.20%

31.3.16

5.77%

3.85%

9.62%

31.3.15

4.17%

3.13%

7.29%

In 2021, 8.7% of Bassetlaw residents were identified as being disabled and limited a lot. (Age-standardised proportion of usual residents by long-term health condition or illness).

Staff in Ethnic Minority Groups

The figures clearly show a limited number of employees from ethnic groups, with more females than males declaring this.

As at: Male Female All

31.3.23

0.20%

1.38%

1.57%

31.3.22

0.78%

0.58%

1.36%

31.3.21

0.38%

0.57%

0.94%

31.3.20

0.38%

0.57%

0.95%

31.3.19

0.38%

0.95%

1.33%

31.3.18

0.25%

1.02%

1.27%

31.3.17

0.26%

1.05%

1.31%

31.3.16

0.00%

1.01%

1.01%

31.3.15

0.26%

0.78%

1.04%

Staff are considered to be from an ethnic minority group if they define themselves as being from census classification b, c, d or e, that is: b. (i) White and Black Caribbean(ii) White and Black African(iii) White and Asian(iv) Any other mixed background. c. Asian or Asian British(i) Indian(ii) Pakistani(iii) Bangladeshi(iv) Any other Asian background d. Black or Black British(i) Caribbean(ii) African(iii) Any other Black background e. Chinese or Other ethnic group(i) Chinese(ii) Other.

Census 2021 data shows ethnicity in Bassetlaw as being 96.4% white, with 3.5% being in an ethnic minority group.

Last Updated on Tuesday, May 21, 2024