Disability Discrimination Act monitoring information
As part of our commitment to meeting the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), Nottinghamshire County Council Adult Social Care and Health undertakes a wide range of monitoring and evaluation to various degrees in relation to the ethnic background of:
The Nottinghamshire County Council human resources information systems are managed by the Employee Services Centre who provide the data required for workforce equalities monitoring. Management information reports are reviewed by the Equality and Diversity Steering Group and Senior Management Team, who are responsible for addressing equalities issues within the department. Corrective actions that have been agreed to address these issues are managed through the departmental Equality and Diversity Action Plan.
A range of equalities information is made available to employees via the Adult Social Care and Health intranet and the council wide 'Diversity and Equality' area on the council's intranet.
Applicants for jobs
Equalities monitoring forms are included within every application pack sent out to prospective employees. These forms ask applicants to provide a wide range of information such as their ethnic origin, gender, age group and any disabilities that they have. These forms are collated and the information that they contain is maintained by our Employee Services Centre. We have taken action to reduce the number of applicants whose disability is unknown to ensure the continued accuracy of our reporting. Each year we review our recruitment practices in terms of equality. We are currently auditing our recruitment process to identify any barriers that might adversely impact on certain groups including disabled applicants.
The disability breakdown of job applicants, short listed candidates and appointed employees (2007/08) [PDF 21KB]
The disability breakdown of job applicants, short listed candidates and appointed employees (2007/08) [WORD 34KB]
Current employees
As part of the department’s performance management arrangements an annual assessment is made through national Best Value performance indicators (BV011c, BV16a) of the percentage of employees declaring they meet the requirements of the DDA. This result is then compared with the economically active disabled population within Nottinghamshire. The most recent figures show that 4.74per cent of Adult Social Care and Health employees have a disability in comparison to 4.20 per cent of the economically active population of the county being disabled.
The disability breakdown of our current staff (2007/08) PDF 15KB]
The disability breakdown of our current staff (2007/08) [WORD 29KB]
Applicants and attendees of learning and development training
All employees applying to take part on a training course are required to provide information about whether or not they have a disability for monitoring purposes. As part of our monitoring arrangements a sample is taken during the year to assess applicants for training.
We also monitor employees who receive training. This information can be cross referenced to the data regarding applicants for training. The most recent sample information is compiled from key courses undertaken during the last financial year (2007/08).
The disability breakdown of applicants and attendees for training (2007/08) [PDF 68KB]
The disability breakdown of applicants and attendees for training (2007/08) [XLS 36KB] 
The departmental Learning and Development Unit plays a leading role in the promotion and understanding of equality issues. Raising the awareness of diversity issues and promoting diversity within the department continues to be a central theme of our learning and development programme. Where courses relate to managerial performance, planning or skill development the inherent equality issues are made explicit and explored whenever relevant.
Applications for promotion
On an annual basis information is collected and assessed by disability of all promotions attained during the year. The most recent monitoring information which relates to 2007/08 is available.
The disability breakdown of promoted staff (2007/08) [PDF 16KB]
The disability breakdown of promoted staff (2007/08) [WORD 30KB]
Breaking the Glass Ceiling Project
'Breaking the Glass Ceiling' is a proactive attempt to identify and address the specific issues and blockages which interfere with the natural progression of BME staff into positions of higher management in our organisation. It is initiated and led by our Black Staff Managers' Group, a subgroup of the Corporate Black Workers Group, with full support from our Senior Management Team and aims to increase the number and proportion of BME staff represented in the middle and upper management tiers of the department.
We are now in the process of implementation monitored by the Strategic Director, Equality and Diversity Steering Group and CBWSG through their regular meetings. The action points include:
- increased black staff participation in shadowing scheme
- individually tailored training for black managers
- establishing a black staff peer support scheme including a database of black managers to involve in network support meetings
- special training for black staff in recruitment and selection
- informing, encouraging and supporting appropriate black employeees to apply for more senior jobs
- promoting greater involvement of black staff in exisiting mentoring schemes
- appointing a lead black manager to oversee the change process and offer personal support and guidance to individual staff
This project now sits within the Equality and Diversity Steering Group and will expand to embrace all the equality strands.
Employees who benefit or are disadvantaged from performance appraisal
There are two main ways in which performance appraisal is undertaken within the department on a regular basis.
- Supervision sessions are regularly held between managers and employees, and as part of the discussion managers are expected to address performance issues with employees.
- All managers and employees undertake an annual Employee Performance and Development Review (EPDR). These reviews are also a formal process and a full review takes place on an annual basis and is re-visited after six months. The focus of this review is on the objectives that the employee is required to achieve during the year, performance in relation to their objectives for the previous year and to discuss any learning or development that is required to achieve these objectives.
We have a rolling programme of audits for these processes. We assess the way in which the supervision and employee performance and development reviews are used and any issues around inequality in the way in which these systems are implemented.
A leaflet ‘Supervision for You’ informs employees on the supervision and EPDR processes and the mechanisms for employees to address any issues they have with the supervision they receive. The leaflet is issued to all new employees and is available via the intranet for all existing employees.
During 2006/07 we carried out a Supervision and Employee Performance and Development Review audit. The audit provided an opportunity for employees to express their views on their experience of the process.
Employees who are involved in grievances or harassment or have disciplinary action taken against them.
The disability background of employees involved in grievances or disciplinary action is recorded. This information is confidential but overall data is provided for monitoring purposes. A breakdown of the most recent information in relation to 2007/08 is available.
The disability breakdown of staff involved in discipline/grievance/harassment procedures (2007/08) [PDF 25KB]
The disability breakdown of staff involved in discipline/grievance/harassment procedures (2007/08) [WORD 46KB]
Mediation Support and Advice Service
A Mediation Support and Advice Service is available to all employees that need to talk about, resolve and reach agreements in the area of workplace conflict. The service is accessible through either self referral or referral by another party e.g. Trade Union Rep, Personnel Officer, a colleague etc.
The service is available to help with disagreements about - race issues; dignity at work issues; bullying; working styles; roles and responsibilities; personality clashes; communication difficulties; etc.
Management information reports for the period April 2007 to March 2008 show that 13 per cent of users were disabled.
Information about the service is made available on the Managers Resource Centre and Working for NCC Support for Staff intranet pages. Information is also available through a published leaflet entitled ‘Employee Mediation Helping You Decide' [PDF 413KB]
Corporate Disabled Workers' Group
The Nottinghamshire County Council's Corporate Disabled Workers' Group exists to enable disabled employees to meet on a regular basis as a consultation forum for employment policies and their related issues and as a means of receiving personal support. The group has an elected committee and regular reports are taken to the Corporate Equality and Diversity Steering Group. These types of groups are known as 'self-managed groups'.
The group welcomes disabled employees from all departments to the meetings. As everyone's work circumstances are different and working hours are often very flexible, the group understands that some disabled employees are unable to attend the meetings. In these circumstances, the minutes of the meetings and information about disability related issues, i.e. amendments to the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), are easily forwarded to those who ask to be placed on a circulation list.
Employees who leave their jobs with the authority
Employees who leave the authority are asked to take part in an exit interview with their manager. This is designed to identify the reasons why people leave the authority. Some employees who leave are also sent a short exit questionnaire. This provides feedback on the reasons why they left the department directly to the Workforce Planning team.
We look in more detail at the reasons for leaving on our exit questionnaires and have complimented this work through the running of a number of focus groups looking at recruitment and retention issues. The most recent information in relation to leavers by disability category is available.
The disability breakdown of leavers (2007/08) [PDF 15KB]
The disability breakdown of leavers (2007/08) [WORD 30KB]
Further information
More detailed information regarding equalities is available on request. Please contact:
Performance Improvement Team
Adult Social Care and Health
Nottinghamshire County Council
County Hall
West Bridgford
NG2 7QP
tel: 0115 977 2813
e-mail: performance.improvement-team@nottscc.gov.uk
| 
Adult social care and health 
