An think tank event, attended by 60 public-sector managers, highlights concerns about the Government’s drive for efficiency savings and the effect on customer service.
The findings are particularly relevant after a University of Leeds study predicts that ethnic minorities will make up a fifth of the UK population in 40 years.
The event, attended by managers from the police, NHS, local government and higher education, directly addressed the Government’s drive for efficiency savings in the public sector. Topics included the New Equality Act, facing the challenge of efficiency savings (including the NHS) and Equality Impact Assessments.
Vernal Scott, principal consultant at Marshall ACM and facilitator of the event, said: "Public-sector workers can decide to be a passenger or driver in the challenging journey towards efficiency savings. This vehicle is moving forward, so the overriding feeling from the group was that they may as well get in the driver’s seat and help steer towards outcomes that best promote the customer and equal and fair service outcomes within available resources."
Delegates called for an end to waste in management by looking first at savings that don’t affect customers and front-line staff. Some took issue with the culture of "free lunches" and "bonuses to people who were already very well paid at senior level".
Delegates said that future cuts presented challenges as well opportunities and that all recipients of public funds should deliver service excellence and the customer should be put first at every stage.
The topic of efficiency savings was animated and the group together identified a number of common themes and principles believed to be crucial, including openness by those responsible for implementing cuts, clear objectives, transparency, good communication throughout the process and cross-sector collaboration.
Scott, the former head of equality at Islington Council in London, added: "Equality Impact Assessments are a legal requirement on the part of public organisations and these should be instituted at the beginning of the cuts process, not in mid-surgery.
"I am astounded by the number of equality-specific posts that still exist today. All public staff, from the chief executive down, should be an equality champion or they should not be in the job. Large teams of equality officers are only a requirement in organisations where there is a lack of leadership on the issue at the top. Some organisations still think they must employ equality officers in order to be seen to be doing the right thing.
"This is outdated, ineffective and wrong. There should be no need for large teams of equality officers in a well-functioning, modern organisation. Every employee should take responsibility for eradicating discrimination and promoting equality and the chief executive should lead by example".
Full details of the outcome of the event will be forwarded to Central Government Equality Office and the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Copies can be obtained from Marshall ACM, which intends to put on further think-tank events in the near future, which will be promoted on their website.
Scott concluded: "The Government, and specifically the prime minister, said that it wants to hear directly from public-sector workers on these matters. Well, here is a very constructive response to that request. Now the public sector will be looking for evidence that the Government is true to its word."
