Agenda item 3: Work strand 2 – Equalities - Barriers to recruitment in the public sector

1. The purpose of this paper is to provide an update on the work of the Task and Finish Group set up to look at barriers to recruitment and career progression in the public sector for under-represented groups.

2. At its meeting on 10 February, it was proposed that the Public Sector Future Workforce Forum (PSFWF) could look at how it could support the leadership chapter of the Anti-racist Wales Action Plan (ArWAP). The group agreed to expand the scope of the workstream to include under-represented groups such as people from minority ethnic backgrounds, lower socio-economic backgrounds and disabled people and to focus on barriers to recruitment and progression.

3. It was proposed that in its initial phase the workstream would consider current practice across the public sector in relation to recruitment, the perceived barriers, what works, what lessons could be learnt from each other and to suggest new or different approaches.

4. A pre-meeting of the Co-chairs of the Equalities Task and Finish Group was held on 19 May.

5. The Co-chairs agreed a Task and Finish Group should be established and that the issue should be progressed quickly and the work completed within 6-9 months.

6. Members of the group were agreed as follows:

• Tom Hoyles and Siân Boyles, Co-chairs (Trade Union)
• Amarjite Singh (Trade Union)
• Rhianydd Williams (Trade Union)
• Diana Scott Brown (Trade Union)
• Dom Houlihan, Co-chair (Welsh Government)
• Nina Durant  (Welsh Government)
• Jo Snaith  (Welsh Government)
• Lenisha Wright, NHS (Employer)
• Alyson Watkins, WLGA (Employer)

7. The co-chairs agreed that rather than have an initial meeting of the Task and Finish Group, a workshop should be arranged which would be an opportunity to hear about existing work/ research and seek people’s views on the issues, which would inform the Task and Finish Group’s areas of focus.

8. It was noted there was already work being carried out across the public sector to tackle barriers to recruitment for under-represented groups. For example, training, drop-in sessions with schools and different organisations had developed their own guidance.

9. Additional resource from HR in Welsh Government had been agreed to support the Task & Finish Group and the workshop.

10. The workshop would inform areas of focus, but in terms of outcomes, it was suggested that the Task and Finish Group could work towards developing a guidance manual for employers setting out best practice. The content could focus on:

• Outreach: consider what work had been done and what worked well.
• The recruitment process itself, focusing on digitally enabled recruitment and looking at the approach, i.e. name blind recruitment, the competencies/behaviours/ lived experience sought and the interview process.
• A section on onboarding/ induction of new staff in a hybrid environment.

11. The co-chairs agreed it would be preferable to hold a face-to-face workshop and the board room at PCS Transport House was offered as a possible venue.

12. It was agreed the equality lead from CIPD be invited to the workshop to share the latest thinking.

13. It was noted that following Congress, there may be additional union representatives who wished to participate in the workshop. The co-chairs would also consider any additional people who should be invited to attend the workshop.

14. Although this is mainly a paper to note, the PSFWF is asked to consider any additional people who should be invited to the workshop and to inform the Secretariat accordingly. Action: All PSFWF members.

15. A further update on the work of the Task and Finish Group will be provided at the next PSFWF meeting.