Anti-Harassment & Bullying (for Councillors)
Discussion Topics
Activity One: Is EDI embedded in the culture?
Objectives:
•Explore the meaning of D&I and understand the need to have both D&I in place in an organisation
•Look at the relationship between a diverse workforce and an inclusive work culture
Instructions
1.The person born earliest in the year will be the Leader
2.The Leader will decide on a speaker who will feedback to the whole group, when we return to the Main Room. If you prefer not to be the speaker, choose someone else.
3. Please make sure that all voices are heard
4. Your Leader will guide you through each of the following questions:
Team 1 (Room 1):
What does Diversity mean to you?
Does the diversity of Councillors reflect the people we serve? Is that important?
What does Inclusion mean to you?
Are you getting it right? Is it important?
Team 2 (Room 2):
How do the terms Equality and Equity Differ?
Do all colleagues experience equitable treatment? If so, what examples can we share to illustrate this?
Team 3 (Room 3):
What role can Councillors play in ensuring equitable treatment of colleagues and those people they represent?
Activity Two: Subtle acts of exclusion (Micro-aggressions)
Instructions
• The Leader for this discussion will be the person who was born in the latest month of the year.
• Guide your team through a discussion about the hidden messages and impact of the 3 Micro-aggression examples below.
• A speaker isn't needed for this activity.
Activity Three: Terminology
Instructions
- The person whose first name comes first alphabetically will be the Leader
2. The Leader will decide on a speaker who will feedback to the whole group, when we return to the Main Room. If you prefer not to be the speaker, choose someone else.
3. Avoid specific reference to names when using examples
4. Please make sure that all voices are heard
Your leader will guide you through each of the following questions:
- How would you define the terms bullying and harassment?
2. How do these terms differ? What does the law say?
3. Are we adequately equipped to respond effectively to instances of bullying or harassment? Are we getting it right?
4. Is there more that could be done?
Activity Four: Fostering good relations
Instructions
- The person whose first name comes last alphabetically will be the Leader
2. The Leader will decide on a speaker who will feedback to the whole group, when we return to the Main Room. If you prefer not to be the speaker, choose someone else.
3. Avoid specific reference to names when using examples
4. Please make sure that all voices are heard
Your leader will guide you through the following questions:
What role can a Councillor play in fostering good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not? How can we positively influence and promote equity in every aspect of our day-to-day business.
Team 1 (Room 1): Within Chambers, amongst colleagues
Team 2 (Room 2): Within the wider Council and the community we serve
Notes
The public sector equality duty (PSED)
Legal requirement for public authorities and organisations carrying out public functions.
Makes sure that public authorities and organisations carrying out public functions think about how they can improve society and promote equality in every aspect of their day-to-day business.
The three aims of the general duty are to make sure that public authorities have due regard to the need to:
- put an end to unlawful behaviour that is banned by the Equality Act 2010, including discrimination, harassment and victimisation
2. advance equal opportunities between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not
3. foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not
Breakout Activity Five: Confidential Paired Discussion
Case Study – Sexual Harassment
Discuss:
If this were brought to your attention, within the scope of your role, what would you do?
It was my first Christmas party, since becoming a Councillor. I was excited to have an opportunity to spend time to my colleagues in a more informal environment.
An (unnamed) Councillor I hadn’t had much interaction with before introduced himself and proceeded to say, “of all the new “girls” I was by far the prettiest”. I didn’t know how to respond and just nervously smiled.
As the evening progressed, the same man began making increasingly personal comments about my figure and how “distracting” it was.
I tried to brush off his comments and didn’t want to make things awkward for others, but he seemed to take my reaction as compliance, at which point things escalated.
