Future Generations Commissioner Equality Strategy 2023 – 2027

As Future Generations Commissioner, my role is to support change and be the guardian of future generations. This means helping public bodies and those who make policy in Wales to think about the long-term impact their decisions have, including how we can achieve a More Equal Wales for current and future generations, a country that reflects and benefits from our true diversity.  

In our commitment to improving equality, diversity and inclusion, we are dedicating ourselves as an organisation to developing the relevant policies and procedures that will enable us to embed a culture of inclusion internally in our organisation and externally in the work that we do with public bodies and other organisations. We have published our Antiracist Action Plan and are looking into developing our LGBTQ+ Action Plan, which will align with Wales’ ambition to become the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe; and a Disability Action Plan.  

At the core of this work is recognising the importance of promoting different identities and accepting diverse lived experiences, whilst ensuring that we eliminate barriers that will hinder individuals and organisations from thriving in building a better Wales for future generations.  

We try to walk the talk in achieving the goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act. We aim to be an example of good practice, trying to show how we can think and act today to make Wales better tomorrow. This strategy is aims to do this by improving our experiences of diversity through bridging gaps between groups of protected characteristics and others.  

We accept that there will be some challenges when it comes to increasing representation at different levels of our organisation. This policy highlights the ways through which we will overcome these challenges and reflects our commitment to improving the experiences of our diversity, thereby increasing a sense of inclusion, which by extension will reflect equal opportunities and fairness.  

Our Vision 

In working to support organisations to achieve the well-being goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales endeavours to ‘walk the talk’ of the Equality Act 2006 and 2010 on the principles of equality, diversity, inclusion.   

Our priority is to create a working environment that attracts the best talents, enables staff to flourish and collectively maximise our contribution to the well-being goals: 

The principles and aims of this strategy particularly relate to a More Equal Wales, but we will seek to contribute to each of the goals. The contributions of our diverse staff are immeasurable internally and in the discharge of our functions; therefore, we want everyone to feel they are an integral part of our office, and together we will create an inclusive culture where everyone can contribute their knowledge to the well-being of current and future generations.  

We are keen on ensuring that our office embraces an inclusive working culture, where staff feel safe and confident that they are treated equally and fairly. In line with our aim to ‘walk the talk’ policy, we work to actively embed equality, diversity, and inclusion at all levels of our organisation, supporting staff to be aware and have the knowledge of issues and barriers that different protected characteristics face, thereby increasing the understanding and importance of diverse perspectives. Doing this will enable us to build a more inclusive culture, which values diversity and takes the needs of different groups into consideration. It will promote a sense of belonging, enable staff to maximise their potentials, feel safe to report any issues and trust the organisation to instantly address these. 

Therefore, our fundamental principles to achieving this strategy are:  

• Our commitment to fair and equal opportunities for all. 
• Our commitment to fostering a working environment that is diverse and inclusive for all. 
• To integrate a co-productive approach, which encourages internal consultation and input from staff members.  

Our Aims 

• To recognise that to achieve equality and equity, diversity in the workplace needs an inclusive environment and culture. 
• To ensure that our policies and practices are adequately supported by the senior management. 
• To recognise that managing diversity and a culture of inclusion is a continuous process and not a one-off exercise. 
• To adhere to laid down legislation and constantly review policies through checks, audits and staff consultations. 
• To provide adequate training to Delivery Managers to help them respond adequately to diverse needs. 
• To prioritise and successfully implement our Equality Action Plans 
• To prioritise data collection, especially of staff of protected characteristics, in order to identify barriers and find solutions. 

Monitoring and evaluating this strategy will help us assess whether it is working in practice. This review will be conducted annually to act in addressing any issues.    

Relevance of the duty to our functions 

As we oversee the implementation of the Well-being of Future Generations Act and support Public Bodies and other stakeholders to ensure the this is embedded in their work, the Public Service Equality Duty (PSED) is relevant to this. Internally, we are keen to integrate equality and good relations, first in our own workplace; and then externally, to support public authorities and other organisations to do so, as required by the PSED. The duty makes it clear that we consider how a function can affect different groups in different ways. Therefore, to achieve intended outcomes, we are conscious of designing and implementing internal and external policies that will reduce inequality and eliminate poor outcomes.  

We are bound by the legal obligation of the PSED to discharge our duties in promoting the Well-being of Future Generations Act through processes and practices that will meet diverse needs, resulting in better informed decision making and policy development. 

Why this strategy is important? 

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) requires us to: 

• eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010; 
• advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; 

• foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it. 

Public sector equality duty – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)  

Therefore, in adhering to the Equality Act 2010 Specific Duties Regulations 2011, this strategy outlines our equality objectives for the next four years (2023-2027) and provides information that complies with the Public Sector Equality Duty. 

We recognise that the Equality Act 2010 identifies the following 9 Protected characteristics:  

• Age 
• Disability 
• Race 
• Gender (sex) 
• Religion and Belief 
• Sexual orientation 
• Gender re-assignment 
• Pregnancy 
• Marriage/Civil partnership 

  To achieve our aims, our equality objectives:  

• cover all the protected characteristics.   
• are result oriented to easily identify clear and specific improvement areas.  
• are measurable.  
• comply with legal requirements – statutory duty to PSED and the Equality Act. 
• profile an inclusive and welcoming workspace for our staff.  

Considerations taken in setting our objectives have included but are not limited to internal feedback; identifying areas of underrepresentation or differential outcomes, such as underrepresentation in our Pre-management Team (PMT) and Senior Leadership Team (SLT);  the prospects for short, medium- or long-term objectives; objectives that can minimise or remove barriers, promote equality and inclusion, promote fairness and good relations.  

With regards to the equalities agenda, we are committed to ensuring that our aim to ‘walk the talk’ of the Act will be the change that we want to see in others.   

All staff should understand that they are contributors to a More Equal Wales and they can be held liable for acts of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination against their colleagues or partners, in the course of their employment.

The Office of the Future Generations Commissioner has developed strategic equality objectives that will enable us to demonstrate how we will positively contribute to a fairer society through advancing equality and good relations in the day-to-day operation of our organisation.  

Equality considerations will be built into the design of all of our policies and the delivery of our work and in relation to people management practices within the team. Our aim is to create a supportive, inclusive and empowering workplace. 

OBJECTIVE 1 

Establish the Office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales (OFGCW) as an organisation that upholds and supports a diverse working environment through recruitment, retention, progression, performance management and well-being.  

How does this objective contribute to the national well-being goals? 

As well as seeking to achieve a more equal Wales, this objective contributes to a prosperous Wales by providing employment opportunities, access to fair work and building the skills of our workforce. We will also strive to contribute to a Wales of cohesive communities by involving and inspiring people from diverse backgrounds to apply to work for our organisation through collaboration and involvement of community members in Wales. We will seek to contribute to a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language by stating where Welsh language skills are necessary in recruitment processes and offering staff opportunities to develop their Welsh language skills. 

How we will do this: 

• We will continue to collect and analyse comprehensive and meaningful equality data 
• We will continue to collect and analyse employment data and workforce information in relation to all protected characteristics identifying if the workforce reflects the community it serves and developing positive actions to redress any gaps. 

• We will monitor our workforce demographics regarding information such as age, sex, ethnic background, sexual orientation, religion or belief, and disability to improve equality, diversity and inclusion, and in meeting the aims and commitments set out in our policy. 

• We will collect and analyse information in relation to job, grade, pay, contract type, ethnicity and sex developing an action plan to address any long-term pay differences identified. 
• We will, through involvement and collaboration, proactively engage and encourage applications in positions where we know there is an under-representation at different levels, including using positive action in accordance with the Equality Acts and increase the representation in particular of our ARAC and senior leadership levels.  
• We will continuously seek to improve our employment processes, making them more accessible to people with protected characteristics.  
• We will engage and inspire people from diverse backgrounds to apply to our organisation through our collaboration and involvement work. 
• We will seek to ensure that our processes of recruitment, retention, progression, and well-being are fair and transparent, and supporting staff towards sustainable progress, by maximising staff development opportunities.  

OBJECTIVE 2  

Ensure that our work environment is fair, nurturing and fosters good relations between people with protected characteristics and those without; and walk the talk throughout our internal processes, policies and strategic decision making to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other prohibitions in the Act.   

How does this objective contribute to the national well-being goals?  

As well as contributing to a more equal Wales goal, we are seeking to contribute to a prosperous Wales, building a skilled workforce based on fair work. By creating a nurturing work environment, with inclusive well-being packages, we are contributing to a healthier Wales. 

How we will do this: 

• We will ensure we promote equality and inclusion within all our working policies and practices.  

• We will continue to review our plans, policies and processes to ensure that they are effective and current to ensure fairness, and to update in accordance with any changes in the law. 
• We will promote a high level of understanding of equality and diversity issues throughout the commissioner’s workforce.
• We will deliver equality and diversity training and development to the team on a regular basis to ensure that equality considerations are part of our everyday practice. 
• Training at all level of the organisation will include our rights and responsibilities under the equality, diversity and inclusion policy. 
• Within the constraints of our resources, we will seek to continue to offer staff our inclusive well-being package to encourage them to improve their well-being. 
• We will continue to support an agile way of working that allows staff the flexibility of working according to their individual needs, with no adverse impact to productivity.  
• We will enable a work environment that is free of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination, especially to people of protected characteristics and Welsh speakers.  
• We will promote dignity and respect for all, and a workplace where individual differences and the contributions of all staff are recognised and valued. 
• We will encourage staff to report any equality issues and take complaints of bullying, harassment, victimisation and unlawful discrimination seriously. 
• We will respect and support anonymity where affected staff don’t feel confident to reveal their identity. 
• We will establish procedures to address issues, incidents and complaints in an effective way that is focused on problem resolution and a restorative approach. This will be achieved with the support of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT)  and Audit and Risk Assessment Committee (ARAC).  

OBJECTIVE 3 

Eliminate or minimise barriers to equality, diversity and inclusion in our work environment by ensuring it responds to individual needs of staff.   

How does this objective contribute to the national well-being goals? 

As well as contributing to a more equal Wales, we hope the actions within this objective contribute to a Wales of cohesive communities, by promoting a culture of safe spaces and helping us understand each other and different perspectives better. We are a globally responsible nation and by increasing our understanding of local, national and global inequalities, we hope to set an example for other organisations and nations in our work. 

 How we will do this: 

• We will encourage shared learning through lived experiences to minimise or eliminate accessibility difficulties in the workplace, for example, increasing our understanding of disability and accessibility, faith, and access to worship spaces. 
• We will create an environment which encourages disclosure as well as collecting and analysing robust equality, diversity and inclusion information. 
• We will ensure accessibility and inclusive practices to accommodate the needs of our staff, when considering future developments. 
• We will continue to commit to equality pledges – for example the Zero Tolerance to Racism Wales Pledge.  
• We will deliver our Race Action Plan.
• We will continue to explore how to improve diversity in all levels of our organisation and to promote an inclusive culture within the organisation.  
• We will continue to seek to understand the diverse composition and needs of our staff to enable us to promote a culture based on the principles of respect, dignity and inclusion for everyone. 
• We will enable an inclusive culture of building and maintaining good working relationships as we recognise its importance in enabling better engagement and increasing productivity, which by extension will translate to effective involvement and engagement with external stakeholders. We will do this by organising cultural awareness sessions and away days to increase our global responsibility by better understanding our diverse backgrounds.  
• We will ensure equality, diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of the review and update of our organisation values. 

OBJECTIVE 4 

Ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion guide our exercise of external functions, including the advice we provide to public bodies.  

How does this objective contribute to the national well-being goals? 

Through our advice and ‘walking the talk’, we hope other organisations will seek to maximise contributions to a more equal Wales through understanding integration with other well-being goals. 

How we will do this:  

• We will use the five ways of working in all our work, including involvement of the diversity of people affected by our decisions. 
• We will ensure that we promote public participation of a diverse range of people throughout Wales, including of young people through our Leadership Academy. 
• We will ensure that our advice on involvement enable public bodies to be more diverse and more inclusive in their policy and decision-making. 
• We will promote a More Equal Wales as one of the seven intertwined well-being goals and everything we do in our own work and processes, in our external involvement work, collaboration and partnerships. 
• We will apply the Equality Act and foster good working relationships within our team and outside organisations.
• We will ensure we have sufficient internal resources dedicated to equality, diversity and inclusion and enable us to deliver our equality objectives. 

OBJECTIVE 5 

Ensure that the Commissioner’s work is based on involvement and is underpinned by the lived experiences of a diverse range of voices, including diverse young people whose voices represent the future generation, and is fully accessible. 

How does this objective contribute to the national well-being goals? 

By involving and collaborating with others, we will continually review and learn how we can maximise contribution to each of the well-being goals in the actions we take towards a more equal workplace and a more equal Wales. 

How will do this: 

• We will involve people representing the diversity of the population of Wales, including those with protected characteristics.
• We will continually seek to reach new and more diverse audiences and partners. 
• We will encourage more inter-generational links and lived experience conversations, which are beneficial to future generations and long-term thinking.
• We will continue to listen, research and learn to better understand, inform and empower people and public bodies across Wales.
• We will continually improve the accessibility of the Commissioner’s website and involvement technics and look for improved involvement and co-production techniques.  
• We will ensure that the Commissioner’s communications are accessible to all and reflect the diversity of people and voices.

Version 2, June 2023, review date Sept 2024