Claim council 'stuck in 1950s' on diversity

A Conwy councillor has claimed the authority does not properly consider diversity and equality when hiring staff

A council is "stuck in the 1950s" when it comes to diversity and equality to the point it is putting off prospective employees, one of its members has claimed.

Conwy county councillor David Carr told a committee meeting that the authority was not properly considering these factors in its recruitment of new staff.

"We think that equality and diversity doesn’t exist and we don’t have to be part of it," he said.

Conwy council said it does "significant work" to promote inclusivity and that it supports a "culture of awareness for all protected characteristics".

The comments came as members were asked to consider a statutory self-assessment report on the council’s performance for 2023/2024.

The report was slammed by Mr Carr, who said: "I’ve looked through the report, and yet again... nothing about equality and diversity.

"The question to ask is why not?"

'Very disappointing'

"Sometimes I think that we are stuck in the 1950s in this council," he added.

"There is a knock-on effect because I know people that are well qualified that wouldn’t apply for jobs with the council because of its track record.

“What we want to do is include equality and diversity in everything we do, and certainly the absence of it in this report I find very disappointing."

In response, cabinet member Chris Cater said: "We do significant work to embed a culture of inclusivity in the council through our Inclusive Conwy strategic plan and our adoption of the Unison anti-racism charter.

"This plan shows how we support a culture of awareness for all protected characteristics so that no matter your background, you are able to live, work and visit a county where you are welcomed and feel acceptance and belonging.

"The plan also incorporates actions from the Welsh government’s anti-racist Wales action plan and LGBTQ+ action plan."