Equality improvement priorities 2025 to 2029

• Introduction
• Children and Families
  • Youth Justice Service
  • Celebrating diversity
  • Supporting care experienced children and young people
  • Bullying and discrimination
• Adults and Health
  • Age friendly city
  • Reducing the negative impact on quality of life and wellbeing of experienced carers
• City Development
  • Active Leeds
  • Leeds cultural and heritage services
  • Inclusive growth
  • Transport infrastructure streets and public realm
• Communities, Housing and Environment
  • Zero carbon
  • Housing
  • Safe and stronger communities
  • Socio Economic Duty
• Strategy and Resources
  • Budget impact on equality and procurement

Introduction

We know that some of our communities have poorer outcomes than others and this affects them individually as well as the city as a whole. It is important for everyone to benefit from being part of a strong economy and our focus on a compassionate city approach will help us do this.

We are committed to making equality a reality for all the citizens of Leeds. Leeds will be a city where people are able to recognise, value and embrace diversity and difference. We will support people from different backgrounds and ages to feel comfortable living together.

We will work with organisations across Leeds to promote a clear and consistent message that prejudicial views or behaviour that could result in hate incidents or crimes are not tolerated or condoned. 

We will work with communities to ensure people are treated with dignity and respect and the causes of unfairness are understood and addressed.

We value the contributions that all citizens in Leeds make to our city and we want everyone to recognise and appreciate these. We will ensure that we show kindness, and empathise with the difficult situations people find themselves in. We will do what we can to work with them to help them alleviate these.

In our aim to be a compassionate city, we want to live in an equal society which recognises different people's different needs, situations and goals and removes the barriers that limit what people can do and can be. We will consider all the protected characteristics covered in the Equality Act 2010, and we will also widen our considerations to others who are disadvantaged in other ways, for example, by poverty.

Our priorities do not include all our work across all the protected characteristics, but highlights those areas where there are significant differences in outcomes for people due to those characteristics. We believe that by addressing these areas we will make Leeds a better city for everyone.

We welcome all communities in Leeds and value the contributions that our citizens make to our city.

Directorate/Service: Children and Families

Achieve the city’s ambition of tackling poverty and inequality and improve quality of life for everyone who calls Leeds home.

Leeds will be a healthy and caring city for everyone where those who are most likely to experience poverty improve their mental and physical health the fastest, with health and care inequalities reducing, and people being supported to thrive from early years to later life.

Leeds Youth Justice Service

Performance indicator/measure(s)

The Leeds Youth Justice Service collects and analyses both local and national data sets to track progress and identify areas that need to be focused on. This data is reported to the Leeds Youth Justice Partnership Board on a regular basis.

Equality analysis (rationale)

In May 2021, Leeds was one of nine youth justice services across the country to take part in the probation inspectorate thematic inspection which explored the experiences of black and mixed heritage boys in the criminal justice system. A consistent theme of the inspection was “reports of high levels of unmet need for black and mixed heritage boys entering the youth justice system”. 

Since this time work has been done to address the cause of disproportionality in the Youth Justice System in Leeds. This work was recognised in the March 2024 Joint Targeted Area Inspection (JTAI) which focused on how well the Local Authority and its partners help and protect children aged 10 and over who are at risk of, or affected by, serious youth violence or criminal exploitation. The inspectors found that “children’s diverse needs are considered, and services are designed to address the disproportionality of black and ethnic minority children involved in the criminal justice system, and additional vulnerability factors.”

However, over representation of certain ethic groups, namely black and mixed heritage boys, in the Leeds youth justice system remains a strategic priority for the city.

What difference we want to make

The ultimate aim of this EIP is to have proportionate numbers of children within the criminal justice system in Leeds so that the cohort of children in the youth justice system reflects the Leeds community profile of the city.

The EIP also aims to:

• reduce the number of children involved in the youth justice system in Leeds
• ensure children and families have access to the right services at the right time using a “think family” approach
• ensure all services treat all children and families equitably and ethnicity or other stereotypical presumptions are not made

Key actions

• Establish a sub group that reports to the Leeds Youth Justice Partnership Board which focuses on disproportionality, and has representation from multi-agency members across the Leeds system.
• Progress updates will also be regularly reported to the Children and Families Services Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Board to share learning.
• Create and monitor an action plan that addresses this priority.

Celebrating diversity

Performance indicator/measure(s)

• MHMS survey findings.
• Children and family service, CFL and Voice and Influence activities and feedback from children and young people.

Equality analysis (rationale)

As one of the fastest-growing cities in the UK, Leeds is home to a rich tapestry of communities, cultures, and identities. According to the latest census data, over 140 languages are spoken here, and more than a fifth of residents identify as belonging to an ethnically diverse background. This diversity is one of our greatest assets, and it defines Leeds as a welcoming and forward-thinking city. We are proud to be becoming a Local Authority of Sanctuary, committed to ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, can live free from fear, discrimination, and hate.

The ‘My Health, My School’ (MHMS) annual school survey is a free, on-line, pupil survey available for pupils in Leeds schools in year groups 5, 6, 7, 9 and 11 as well as for pupils attending any Specialist Inclusive Learning Centres (SILCs) and post-16 settings.

In 2023-24 survey received 17,699 responses from 174 schools.

Within the survey there is a section entitled ‘school/college’. In this section pupils are asked a range of questions about their school including their sense of belonging to the community within their school/college. The findings of those pupils that responded to the question ‘I feel like I belong to my school/college community’ are as follows:

• primary - 59.47% of pupils ‘agreed’, which is almost a 5% increase on the 2022/23 figure of 54.56%. The figure for the response ‘not sure’ reduced from 30.25% in 2022/23 to 27.3% in 2023/24
• secondary – 39.4% of pupils ‘agreed’ also increased from 34.3% in 2022/23. Similarly, the figure for the response ‘not sure’ reduced from 38.42% in 2022/23 to 36.47% in 2023/24

The survey also has a section on ‘social, emotional and mental health’ which includes questions related to bullying. 

Data findings on bullying

The percentage of pupils reporting ‘not bullied at all’ in the last 12 months peaked at 70% in 2016/17 following 5 years of improvement. Since then, it has declined steadily over the last seven years to a low of 60%.

Figures by phase

• Primary pupils: 59% (down 3% from last year).
• Secondary pupils: 60% (down 5% from last year).
• Year 11 pupils peaked at 80% in 2013-14, fluctuated since, dropped to 72% last year but recovered to 77% in 2023/24.

What difference do we want to make

This EIP will help to celebrate the diversity of the city so that the breadth of demographic characteristics of the people of Leeds is recognised as being one of the city’s principal attributes and the city is celebrated for being rich in its diversity, colour and vibrancy. Leeds is a city where:

• multiple different ethnicities, religions, faiths and beliefs are respected
• children, young people and families with different physical and mental abilities are supported and provided with equal opportunities
• children, young people and families with different sexualities and sexual identities are accepted and respected
• care experienced people are treated equally without any assumptions or prejudice

Key actions

Child Friendly Leeds Wish 4 working group members to identify the relevant celebratory activities taking place during 2025/26 and develop a calendar of events to share with schools:

• ask schools to hold celebration days to make young people aware of different cultures and faiths and particular religious events activities, to reduce ignorance and increase understanding and respect for these events and activities
• raise children and young people’s awareness of the different celebratory activities amongst that take place in the city, for example, Leeds Pride, the Leeds West Indian Carnival, Light Night
• ask children and young people how the city could embrace its diversity and multi- culturalism through different consultation activities

Supporting care experienced children and young people

Equality analysis (rationale)

In Leeds we recognise:

• care experienced people have experienced early life trauma and face significant barriers, stigma, inequalities, disparity, and discrimination. By accepting care experience as a protected characteristic, we are recognising this and committing to provide additional support and opportunities to care experienced people
• care experienced people often lack a network of family support. This group recognises our role and responsibility as corporate parents to looked after children and care experienced people
• care experienced people often have poor life outcomes including in life expectancy, health, education, and employment and can face adversity with opportunities of social mobility
• care experienced people often experience barriers and stigma when beginning their own journey into parenthood
• despite the reality of the above statement, part of the stigma of being care experienced is being seen through a ‘deficit lens.’ We recognise that care experienced people have high levels of resilience, skills, talents, potential and strengths which are a direct result of being care experienced
• the language around care can contribute to the stigma, discrimination, and ‘othering’ of care experienced people. We will be guided by care experienced people in the language we use
• care experienced people can face significant barriers in accessing housing, education, employment, financial services and other services and support compared to the general population
• many care experienced people struggle financially and are living in poverty
• there is a stigma associated with being care experienced that can lead to loneliness, isolation and feeling unable to tell others about being care experienced
• care experienced people with additional protected characteristics may face additional stigma, discrimination, and barriers in accessing education, employment, housing, health, and mental health services. We recognise the intersectionality of being care experienced with other protected characteristics

What difference do we want to make

Our ambition is to deliver the actions which demonstrate Leeds city council and partners’ commitment to recognise care experience as a protected characteristic. The implementation group will provide a leadership role by championing and delivering on the actions to recognise the need for care experience to be considered a protective characteristic. The implementation group will oversee the work being undertaken in specific services to ensure there is a commitment from services within Leeds to ensure that services are committing to recognising care experienced as a protective characteristic and that those who are care experienced will have the full benefit of the widest possible resources to support successful outcomes. This will include working with education establishments and other organisations that can support those that are care experienced.

Key actions

We will:

• work together to challenge the inequality and disparity faced by care experienced people
• work alongside care experienced young people and older adults to deliver outcomes that demonstrate our recognition of care experience as a protected characteristic
• be guided by care experienced people in identifying our priorities
• work across council departments to identify actions that make recognising care experience as a protected characteristic meaningful and deliver concrete outcomes
• work with partners across the city to bring in their expertise in opening opportunities for care experienced people
• work with partners across the city to combat the social isolation often experienced by care experienced people
• consider the needs of care experienced people with additional protected characteristics in all our work and keep up to date with learning and research about intersectionality and care experience
• deliver an action plan with clear goals and timescales
• lobby Government to change the Equality Act (2010) to recognise being care experienced as a protected characteristic at a national level

The voice of those who are care experienced will be a consistent and influential feature of the implementation group. There are members of the implementation group who are care experienced. Participation will also be steered through the through the care leavers council and Leeds Care Leaver Service.

Bullying and discrimination

Performance indicator/measure(s)

• School hate crime data.
• MHMS survey data.
• CFL wish progress updates.

Equality analysis (rationale)

Bullying and discrimination can be evidenced by the hate crimes and incidents occurring across the city, the bullying and discrimination incidents children and young people have reported in schools and educational settings along with community tensions that exist in some parts of the city.

Children and young people’s experiences of bullying is gained through the ‘My Health, My School’ (MHMS). The MHMS survey is a free, on-line, annual pupil survey available for pupils in Leeds schools in year groups 5, 6, 7, 9 and 11 as well as for pupils attending any Specialist Inclusive Learning Centres (SILCs) and post-16 settings. The survey gathers important and representative data on the health and wellbeing of children and young people on an individual school, city wide and national level. The survey has a section on ‘Social, Emotional and Mental Health’ which includes questions related to bullying. 

In 2023-24 survey received 17,699 responses from 174 schools.

Data findings on bullying

The percentage of pupils reporting ‘not bullied at all’ in the last 12 months peaked at 70% in 2016/17 following 5 years of improvement. Since then it has declined steadily over the last seven years to a low of 60%.

Figures by phase

• primary pupils: 59% (down 3% from last year)
• secondary pupils: 60% (down 5% from last year)

Year 11 pupils peaked at 80% in 2013-14, fluctuated since, dropped to 72% last year but recovered to 77% in 2023/24.

What difference do we want to make

To reduce the bullying and discrimination experienced by children and young people by:

• encouraging schools and services to actively instil the message that bullying and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated
• encouraging children and young people to not tolerate bullying and discrimination that they personally experience, or they see others experience
• promoting the reporting of bullying and discrimination through the different methods available such as reporting to school staff, through the hate incident reporting in schools process, responding to questions with the My Health My School Survey
• encourage children and young people to respect people’s religions, ethnic backgrounds, sexuality, abilities and social backgrounds

Key actions

• Broaden the partnership supporting Wish 4, connecting with partnerships and organisations across Leeds.
• Continue to work with West Yorkshire and Humber LAs as part of the Government Office of Health Improvement and Disparities project to understand the breadth of taking bullying in schools and education settings in the region and how schools are responding to and discouraging bullying.

As a part of this work do the following:

• analyse the school bullying survey findings from the survey conducted in Feb/March 2025
• as a project group determine whether a regional bullying definition for schools and educational settings would help support schools to address and reduce bullying
• analyse the data from the my health, my school survey and identify the questions that could be used as measure for this risk
• review School Hate Incident data alongside my health my school survey data to identify measures to help schools to combat bullying

Directorate/Service: Adults and Health

Age friendly city

Performance indicator/measure(s)

We will use our key performance indicators within the Age Friendly Strategy. We will also use data, evidence and research to focus on what matters to people in later life, and identify any inequalities in relation to protected characteristics.

These indicators are:

• indices of deprivation affecting older people
• disability free life expectancy by gender at birth and at 65
• healthy life expectancy by gender at birth and at 65
• the number of new build properties built to accessible standards M4 (2) and M4 (3) (reported to the Infrastructure, Investment and Inclusive growth Scrutiny Board twice a year)

Equality analysis (rationale)

Data shows there is much more we can do to reduce the time people spend in poorer health in later life. The following summarises some of the findings in the Director of Public Health Annual Report 2023 – Ageing Well: Our Lives in Leeds, which formed the Ageing Well section of the Joint Strategic Assessment:

• around 1 in 3 people living in Leeds are aged 50 and above
• our ageing population is changing and becoming more diverse. As well as an expected increase in the 70+ age groups, population trends show that the older population (50+) is growing in the most deprived areas and becoming more diverse (such as ethnically diverse and LGBTQ+)
• 2 in 10 people aged 50+ (51,600) are living in the most deprived areas and 16% of people aged 60+ experience income deprivation.
• life expectancy of people living in our most deprived areas is around 9 years less than the least deprived areas
• the number of years that people spend in good health in later life is unequal between different People living in our deprived areas spend around 11 more years in poor health and this starts in their early 50’s (compared to around 70 in least deprived areas). This is particularly relevant, as in Leeds we have 1 in 4 of our total population living and ageing in the most deprived areas
• more than 1 in 2 people aged 50+ are living with 2 or more long-term There is more we can do to support people in poorer health to continue to lead connected, fulfilling, and independent lives
• older people in Leeds saw later life as an opportunity to be more active and stay healthy
• whilst most people in later life are not lonely (64.8% hardly ever or never lonely), strong, positive, social connections were identified as an important factor in ageing well. Over 1 in 2 people mentioned that community and social connections enabled them to age well (such as activities, groups and the local community)
• two in three people aged 50-64 are in employment, with 40,000 people aged 50-64 years being economically inactive due to caring responsibilities, health conditions, retirement or because there is a perception that suitable work is not available for them
• nearly 2 in 3 people aged 65+ would like to stay in their own home, with support when needed and only 3% (aged 65+) are living in a nursing or care home
• there are an estimated 51,000 homes in Leeds with health Half of these homes will be occupied by someone aged 60+
• driving, walking and travelling by bus are popular amongst people in later life, however accessible and appealing roads and pathways would better enable active travel and uptake of bus passes in some of the most deprived areas of the city is low (60% compared to 80% citywide)
• over 1 in 2 people talked about access to green spaces, theatres and libraries as positive features of Leeds that enabled them to age well
• people aged 65+ are 12x more likely to be non-digital users
• people in later life experience negative stereotypes, ageism and discrimination. Experiences of people in later life, their health and wellbeing outcomes and access to services or support are impacted by stereotypes, ageism and discrimination

Ensuring Leeds is an Age Friendly city has also been identified as a priority area by people in later life themselves.

Since 2015, a ranged of engagements and consultations in Leeds have ensured we put people in later life at the heart of the Age Friendly Leeds Strategy. Each of the six topic areas (domains) in the strategy outline expectations of people in later life, which has been informed by what people have told us they expect from Age Friendly Leeds.

What difference do we want to make

We want to:

• create Age Friendly places, communities, and services that support people in later life to age well, lead healthy, connected, fulfilling, independent lives, being valued, feeling respected and recognised as assets
• increase the proportion of our lives that we spend in good health in later life
• prevent, reduce, and delay the need for reactive services

The following outlines the difference we want to make for each of our topic areas (domains):

• active, included and respected: Promote inclusion and participation in public and community life
• employment and Learning: Support people in later life in the workplace, improving access to the workplace and to stay in work
• healthy and Independent Ageing: Support people in later life to live healthy and independent lives in the community.
• housing: Ensure housing supports people to stay living independently, comfortably and safely in later life:
• support people in later to access and enjoy outdoor spaces in Leeds
• provide accessible travel options to enable people in later life to get out and about

Key actions

Delivery of a range of actions in the Age Friendly Leeds Strategy and plan focussed on:

• raising the profile of Age Friendly Leeds and the inequalities, needs, barriers and expectations of people in later life
• influencing across the council and wider partners to embed the consideration of Age Friendly and age as a protected characteristic into all of our policies and services
• understanding and recognising the inequalities and barriers faced by older people and put interventions in place to remove or reduce these barriers
• ensure effective oversight of the Age Friendly Leeds strategy and plan through the Age Friendly Leeds Board

Reducing the negative impact on quality of life and wellbeing experienced by carers

Performance indicator/measure(s)

We will use the range of key performance indicators including:

• carer reported quality of life
• proportion of carers who reported they had as much social contact as they would like
• overall carer satisfaction with social services
• proportion of carers who feel that they have been included or consulted in discussions about the person they care for
• proportion of carers who find it easy to find information about services

Equality analysis (rationale)

Demographic and equalities data

• On the date of the 2021 Census, approximately 61,500 people in Leeds stated that they provided unpaid care. This represents around 8% of the population of Leeds aged 5 and over.
• While this is an overall of around 9% decrease in the number of people providing unpaid care since 2011, it should be noted that the Census 2021 was undertaken during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which may have influenced how people perceived and managed their provision of unpaid care, and therefore may have affected how people chose to respond.
• Caution is advised when making comparisons between 2011 and 2021 because of changes in question wording and response options.
• Almost half (49.8%) of carers are caring for 20 hours or more per week and almost 30% are caring for 50 hours or more per week
• The proportion of carers who report their general health is good or very good is lower than that of the non-carers (72.4% compared to 9%). The more hours of care you provide, the more likely you are to report bad or very bad health.
• Census data suggests that 6.8% of all males aged 5 and over in Leeds are unpaid carers compared to 2% of all females aged 5 and over. 59% of carers in Leeds are female compared to 51% of the population. However, male carers are more likely to report bad or very bad health than female carers.
• There are around 5,000 young carers and young adult carers (5-24) in Leeds, young carers and young adult carers are less likely to be employed than their peers without a caring role and this is particularly true for those who provide more hours of care per week, young carers and young adult carers report poorer physical and psychological health than their peers without a caring role.
• The likelihood of caring increases with age with the age group where someone is most likely to be a carer is 50-64 years old.
• Around 1 in 8 working aged women are carers and the likelihood of them becoming carers increases in their late forties and In addition working aged women they are more likely to be caring for 50 hours or more per week than working aged men which is likely to impact on employment, social and leisure activities. Leaving employment has several far-reaching consequences for a carer, including a loss of household income and subsequent pension, loss of identity and social contacts, increased risk of loneliness and social isolation, and a subsequent negative impact on mental health and carer wellbeing.
• Carers aged 65 and over are significantly more likely to be caring for 50 hours per week than all other age groups and almost 3,000 (5%) of unpaid carers in Leeds are aged 80 and over.
• Around 15% of unpaid carers in Leeds are from diverse ethnic communities which is broadly in line with the 2011 Census but lower than the proportion of the Leeds population that are from diverse ethnic communities.
• We know from research that carers from ethnic groups other than White British are less likely to be aware of and/or accessing support services available and also less likely to seek help than White British This may be due to a lack of awareness that services exist but could also be due to a perception that any support provided will not be culturally appropriate.
• It is also likely the views and experiences of non-White British carers are less likely to be gathered, for example through user surveys.
• Fewer carers from all ethnic groups report their general health as good or very good the more hours caring per week.
• However, carers from Black, Black British, Caribbean, or African groups are less likely to report their health is bad or very bad.
• Carers from White and Asian/Asian British backgrounds are more likely to be providing 50 hours of unpaid care per week than other groups.
• 9% of carers, compared to 16.4% of the general population of Leeds are disabled under the Equality Act. This figure rises to 34.6% for carers who are caring for more than 50 hours per week. The figures are slightly higher for females than males.
• Of those carers who are disabled and care for more than 50 hours per week, 6% say their day-to-day activities are limited a lot compared to 6.8% of disabled people who are not carers.
• 6% of unpaid carers are economically inactive compared to 40% of non-carers with around 50% in both groups due to retirement. 69.5% of carers providing more than 50 hours of unpaid care per week are economically inactive.
• 6% of non-carers who are economically inactive report their general health as bad or very bad. This increases to 83.3% for carers who are caring for 50 hours or more per week.
• There is very little variance between carers and non-carers in terms of sexual orientation with around 89% identifying as straight or heterosexual and around 7% not answering the Census question.
• There is very little variance between carers and non-carers in terms of gender identity with around 93% identifying as the same sex as registered at birth and around 6% not answering the Census question.
• Across England and Wales, there is a higher percentage of people providing unpaid care in the most deprived (10.1% and 11.5% respectively) compared with the least deprived areas, which had the lowest percentage of people providing unpaid care in both England and Wales (8.1% and 9.7%, respectively).

What carers are telling us

Survey of adult carers in England (SACE)

• The Survey of Adult Carers in England is usually carried out every two years and asks carers who are known to Adult Social Care about the impact of services on their quality of life and general health and well-being. Carer responses are used to populate outcome measures in the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework (ASCOF).
• Of the 1,300 carers who were sent the 2023/2024 SACE, 204 responded which gives a response rate of 15.7%. This is a reduction of 4.1% compared to the previous Although the target number of returned surveys was not achieved, this was also the case across several authorities in Yorkshire and Humberside.
• While the survey provides information which can help us to understand the impact of current service provision as well as informing strategy and decision making, the caveat to this is that the number of carers included in the survey cohort represents 2.1% of the carer population in Leeds, and the number of carers who actually responded represents 0.3% of the carer population in Leeds.

Of the 204 carers who responded:

• 4% were female; 26.6% were male
• 3% were aged 75+; 38.6% were aged 65+; 61.4% were under 65
• 4% were white, 14.4% were diverse BAME, 9.4% ethnicity not known
• 62% were retired; 27% were in some form of employment
• 76% live with the person they care for
• 64% have been caring for over 5 years
• 52% are caring for over 50 hours per week
• 2% were caring for someone aged 75 or over
• each cared for person has an average 2.5 ‘conditions

This table shows the latest (provisional) survey measures for Leeds compared to the previous survey and the last survey that was carried out before the COVID pandemic. Compared to the previous survey, there is an increase in 3 of the five measures and a decrease in 2.

ASCOF Measure	2023/24 Survey	2021/22 Survey
Carer reported quality of life	7.1	7.4
Proportion of carers who reported they had as much social contact as they would like	29.2%	30.8%
Overall carer satisfaction with social services	39.7%	32.5%
Proportion of carers who feel that they have been included or consulted in discussions about the person they care for	60.7%	58.4%
Proportion of carers who find it easy to find information about services	58.1%	57.1%

The Carer Reported Quality of Life Score is calculated by looking at the responses to 6 ‘I-statements’ in the survey. Compared to previous surveys we can see:

• a shift from carers reporting they can do some of the things they value or enjoy to not doing anything they value or enjoy
• an increase in the proportion of carers reporting they have as much control as they want over their daily life
• a shift from carers reporting they can look after themselves to feeling that they are neglecting their own health
• although the proportion of carers reporting they are extremely concerned about their personal safety is less than 4%, the proportion in 2023/24 survey is higher than previous
• there is little difference in the proportion of carers reporting they have as much or some of the social contact they would like between 2023/24 and 2021/22 surveys, this is below pre-pandemic levels
• an increase from 21/22 in the proportion of carers reporting they feel encouraged and supported in their caring role

Carers also can provide qualitative ‘free text’ Key themes reported by carers include:

• concerns about their own health and wellbeing
• balancing work and care
• lack of availability of respite
• difficulty finding your way around health and care
• delays and health and care staff not responding/returning calls or emails
• cost of living and finance
• lack of awareness and recognition of caring

Carers Leeds annual survey

Carers Leeds carried out an annual survey of carers in Leeds in both 2022 and 2023. The survey sought to better understand what unpaid carers were most concerned about; their experiences as unpaid carers and what matters most to them. More than 1,200 carers have responded to two surveys including carers of different ages, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and carers with disabilities. 

The top 3 concerns for carers were:

• their own health and wellbeing needs
• the changing needs of the person they care for
• finances and the cost of living

What difference do we want to make

Unpaid carers in Leeds will be recognised, valued, and supported.

Key actions

• Refresh the Leeds Carers Partnership strategy.
• Improve the council’s identification of carers, including carers from ethnically diverse communities.
• Improve our digital offer for carers.
• Develop new approaches to providing short breaks for carers.
• Continue to work with third sector partners to provide information and advice for carers.
• LCC to become a ‘Carer Confident’ accredited employer.

Directorate/Service: City Development

Active Leeds

Performance indicator/measure(s)

• Sport England Active Lives data
• Active Leeds membership data and staffing data/surveys
• qualitative measures such as in-depth case studies

Equality analysis (rationale)

• According to the Sport England Active Lives survey the Inactive rate for Leeds has fallen from 24.3% in Nov 2021 - Nov 2022, to 23.9% for the period Nov 2022 - Nov 2023. Which now means less that 160k of the adult population are inactive and over 443k are now classed as very active (which is also up by 0.8% to 66.4%). This is better than the national (25.7%), regional (27.7%) and core cities (25%) averages.
• The levels of inactivity in Leeds remain highest in the most deprived areas of the city and whilst there is an improvement in people moving from inactive to active or fairly active, this shift has been greater in the least deprived areas (1.8% change) compared with most deprived (0.7% change). This indicates there is a continued need to focus work with these communities to better understand the barriers to physical activity including environmental factors and identify the preferred type of activity
• Diversity in staffing make up is lacking in the Active Leeds service in comparison to other LCC departments and nationally.

What difference do we want to make

The Active Leeds commitment to improving inclusion and diversity is reflected in the service vision, mission and strategic approach, which was developed by staff:

• Active Leeds Vision - ‘To be the best city to be active in’
• Active Leeds Mission - “We believe in making a difference every working with people and their communities so they are at the heart of all we do. We want everyone to move more in a way that works for them”
• a focus on putting people first; building a sustainable service for the future and creating places and spaces to be active- all with equality and diversity as a golden thread running through all work
• Active Leeds will work with partners and the system to champion physical activity and moving more by embedding the service direction of travel from being a traditional leisure service to an active and wellbeing service, putting health inequalities at the heart of everything we do and working together to improve spaces (environment) and places, to enable more people to move more everyday as part of their lives

Key actions

• Deliver the Active Leeds EDCI Priorities Plan. This will include targets to support priority demographics and protected characteristics and will include all key equality work strands.
• Link with University partner on a research project to identify better ways of working, relating to recruitment and retainment of an inclusive and ethnically diverse workforce, one that represents the communities we This will form the basis of the local EIP of “Improve the Diversity of the Active Leeds workforce”.
• The Active Leeds EDCI Working group plus Inclusive recruitment/retention; disability; and LGBT+ sub-groups will oversee equality strands in the service.
• To be innovative in supporting priority groups of people to be active across facilities and out in communities.
• Provide thorough consultation with a wide range of diverse stakeholders and demographics on facility re-developments and improvements.

Leeds culture and heritage services

Performance indicator/measure(s)

Culture programmes:

• access to the Leeds Cultural Investment Programme (LCIP) by a diverse range of
• funding outcomes support a diverse range of cultural and creative activities to help ensure that the city’s cultural offer is open and relevant to residents with particular focus on geography, age, ethnicity and disability
• gaps in provision and benefits are monitored and addressed

Events and venues:

• provision of city-wide, free to access, events and promotions
• provision of city-wide out of school activity
• youth engagement, formal education and early years provision
• free intergenerational activity focusing on community cohesion
• provision and engagement with and for older people

 Leeds Museums and Galleries:

• youth engagement, formal education and early years provision
• intergenerational provision and engagement with older people
• co-curation especially with under-represented individuals and communities
• work focusing on race inequality and colonial histories
• access and engagement focusing on mental health and wellbeing
• coverage across all wards, focusing on audiences and our own
• workforce - diversity of workforce 

Equality analysis (rationale)

• Leeds Cultural Investment Programme (LCIP): Quantitative and qualitative data generated through the first Cultural Impacts Survey (CIS) in 2025 will allow us to determine the scope of benefits enabled by the cultural grants programme.
• Note: the outcomes of work from 2025/26 (including the CIS) will enable culture services to establish a baseline against which to assess progress.

What difference do we want to make

We want to:

• ensure that all Leeds residents have opportunities to access to creative learning, participation and cultural engagement provision either directly delivered by Leeds city council or through the organisations and individuals we fund
• promote the value and role of culture in civic life – culture is widely understood and embraced as part of everyday life in the city
• ensure that culture is recognised and celebrated widely for both the intrinsic and instrumental benefits it delivers across all walks of life

Key actions

• Continue to work jointly (across culture services) to review progress through 2025/26.
• Produce, analyse and report the outcomes of the first Cultural Impact Survey (CIS) for the Leeds Cultural Investment Programme in 2025 to inform how we might shape and measure EDI elements so that we can capture internal culture services impacts and benefits.
• In response to CIS outcomes, adapt and target activities where key gaps in provision are identified.

Inclusive growth

Performance indicator/measure(s)

• Improving social progress in Leeds, as measured through the Leeds Social Progress Index (SPI). This includes five years' worth of data, providing a picture of overall wellbeing across the city over the period 2018-2022, as well as visualisations and tools to help us generate a clearer view of our city and wards. For example, the index measures ‘inclusiveness’ - whether people are excluded from being a contributing member of society.
• Increase the number of people with improved skills or moving into work who have a disability or long-term health condition, including a focus on those experiencing mental ill health.
• Increase the number of people with improved skills or moving into work from groups under represented in the labour market including people from ethnic minority backgrounds, women, over 50s and those who are care experienced.
• Increase the number of businesses supported with founders from an ethnic minority background.
• Increase the number of businesses supported with female founders.
• Increase the number of businesses supported with founders who have a disability.

Equality analysis (rationale)

• As referenced above, the Leeds Social Progress Index 2024 shows a reduction of social progress in Leeds in 2019-2022. This includes the ‘Opportunity’ dimension, which includes measures for ‘adults with learning disabilities in employment’, ‘gender gap in unemployment’ and ‘disrespect for the individual’. While the results tell us that the Covid-19 pandemic has had an impact in the city given that progress was being made beforehand, they signal that our interventions going forward need to prioritise equality and inclusivity.
• In addition, the Leeds Economic Dashboard is a useful tool enabling us to monitor the economic environment. The dashboard provides up-to-date open data that is easy to navigate at a local level, such as employment data which informs how we support people who are excluded from the labour market. For example, it allows us to monitor economic inactivity by reason, and shows that the number of people who are economically inactive because they are long-term sick has steadily increased since 2024.
• From a service delivery perspective, the Employment and Skills and Business Support services monitor the demographics of people who access their services and receive support or progress into work or other outcomes. Both services seek to balance equal access while taking positive action to be more representative of the communities they serve.

What difference do we want to make

We want to maximise the impact we have on communities in delivering the Inclusive Growth Strategy and its three themes of ‘people, place and productivity':

• this includes addressing poverty and the inequalities that different communities and people face, including poor health, a lack of skills and opportunities
• we want to deliver programmes and projects that set out to deliver positive impact in our places, providing the infrastructure, transport investment, housing and development that our communities need and want
• we also want to deliver activity that unlocks growth at all levels, including removing the barriers that entrepreneurs face in starting a business

Key actions

• The delivery of the Inclusive Growth Strategy will continue over the decade. There are significant opportunities to increase the impact we have on communities, for example, through the new government’s plan to give regional authorities the tools they need to grow their local economies; the delivery of the (previous) government’s Vision for Leeds which includes plans for transformational regeneration across disadvantaged neighbourhoods surrounding the city centre; and the potential for Mass Transit to connect people to jobs and drive growth in the We will continue to use the strategy to capitalise on opportunities and raise our ambition.
• We will continue to deliver a range of targeted programmes, initiatives and events through our Employment and Skills and Business Support For example, through delivery of the Future Talent Plan we will maintain a focus on improving employment outcomes for people who are furthest away from the labour market.
• We will monitor our performance statistics ensuring our programmes are delivering support where it will have the biggest impact and are representative of the Leeds communities.
• We will ensure we are using lived experience in programme design and ongoing evaluation to ensure programmes are impactful and relevant . This will include relevant representatives on programme steering groups and boards.
• Continuing to grow our Inclusive Growth Partnership and engage across the The next Inclusive Growth Partnership event will take place in Autumn 2025, as part of the schedule of three events per year, and we continue to update our Inclusive Growth website.
• Work continues to support the Anchors and Business Anchors Network, as well as exploring how the two networks can undertake collective action to maximise impact for the city’s communities. Priorities for the network include taking steps to improve access to anchor contracts for smaller and local suppliers through bringing together procurement pipelines in one place; as well as exploring opportunities for cross- working between the Anchor sub-groups such as monitoring both carbon emissions and social value through procurement.
• We continue to encourage a widening use case for The Leeds SPI 2024 model and also partake in a deep dive analysis.
• We will continue to develop our data in order to build our understanding of the difference we’re making, drawing learning from progress elsewhere in including the Marmot City work which has focused on strengthening the visibility and understanding of inequality gaps through better use of data and evidence.

Transport infrastructure, streets and public realm

Performance indicator/measure(s)

Performance will be measured by level of scheme engagement on a case-by-case basis, feedback via identified user groups and NHT survey in relation to indicators for Leeds on accessibility, safety and others including satisfaction with dropped kerb crossing points, maintenance of highway verges, trees and shrubs and overall satisfaction with the state of footways.

Equality analysis (rationale)

Equality Act 2010 and specifically the Public Sector Equality Duty.

Coordinated action is needed to improve health, but also new thinking about how our environment and society can support people to age well. Core to this will be supporting people to remain active and able to connect with their families and communities, and transport has a significant role to play.

In designing schemes we need to take account of transport users safety and or their fear of crime (lighting, sight lines, location, etc) as this will tie in the characteristics where fear of crime (real or perceived) is a barrier to usage including potentially women, minority ethnic communities, LGBT+, some faith groups.

Local authorities are responsible for the design of the streets in their care, and for ensuring that any scheme they put forward, shared space or otherwise, is designed in a way that is accessible and meets the Public Sector Equality Duty. [Inclusive Transport Strategy 2018 (DfT)]

The DfT’s Inclusive Transport Strategy aims to ensure that disabled people are ‘able to move around freely through the pedestrian environment and use it to access other modes of transport. If using a cycle, whether as a mobility aid or not, they will be able to use inclusive cycle infrastructure to support their journey’. While it is focused on the inclusion of disabled people, many of the improvements will also benefit travellers with other protected characteristics too.

Streets and roads make up around three quarters of all public space. Their appearance, and the way in which they function, therefore have a significant impact on people's lives. DfT want to see well maintained pavements, appropriately placed dropped kerbs and navigable and legible routes in our public realm.

The Strategy recognises that the private car is a vitally important form of transport for disabled people. Having access to sufficient numbers of parking spaces can make all the difference in being able to access employment, education, shopping and leisure opportunities as well as visiting friends and family.

At the same time research (Lucas, Karen University of Edinburgh) indicates that 9% of people who own a car cannot really afford it. Accessible taxis are seen by some disabled people as an alternative to owning an accessible vehicle, especially if they themselves are unable to drive it. Around 50% of taxis (hackneys) in Leeds are wheelchair accessible, and only 2% of private hire vehicles. Leeds city council are working with the taxi and private hire trade to review schemes and promote the use of accessible vehicles. Kerbside parking especially in the changing city centre environment is at a premium with a balance needing to be struck between the needs of taxis and private hire against buses, blue badge parking, car clubs and loading requirements.

Disabled People’s Travel Behaviour and Attitude to Travel (DfT, 2017)

Disability is a key characteristic that links with and impacts on travel behaviour in its own right – not just as a result of the distinctive socio-demographic profile of people with disabilities.

However, the travel behaviour, attitudes and experiences of people with disabilities are far from homogenous and variations need to be understood in the context of a range of other individual characteristics including age, location and life-stage – both at a given point in time and as part of the process of ageing.

Both age and disability link with perceptions of the ease of undertaking short car journeys using alternative modes of transport – with those with limiting disabilities aged 50 and over being the least likely to think it would be easy to do this when walking and cycling are the alternatives specified.

Among people with a limiting disability, those aged 50 and over (60%) are more than twice as likely than those aged under 50 (27%) to say they could not replace short car journeys with walking. This is a much larger gap than that seen between the age groups and categories of disability. A similar pattern can be seen for cycling.

Travel by bus is different and is seen as a more viable alternative to car travel than walking or cycling for people with a limiting disability. There is little variation by age or disability, implying that while barriers exist around bus travel, these do not primarily relate to disability or age.

In Leeds, some 4 million bus journeys were made in 2019 by disabled concessionary pass holders, and 9.5 million journeys were made by senior concessionary pass holders (WYCA data). Disabled people are more likely to travel to work by bus (40%), less likely to agree that the city centre (in its current shape) is pedestrian friendly (65%) and less likely to agree that transport links to city centre are good (42%) – compared to non-disabled respondents in the Leeds Transport Conversation. For some disabled people, accessibility of a facility or attraction is dictated by the fact of it being positioned on, or close to, a bus route, by presence of disabled parking nearby and the provision of dropped kerbs/ level crossing points between transport and their destination.

Disabled people are more socio-economically disadvantaged and therefore more reliant on public transport, especially on the use of concessionary passes. Some disabled people would not be able to drive.

• Ability to get on buses is a key part to the mobility of some disabled people; location on or off a bus route may be the decisive factor in whether a destination is accessible or not.
• Disabled people have poorer access to modal choice, g. bus and train interchange, due to issues with accessing stations/ platforms and availability of wheelchair space on trains/ buses.
• Community transport and hospital transport are considered poor alternatives, unable to plug the gap in the usability of main services.
• Lack of on-board information about route/ stops makes services inaccessible to some disabled people (blind people in particular) and forces disabled people to do a lot of additional pre-planning.
• Consistent provision of dropped kerbs and crossings, accessible bus stops and clearways are vitally important to enabling bus use.

What we know about existing barriers including for disabled people

Leeds promotes the social model of disability. The model says that people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairment or difference. Barriers can be physical, like buildings not having accessible toilets. Or they can be caused by people's attitudes to difference, like assuming disabled people can't do certain things.

The social model helps us recognise barriers that make life harder for disabled people. Removing these barriers creates equality and offers disabled people more independence, choice and control.

Barriers include:

• overcrowding
• lack of seating
• lack of toilets
• ack of dropped kerbs/ level crossing points
• indistinct/ low kerb lines (these can be hard to follow, or enable vehicles to overrun/ pavement park)
• fear of collision (vehicle, cyclist, object)
• physical distance (from disabled parking, drop off point/ bus stop)
• cost of travel
• attitudes (staff, general public)
• need to pre-plan journeys
• temporary obstructions (badly placed/ managed street cafes, A Boards, bins, pavement parking, temporary barriers, street works)
• lack of crossings/ inappropriate crossings, complex, not intuitive layout of crossings and added distance to travel
• lack of maintenance (uneven pavements, broken kerbs)
• lack of colour contrast of street furniture and inappropriate placing of street furniture
• narrow footways
• wide, featureless, open spaces with no coherent shore lines and no tactile clues in the environment
• physical distance between bus stops making interchange harder and difficulty with accessing multiple bus services using the same stop.
• inappropriate cycle facilities, such as lack of cycling facilities, shared use facilities, inadequately defined cycle tracks and or those without appropriate crossing Lack of consistent cycle infrastructure that leads to inadvertent sharing with pedestrians and/ or makes cycling infrastructure difficult to use for some people, such as older people, disabled people and people with children.
• lack of disabled parking/ parking not catering for all types of accessible vehicles (for example those with a rear lift/ ramp/ roof wheelchair storage)
• wide radii at junctions (length of crossing time, issues with locating a suitable crossing point, speed of traffic entering side streets)
• lack of shade and shelter
• overgrown hedges and overhanging tree branches
• these impact on older people, disabled people, carers, maternity, and to some extent, children

Major schemes in development

Works currently in progress including City Centre Gateways, A660 scheme, Beckett Street, Healthy Streets have the potential to transform the way people, including disabled people, access and travel around the city centre and help overcome some of the barriers to active travel posed by busy highway environments and complex junctions as well as issues with narrow and/ or uneven footways, lack of seating and lack of shade and shelter. These schemes are also bringing segregated and cohesive cycling infrastructure into the city centre, as well as improving crossings.

There are major schemes in development including CRSTS and CAF cycling and bus priority schemes, Mass Transit development. The District Centre improvement programme, LUF and CRSTS Healthy Streets have the scope to improve accessibility and inclusion of the public realm in local neighbourhoods.

What difference do we want to make

We want to:

• ensure Leeds Highways and Transportation Service is at the forefront of best practice in relation to inclusion for all in terms of delivery of projects and staff development (Best City for Transport)
• cultural change in service delivery and staff

Deliver on the Leeds Ambitions for greener futures by:

• improving transport to give people in Leeds a good alternative to car use, creating a safer and more walkable city to reduce unnecessary travel and support people to be physically active, while enabling drivers to switch to zero emission vehicles
• investing in our public spaces and infrastructure to prepare Leeds for future climate impacts, helping us adapt to climate change in a way which also improves quality of life for everyone

Key actions

• Liaison with and support from the Access and Useability Group, Dawn staff network, Leeds involving people and Leeds Disabled Peoples’ Organisation in relation to public realm, transport schemes and other Connecting Leeds projects – Demonstrate on a scheme by scheme basis how consultation with identified groups has been undertaken to inform better outcomes.
• Have an inclusive approach to street design and manage issues of concern including: Blocking of footways and cycleways eg parking, overgrown vegetation, A- boards, etc; Limited use of shared space on new developments / schemes; Segregation of cycling infrastructure and means of reducing problem cycling; Appropriate use of kerbside space for competing needs.
• Provision of accessible Reporting Mechanisms.
• Deliver an Equality Action Plan for the Highways and Transportation Service through a service level equality working group, including targeted recruitment to improve.
• Promote diversity calendar events and awareness raising with Highways and Transport staff.
• Undertake staff equality and diversity training for Highways and Transport staff.

Directorate/Service: Communities, Housing and Environment

Zero Carbon – Climate Energy and Green Spaces

Performance indicator/measure(s)

Zero Carbon is one of the three pillars of the Leeds Ambitions. To realise this ambition, Team Leeds will focus on:

• delivering a low-carbon and affordable transport network which encourages people to be physically active and reduces reliance on the private car, helping people get around the city easily and safely
• promoting a fair and sustainable food system in which more produce is grown locally, and everyone can enjoy a healthy diet
• addressing the challenges of housing quality and affordability, tackling fuel poverty and creating vibrant places where residents have close access to services and amenities
• joining with local communities, landowners and partners to protect nature and enhance habitats for wildlife
• investing in our public spaces, green and blue infrastructure to enable faster transition to a green economy while improving quality of life for residents

Equality analysis (rationale)

• 2023 was the second warmest year on record for the UK, according to Met Office figures with the top ten warmest years on record having each occurred since 2003. Eight of the twelve months of the year were warmer than average for the UK, with the hottest June on record and the joint hottest September. Globally, 2023 was the warmest on record, with carbon dioxide concentrations at their highest in the atmosphere for two million Close to 50% of days were more than 1.5c warmer than the 1850 – 1900 level, and two days in November were, for the first time, more than 2c warmer.
• the council set out plans to invest £100 million improving the energy efficiency of its homes in The programme is beyond its halfway milestone and more than £60 million of projects have now completed, benefiting thousands of residents with healthier, more comfortable homes that are cheaper to keep warm.

What difference do we want to make

We want to:

• provide clear and concise messaging to residents to improve knowledge and education of the climate emergency
• ensure all communities receive the opportunities available to them in our ambition to be the first UK net-zero city
• for communication to be transparent, informative and provide reassurance to our communities where to find reputable support and information
• protect our communities where we can from the impact of climate change through the implementation of programmes and strategies
• enhance our green spaces, providing opportunity to increase biodiversity throughout our city and create welcoming, healthy places for communities to enjoy
• engage with communities to increase education and awareness of our net-zero city ambition, with consultation on projects ahead of their implementation

Key actions

• Develop and launch a Climate Action Plan for the council and wider communities that sets out our ambition to be the first net-zero city in the UK.
• Continue to apply for national funding when applicable that can be used within communities to implement measures which address our net-zero ambition and improve quality of life.

Housing

Performance indicator/measure(s)

• To launch an Individual Needs policy and guidance for staff in consultation with customers and partner agencies.
• To reduce the number of faults identified by the Housing Ombudsman linked to access to services, communication, and knowledge and information management.
• To increase satisfaction on the Tenant Satisfaction Measures that we:
  • listen to customers’ views and act on them
  • keep customers informed on the things that matter to them
  • treat customers fairly and with respect
• To improve the quality of the customer data we hold including contact information.
• To improve the quantity of customer profiling/equality data where this isn’t already held.

Equality analysis (rationale)

Housing Ombudsman spotlight reports

The Housing Ombudsman has completed two Spotlight reports over the last year based on national complaint data and their investigations:

• Knowledge and Information Management
• Attitudes, Respect, and Rights - Relationship of Equals

These reports identify learning and recommendations for all social landlords to: improve data collection, data quality, data culture, and data governance:

• communicate more effectively with customers
• create human-centric policies and processes
• adapt services to meet the needs of all residents
• make sure that the most vulnerable customers aren’t left behind

Complaints received with an equality related element during 2024:

• we received 44 complaints with an equality related element during 2024
• 61% related to a physical or mental disability
• 36% related to race
• The remaining 3% related to gender reassignment, gender identity, age, and sex

Housing Ombudsman investigations on our complaint cases during 2024 identified:

• 7 maladministration findings linked to the management of information and ensuring individual access to services
• 1 severe maladministration finding linked to the management of information and ensuring individual access to services

Transparency, Influence, and Accountability Standard (Social Housing Regulation Act)

This standard requires us to:

• ensure that all communication and information for tenants is clear, accessible, relevant, timely and appropriate to the diverse needs of tenants
• provide tenants with accessible information about the available landlord services, how to access those services, and the standards of service tenants can expect
• give tenants a wide range of meaningful opportunities to influence and scrutinise their landlord’s strategies, policies and services

Tenant Satisfaction Measures

These measures are set out by the Housing Regulator to help us manage our homes, support customers in their tenancy, and respond to their service requests to make sure that we:

• are well governed, financially viable and offer value for money
• provide homes that are well managed, safe, energy efficient and of appropriate quality
• give tenants and potential tenants an appropriate level of choice and protection
• give tenants an opportunity to be involved in the management of their homes and can hold us to account
• act in a transparent manner
• contribute towards the environmental, social and economic wellbeing of your community

12 of these measures are collected via a quarterly tenant satisfaction survey and include questions on overall satisfaction with our service, how we listen to customer views and act upon them, how we keep customers informed about things that matter to them, and if customers feel that we treat them fairly and with respect. 

Performance data shows that:

Measure	2023/24	2024/25
Overall satisfaction	66%	66%
Listen and act	55%	54%
Keep informed	67%	67%
Treat fairly and with respect	74%	73%

Information from Individual Needs consultation

Over 300 residents responded to a recent consultation to develop this new policy. Initial feedback suggests that:

• just under 80% of respondents indicated they have or sometimes have individual needs
• less than 40% of respondents felt that we support their individual needs well or fairly well
• just under 50% of respondents gave examples of positive experiences with a similar volume detailing negative experiences

Current customer data

We have approximately 60,000 tenants and currently have:

• just under 41,000 email addresses on record – upload and delivery reports for our monthly e-bulletin indicate that approximately 88% of these are successfully delivered with an open rate of 48-50%
• just over 52,000 mobile numbers – delivery reports on text messaging indicate that 88% of these are successfully delivered
• less than 20% of tenants have an identified disability or communication need
• over 400 tenants have told us during tenancy visits that we could do more to help them access our services more easily/efficiently
• customer profiling data recorded

What difference do we want to make

We want to develop a culture where customers with individual needs, either short term or long term, know that they can:

• ask for reasonable adjustments
• expect to consistently receive any agreed reasonable adjustments
• make sure that customers are aware of the service standards they should expect, and know how to give us feedback or make a complaint if we don’t meet these standards
• make sure that customers feel that we listen to them, and treat them fairly and with respect
• improve the customer data that we hold so we can communicate with customers about things that matter to them in a way that suits their needs
• improve overall customer satisfaction with the services that we deliver

Key actions

• Launch an Individual Needs policy and guidance for staff in consultation with customers and partner agencies.
• Develop and launch a data quality improvement campaign to all staff.
• Develop and share resources for staff to help their understanding of the importance of creating and managing good quality information and data.
• Develop a clear approach to collecting customer profiling/equality data.
• Ensure that equality information is entered into Cx for all new tenancies through regular QA checks.
• Ensure that equality related information held in Abritas is transferred to Cx.
• Ensure partners, contractors, and service providers are set clear standards and expectations, and are actively engaged and equipped to meet these standards.

Safer and stronger communities

Performance indicator/measure(s)

Stronger Leeds Strategy 2025-30

• crime and Safety Statistics: Track changes in crime rates and residents' perceptions of safety.
• diversity and Inclusion Metrics: Monitor the representation of diverse groups in community activities and leadership roles.
• economic Indicators: Evaluate the impact of economic pressures on different community groups.

Intercultural cities action plan

• Intercultural Events Attendance: Track participation in intercultural events and activities.
• ICC Index Scores: Use the ICC Index to measure progress in interculturalism across key indicators.
• Anti-Rumour Campaign Impact: Assess the effectiveness of anti-rumour campaigns through surveys and incident reports.

Local Authority of Sanctuary

• Sanctuary Seeker Feedback: Collect feedback from refugees and sanctuary seekers on their experiences and satisfaction with services.
• Service Accessibility: Measure the accessibility and usage of services by sanctuary.
• Community Integration Programmes: Track the number and success of programs aimed at integrating sanctuary seekers into the community.

Equality analysis (rationale)

Social cohesion in Leeds

Definition: Social cohesion involves peaceful coexistence, shared values, and strong relationships among diverse groups.

Importance: It fosters inclusivity, trust, empathy, and reduces tensions rooted in differences, enhancing collective prosperity, health, and wellbeing.

Leeds’s transformation and diversity

City Evolution: Leeds has evolved from an industrial city to a major commercial centre, attracting a diverse population.

Population Growth: The population increased by 7.4% from 2011 to 2021, now at 812,000, with over 100 nationalities and 175 languages.

Migration History: Leeds’s diversity stems from historical and recent migration, enriching the city economically, culturally, and socially.

Current demographics and challenges

Student Population: With 75,000 students, their diverse identities shape the city, impacting housing and culture.

Aging Population: 15% of residents are over 64, often with complex health needs, requiring culturally competent services.

Social Connections: Strong social connections are crucial for health and wellbeing, especially to combat isolation and loneliness.

Community engagement and research

Surveys and Focus Groups: Engaged over 1,400 residents and 120 young people, identifying barriers to social cohesion and gathering improvement ideas.

Big Leeds Chat: Informed the Health and Wellbeing Strategy 2023-30, aligning with the Stronger Leeds strategy to address crime, antisocial behaviour, and the importance of green spaces.

Geographical impact

Unique Geography: Leeds’s urban centre and surrounding rural areas affect service delivery and community connections.

Infrastructure: Improving bus routes and voluntary sector support is key to ensuring all communities experience connection and support.

What difference do we want to make

Goals for enhancing social cohesion in Leeds:

1. Enhance community safety

Objective: Tackle anti-social behaviour, intolerance, hate, prejudice, and discrimination.

Community Feedback: Safety is crucial for social cohesion; anti-social behaviour, racism, and hate crime are major concerns.

2. Create safe spaces for dialogue

Objective: Provide opportunities for people to discuss community issues, media, and online experiences.

Community Feedback: Safe spaces are needed to tackle hate and intolerance, and to counteract the negative impact of social media on relationships.

3. Build and promote good relations in neighbourhoods

Objective: Strengthen relationships between diverse groups, build resilience to hate and intolerance, and promote civic participation.

Community Feedback: Equal life chances, trust in local services, and neighbourliness are important for social cohesion.

4. Develop our sense of belonging

Objective: Raise awareness and understanding of diverse communities, and enhance access to education, skills, and employment.

Community Feedback: Address prejudice and fear, support language learning, and promote respect and friendship across cultures.

Key actions

1. Enhance community safety:

• collaborate with residents, voluntary sector, police, housing, and other bodies
• support and promote initiatives tackling anti-social behaviour, intolerance, hate, inequality, and discrimination
• increase community tension monitoring and improve multi-agency responses to icidents
• facilitate dialogue and conflict resolution, train staff to tackle prejudice and hate, and raise awareness of hate crime reporting mechanisms
• improve understanding of links between hate crime and extremism

2. Create safe spaces:

• secure resources for education programmes in schools and youth settings. Deliver training for partners to handle difficult conversations on intolerance, hate, and extremism
• engage community partners to identify issues causing tensions and actively seek broad community engagement

3. Build and promote good relations in neighbourhoods:

• promote active citizenship and increase representation and civic participation
• ensure community voices are heard through partnerships and support local events and activities
• develop a network of social cohesion champions and provide training to tackle hate and promote social cohesion

4. Build our sense of belonging:

• create and promote volunteering opportunities, especially for younger and older people
• support initiatives encouraging visits to places of worship and cultural
• promote intercultural learning in schools and support events highlighting positive contributions from diverse communities
• encourage English language learning and target skills and employment programmes at under-represented communities

Socio economic duty

Performance indicator/measure(s)

No performance indicators are available at this time but part of the work to consider the enactment of the duty would include the development of possible indicators.

Equality analysis (rationale)

The Equality Act 2010 protects the rights of population groups with certain characteristics by law. These characteristics are known as the nine “Protected Characteristics”, and include age, race, pregnant women and disability. The Act legislated that organisations cannot discriminate against these groups and that public organisations should assess and understand the impact of decisions and policies on these groups prior to implementation (Equality Impact Assessment – EqIA).

Economically disadvantaged groups were not included as one of the protected characteristics, but were considered through a separate section of the Act, called the Socio-Economic Duty. The Socio-Economic Duty makes specific reference to those who are economically disadvantaged and legislates that public sector organisations should make specific consideration to economically disadvantaged residents in decision making and strategy development:

…when making strategic decisions, consider how their decisions might help to reduce the inequalities associated with socio-economic disadvantage. Such inequalities could include inequalities in education, health, housing, crime rates. It is for public bodies subject to the duty to determine which socio-economic inequalities they are in a position to influence.

The duty applies to specifically listed public bodies, which have strategic functions – these include government departments, local authorities and NHS bodies.

When the Equality Act 2010 was brought into law, England did not enact the Socio-Economic Duty element of it; the Scottish and Welsh governments have subsequently done so (in 2018 and 2021 respectively). However, individual public sector organisations in England have voluntarily signed up to the Duty. As of 2021, 1 in 7 councils in England had voluntarily signed up.

The current Labour administration nationally included adoption of the Socio Economic Duty in its manifesto for the 2024 election. Current indications from government suggest that a timeline of adoption in 2026 is being worked to. 

If formally enacted Public bodies would be required to take into account guidance issued by a Minister of the Crown when deciding how to fulfil the duty.

The council's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy does not include socio economic inequality/poverty (it does include social class).

In addition the councils equality impact assessment process does include poverty as an optional consideration when undertaking an Equality Impact Assessment.

Consideration of the possible enactment of the Socio Economic Duty has been considered by EDI Core Cities Group as well as at the West Yorkshire EDI Group chaired by the Mayor of West Yorkshires Inclusivity Champion.

What difference do we want to make

We want to prepare ourselves for a potential statutory duty.

In addition, work to consider adopting the Socio Economic Duty could help us to:

• improve outcomes for residents people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage
• support cross organisational and cross departmental working on addressing poverty in particular in relation to protected characteristics
• raising awareness of socio-economic inequalities within the organisation and amongst partners and greater consistency in our organisational approach
• ensure wider organisational commitment to, and consideration of, socio-economic inequalities
• support the participation of low-income residents in decisions that affect them, especially in the context of changes to services
• strengthen our equality impact assessments and assessment of policy and practice more broadly
• strengthen data gathering and analysis, especially in the conduct of equality impact assessments, thereby strengthening accountability
• support the effective and efficient allocation of resources

Key actions

• Consider our existing work to combat poverty, in particular in relation to the work of the Financial Inclusion Team, Best City and Priority Neighbourhoods work, against the proposed new duty.
• Work with Cardiff, Edinburgh and Glasgow through EDI Core Cities to understand how they have adopted the duty in their councils already.
• Work with the West Yorkshire EDI Group and other local authorities and other public bodies who have already adopted the duty to evaluate best practice.
• Consider how we can incorporate the duty in to the councils approach to giving due regard.
• Work with the Equality Hubs and the Equality Assembly to get community voice on the proposed adoption at a city wide level.

Directorate/service: Strategy and Resources

Budget impact on equality and procurement

Performance indicator/measure(s)

Social value involves looking beyond the price of each individual contract and looking at what the collective benefit to a community can be when a public body chooses to award a contract. There are a variety of measures that ensure public money is not spent on practices which lead to unfair discrimination, the following are areas we can report on:

• percentage of women (FTE) hired on the contract
• percentage of employees (FTE) BAME hired on the contract
• percentage of LGBTQ+ employees (FTE) hired on the contract
• of disabled employees (FTE) hired on the contract as a result of a recruitment programme

Improve the overall value for money for the council in terms of the goods, works and services procured through its supplier base by ensuring the following:

• foundation living wage
• good employment practices
• modern slavery
• delivery of budget savings through procurement

The council will take into account in its tender evaluation and contracting processes a contractor’s approach to equality in terms of its employment practices and service delivery.

Monitor and report on organisations whose contract has been terminated on grounds of failing to comply with equality and/or budget requirements.

Equality analysis (rationale)

We believe ‘spending money wisely’ is about more than efficiency, savings and managing risk. For example, the council spent in excess of £1 billion (revenue and capital expenditure) during 2024/25 on the procurement of its goods, works and services. That level of spending each year can have a massive influence on the big issues that face the city, as outlined in the Best council plan, and city strategies for Inclusive Growth and Health and Wellbeing.

The goods and services we chose to buy and commission, the suppliers we select and the influential relationships we aim to maintain with our suppliers by recording their approach to equality will improve the wellbeing of local people and the council as a whole. Detailed below is the status of the council’s supplier profiling:

• total amount of council expenditure: £1.20bn
• percentage of total council expenditure that is ‘local’ (within Leeds boundary): 53.2%
• percentage of total council expenditure that is with SME: 59.6%

This data will be tracked and monitored via the Procurement team.

What difference do we want to make

Ensure our suppliers support our budget spend and impact on equality procurement throughout its supplier base.

Key actions

We will build on our strong foundations and seek to improve economic, social and environmental wellbeing from our contracts, over and above the delivery of the services required by exploring how those activities can deliver the council’s wider strategic equality improvement priority outcomes at no extra cost. 

Such activities will include:

• monitoring social value in contracts and report on this
• monitor ‘Leeds’ local spend and report on this
• report on number of suppliers who are not delivering the foundation living wage and gain an understanding of their action
• reports on our contracted providers completion of the modern day slavery questionnaire