Editorial Comment:

Equality and Diversity in Local Government in England: A Literature Review

LOCAL AND REGIONAL GOVERNMENT RESEARCH PROGRAMME

Extracts from executive Summary

Summary
This report provides an overview of recent literature, which examines how local authorities in England have dealt with issues of equality and diversity. Three themes are covered in relation to equality and diversity: representation and participation; employment; services. The review has found a wide range of literature dealing with ethnic minorities and women and their experiences of local government and a small body of literature dealing with young people’s participation in local government.

In contrast, little or no literature was found dealing with sexual orientation, disability, and class in the context of local government. While there is a large body of literature dealing with housing and social services provision, and which is beyond the scope of this overview, there is little which looks at equality in service provision holistically and across the range of local authority activity.

Employment
Women comprise the majority of local authority employees, at just under three quarters of the workforce. In contrast, ethnic minority employees are, on average, under-represented in local authority workforces relative to their population size in England.
Both women and ethnic minority local authority employees report more barriers in climbing the career ladder, compared to men and white colleagues.

The literature identifies a 'glass ceiling’ through which many women and ethnic minority employees in local government find it difficult to pass through. There are very few women or ethnic minority chief executives and there is also under-representation at chief officer level. In addition, problems remain if promotion is secured: the evidence cited here is that senior women and ethnic minority staff do face discrimination, including direct discrimination.

This has a negative impact on those who have not broken through the glass ceiling: for women there is evidence that the attitude of male senior staff and elected members towards senior women staff is a factor in deciding against applying for promotion.
Both vertical and horizontal segregation (lack of promotion; over-representation in particular departments) is apparent across the different sectors of local authority employment. For part-time women manual workers, there is a tendency for neglect in the implementation of equal opportunities policies, and flexible working may be something which is imposed rather than chosen.

In terms of recruitment, both women and black officers have expressed concern about the role which elected members play in selection of officers, which they believe is to the detriment of candidates who are from ethnic minorities. In addition, while ethnic
minority managers do have aspirations to reach the top (chief executive), this is tempered by concerns about becoming isolated as the career ladder is scaled.

Overall, it should be noted that local government has achieved much that neither the private employment sector nor national government have achieved. However, the gains made by women and ethnic minorities in local authorities have been made at a relatively slow pace. Having said that, the equal opportunities policies of local authorities, and their commitment to implementing them meaningfully are obviously still attractive features of local authority employment for women and ethnic minority people.

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