FOI request (FOIR-409584992)

Guidance to staff

Requested Mon 21 March 2022
Responded  Wed 08 June 2022

Response

Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding.

1...Does the council currently issue new employees with any and or all the following....

(a)...A language guide or similar which advises employees on the most appropriate words, phrases, and terms to use when writing to and or communicating with and or referring to their colleagues and or members of the public and or the organisation's clients/customers/service users and or representatives and employees in the organisation's stakeholder and partner organisations. Typically, such a guide will outline words, terms, and phrases to avoid for whatever reason while providing more acceptable words, terms, and phrases. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be issued/held digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction video/film.

Answer: Yes. The council has a communications toolkit which includes a house style guide and tone of voice guide, both attached

(b)...A guide or similar which helps and encourages staff to promote diversity and inclusivity both in the workplace and or in their dealings with members of the public and or in their dealings with the organisation's clients/customers/service users and or in their dealings with employees in and or representatives of the organisation's stakeholders and any partner organisations. The guide will include but will not be limited to advice on best practice when it comes to diversity and or inclusivity and or anti-discrimination policies. It will encourage staff how to avoid discrimination on the grounds of race and or religion and or gender and or sexuality and or age and or disability and or political belief and or social class and or income and or social background. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could include on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be held / issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.

Answer: Please see attached equal opportunities policy.  We also have an Equality and Diversity ELearning.

(c)....A guide or similar which advises staff on the importance of respecting and using a person's preferred gender pronoun. That person could be a colleague and or a member of the public and or one of the organisation's customers/clients/service users and or an employee and or representative of a stakeholder or partner organisation. Such guidance could be included in a staff handbook (or similar) or it could be issued in the form of specific written advice. Alternatively, it could be included on the organisation's intranet site and or it could be held /issued digitally and or it could be included in any training/induction film/video.

Answer: Yes 

2...If you have answered yes to any part (or indeed all of question one) can you please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued

Answer: Please see attached Trans equality policy

3...Since January 1, 2019, has the organisation issued any kind of guidance (as defined in question 1 a to c) to other employees other than new recruits. If the answer is yes, can you, please provide copies of the guidance irrespective of the form in which it is issued

Answer: N/A

Attachments

• FOIR-409584992_FOIR-409584992_2-Tone_of_voice.pdf
• FOIR-409584992_FOIR-409584992_2-Trans_Equality_Policy.pdf
• FOIR-409584992_FOIR-409584992_1-equalopportunities_policy.pdf
• FOIR-409584992_FOIR-409584992_1-House_style.pdf