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Recent releases
The Poverty and Inequalities Partnership comprises of a number of organisations, including third sector, public sector and individuals with lived experience of poverty. The group have been working tirelessly to tackle poverty and inequalities in D&G since they were established in 2021. The partnership's shared action plan aims to drive forward the Community Planning Poverty and Inequalities Strategy and so far great progress has been made across a number of key projects that support residents of Dumfries and Galloway.
The Equalities Mainstreaming Report 2021 - 2023 will be published on the Council’s website by the 30 April this year after been reviewed at Full Council on 30th March. The report highlights a number of successes from the proactive partnership as highlighted below:
- The group have launched a new Cost of Living website as a one-stop shop for our residents to access a wide range of information, help and advice to ensure they get the support they need to help them through this challenging time: https://costofliving.dumgal.gov.uk/
- Introduction of the ‘RespectMe’ interactive website which offers staff online Antibullying and Positive Relationship modules to ensure those staff working with children are equipped to respond to bullying: https://www.dumgal.gov.uk/article/26464/Positive-Behaviour-and-Anti-Bullying
- Promotion of the ‘Recite Me’ accessibility tool on Council websites to allow each user to gain the information they need in a way that suits their needs.
The report also details the partnerships ability to reduce the Gender Pay Gap in 2022 to 4.65%, which is significantly lower than the national average of 12.2% (office of National Statistics), showcasing the commitment for attracting and retaining the diverse workforce that the council has and values.
Councillor Malcolm Johnstone, Convener of Dumfries and Galloway Council said: “It is imperative that tackling poverty and inequalities remain a priority for our council. Working alongside our communities, we must continue to support and invest to ensure we help residents who need it the most receive appropriate help. This report highlights a tremendous amount of good work being done across the board with everything from the cost-of-living website to the work being done in closing the gender pay gap. Whilst the actions within the ‘Our People Strategy’ end in 2026 this report shows the giant leaps that have already taken to accomplish the aims set. Our new Council Plan 2023 – 2028 sets out our commitment to equality of opportunity for all people within our region which will be underpinned by the work we set out to achieve through our Equality Outcomes and this report.”
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