Implementation plan

Ensure the EDI policy is accessible and communicated to all its members, ODBF/ODBE employees, officeholders, volunteers and contractors appropriately by:

• creating a specific EDI diocesan website page where EDI headlines are grouped together;
• working with the comms team to raise awareness and promote the launch of the EDI policy through the approved diocesan communication channels.

Respective oversight groups are in place and functioning well;

The UKME Chapter, LGBTQIAI+ chaplaincy, women in ministry networking group, disability network offering support and mentoring to disabled clergy and licensed lay ministers (LLMs), deaf ministry team;

UKME representation in every diocesan formal committee of the ODBF and ODBE with the aspiration of this being for all in the future. 

Continue to use inclusive language in all job adverts, including the Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR);

Identify alternative mediums to attract candidates from under-represented groups to our jobs;

We aspire to ensure there is always at least one appointable UKME/GMH candidate shortlisted for senior clergy posts, bishops and diocesan senior leadership teams;

Comms team to strengthen the inclusive language on their material.

HR & Comms and those leading clergy appointments;

HR Adviser (resourcing & development);

Comms

Review current tools used for selection, i.e. application form and language used in job descriptions and adverts (being mindful that we attract people who have English as a second language);

Include a short equal opportunities policy statement on all diocesan vacancy advertisements;

Work with recruiting managers to challenge any stereotypes when shortlisting candidates;

Ensure a UKME representative is on each interview panel for senior-level appointments.

A member of the HR team to be part of the recruitment process for all ODBE/ODBF and senior clergy appointments to ensure fairness and equity and challenge anything that isn’t including: 

• referring to specific job criteria when making recruitment decisions;
• omitting all personal questions from job interviews.

To establish a robust system to monitor and capture the data needed to understand the EDI make-up of the existing ODBF and ODBE workforce and our ordained and lay ministers within the Diocese of Oxford

Circulate the EDI letter and data collection questionnaire to existing ordained and lay ministers within the Diocese of Oxford and encourage them to complete it;

To achieve agreement on how we can continue to obtain EDI data for all new clergy appointments to the diocese;

Continue to encourage existing staff (ODBF & ODBE) to update their data in Employee Self-Service (ESS);

From January 2022 all new staff requested to input data in ESS as part of their induction;

Continue to actively encourage candidates to complete the ODBE/ODBF recruitment monitoring form as part of the application process;

Consider working with parishes across the diocese on collecting, collating and monitoring EDI data for PCC leadership and other ministries to be collected and annually submitted to the diocese by the end of 2023

Sept 2022 to November 2022

December 2023

• Black History Month (October) in Milton Keynes and St Paul’s, Slough 
• Race Equality Week (6-12 February) including Racial Justice Sunday in children, young people & schools and rural communities 

• National Inclusion Week - 26^th Sept to 2^nd Oct
• LGBTQIA+ History Month – February
• Deaf awareness week – 1^st to 7^th May
• Global Accessibility Awareness Day – 18^th May
• Learning disability week – 19^th to 25^th June
• Disability Sunday
• Transgender Day of Remembrance – 20^th November
• Celebrating 125 years of ODCD – Autumn
• Pride Month – June
• Neurodiversity celebration week – 13^th to 19^th March
• Deaf awareness week – 1^st to 7^th May
• Anti-Bullying Week – 13^th to 19^th November

Ensure the EDI strands e.g., LGBTQIA+, Poverty & Inequality, Racial justice and Disability & Church diocesan website pages are up-to-date and signpost to the useful resources available;

Consider creating a separate diocesan website page for Deaf issues & church and action accordingly;

Increase awareness of the advocacy and support groups that exist within the Diocese among churches in collaboration with their members and the Comms team. These include:

• UKME Chapter & Intercultural Mission and Ministry Resourcing Hub;
• LGBTQIA+ Reference Group & LGBTQIA+ Chaplaincy Service;
• LLF Advocates  (Living in Love and Faith);
• Authorised Listeners (Bullying & Harassment);
• Support Persons (Victims & Survivors);
• Poverty & Inequality Steering Group;
• Clergy Dyslexia Forum.

Establishing the disability oversight group to support the aims and objectives of the disability strand within the EDI policy;

Explore establishing a network of contacts and support for women’s ministry across the diocese;

Create a session for new incumbents, and clergy new to the diocese around disability awareness;

Produce a series of short blogs: Top tips around disability and accessibility, church buildings and liturgy;

Host a one-day conference with the Vocations team on 25 February at Church House: Ministry through the lens of Disability;

A training session for LGBTQIA+ chaplains and its  reference group members will take place in November 2022 focussing on the subject of transgender and yearly training on other topics;

Raise awareness of the Disability Access Audit for Church Buildings tool available to support parishes in assessing their church building’s accessibility with the view to constantly increasing uptake to match or better 2022 (12);

Host the Diocesan Clergy Women’s Day on 1 October 2022 to support, promote and encourage women’s ministry in all areas within the diocese with the view of becoming an annual event;

Re-establish a pattern of regular BSL and Deaf church services across the diocese post-Covid and allow the wider Deaf community to form relationships with the new lead chaplain.

Relevant EDI strand leads with the Comms team:

Chaplain for the Deaf 

Disability Adviser

Bishop’s advisor in women’s ministry

Social Justice Adviser

To continue supporting marginalised people who are more likely to be on low incomes, particularly in the areas of disability, race, sexual orientation, and gender identity (these groups have a greater chance of experiencing poverty) to address poverty and inequality 

Our strategic work in partnership with Citizens UK equips and supports our parishes and deaneries to listen to the needs of their communities and work with them to create social change with training events and the launch of Reading and Oxford alliances;

Supporting churches to address those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis with initiatives such as warm banks, real living wage campaign and starting new support projects within this area.

To grow new congregations in the Diocese of Oxford to promote a truly mixed ecclesial ecology and nurture diverse worshipping communities: St Paul’s, Slough has been identified as the Intercultural Ministry & Mission Resourcing Hub, leading on bringing people from all cultures and ethnicities together by pioneering and modelling best practices within the area of intercultural worshipping

To help other churches begin and expand intercultural ministry and mission in their local contexts by developing resources and training to share their expertise and experience;

To implement the Intercultural Ministry & Mission Resourcing Hub and Greenhouse workplan.