Oxford City Council signs new charter to help make the local economy fairer for everyone

The Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership’s Charter, which was launched earlier this year, is a way for employers to show their commitment and support to making the county a fairer and more inclusive place to live and work.

As part of signing the charter, the City Council has made 13 pledges, including using local and purposeful suppliers, supporting employees to volunteer locally, hiring a diverse workforce, and providing work experience and apprenticeship opportunities for Oxford’s young people.

The City Council confirmed its intention to sign the charter at a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday (12/7). An official signing ceremony will take place in the coming weeks.

A fairer economy

The City Council’s 13 pledges are:

1. As a buyer, we pledge to continue to buy goods and services from purposeful local organisations, including SMEs, social enterprises and cooperatives, wherever possible
2. As a buyer, we pledge to continue to assess and account for the social value that a supplier can offer the local community, alongside our assessment of the economic value/financial cost of the contract
3. As a buyer, we pledge to buy from organisations who pay the Oxford Living Wage and who request this of organisations in their own supply chains wherever possible
4. As a supplier, we pledge to use local SMEs in our supply chain wherever possible and to record the percentage of the total spend
5. We pledge to support our employees to volunteer on local community projects
6. As an employer, we pledge to continue to be a Disability Confident Employer and support people with health conditions and disabilities
7. As an employer, we pledge to improve the diversity of our workforce through more inclusive recruitment practices
8. As an employer, we pledge to offer work experience to local school/college students from areas where they may experience disadvantage through referrals from partner organisations, where appropriate
9. As an employer, we pledge that every member of our workforce has the opportunity to share how they contribute to the organisation’s success and have opportunities to speak up about concerns and issues
10. As a levy-paying business, we pledge up to 25% of our unused Levy to help grow apprenticeships in Oxfordshire
11. As an employer, we will continue to work with the local food systems
12. As an organisation, we pledge to ensure that our community centres are accessible and inclusive
13. As an employer we pledge to pay the Oxford Living Wage

The City Council has a corporate objective to enable a more inclusive economy. As a result of this, the City Council is already engaging in activities to deliver against the pledges, including:

• The City Council created the Oxford Living Wage, which is set at 95% of the London Living Wage, in 2019. In November, the City Council celebrated the 100th employer signing up to pay the wage
• In November, the City Council agreed a new strategy that will see the organisation – which spends about £150m on goods, services and construction projects every year – buy more from local and ethical suppliers
• Since 2020, the City Council has created 137 job placements – creating new jobs for 71 young people in Oxford – with its government-funded Kickstart programme

The City Council’s progress and performance against the 13 pledges will be reported against annually and results shared on the City Council’s website.

The City Council’s two companies, ODS and OX Place, have also signed the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership’s Charter.

Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership

The Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership is a coalition of more than 100 local organisations – including businesses, colleges/universities, community groups, and local government – working to share knowledge, expertise and resources to create a more equal region that provides opportunities and benefits for all residents.

The work of the partnership is overseen by a steering group, which is co-chaired by Baroness Jan Royall, Principal of Somerville College and Chair of the Conference of Colleges, and Jeremy Long, Chair of Oxfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership.

Oxfordshire is one of only three regions that contribute a surplus to the UK economy but, despite its global position and perceived affluence, the county’s wealth and opportunities are not evenly distributed.

The Government’s 2019 Indices of Deprivation report found that 10 of Oxford’s 83 neighbourhood areas were among the 20% most deprived areas in England. 

For more information on the Oxfordshire Inclusive Economy Partnership, visit the organisation’s webpage.

Comment

“We are fortunate to have a strong economy in our city that is growing. But we need to ensure that it works for everyone who lives in Oxford.

“We already take many actions to share the wealth of our city with those who have least. We created and pay the Oxford Living Wage, and encourage others to do so. We buy from local businesses, provide apprenticeships for young people, and are building affordable business space.

“Signing up to these 13 pledges further underscores our commitment to this work, and we would encourage other businesses and organisations to follow suit and sign up to their own pledges to help make Oxford a fairer city.”

Councillor Susan Brown, Leader of Oxford City Council