AQW 5746/17-22

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 21/07/2020
Answered On Date: 18/08/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities what percentage of (i) all staff; and (ii) staff at Grade 5 and above, working in her Department have completed anti-racism training; and how often this training is updated.

Answer:

NICSHR diversity and inclusion training courses are reviewed and updated periodically. Reviews scheduled for 2020/21 are underway.

In 2017, Unconscious Bias training was introduced to the NICS. Whilst information relating to the percentages of staff is not readily available, I can advise that initial classroom based training was provided to Senior Civil Service (SCS Grade 5 and above) staff, with 25 Department for Communities (DfC) SCS staff completing the training. In July 2017, Unconscious Bias e-learning training was made available to all other staff and rolled out on a mandatory basis for line managers up to Grade 6 level. To date, 4131 DfC staff in grades below SCS level have completed this package.

The Introduction to Section 75 e-learning package was made mandatory in DfC for staff at the Staff Officer grade and above. Since roll out in March 2018, a total of 1055 staff, including 19 SCS members, have completed the training.