County Councillors are to receive compulsory diversity training.

It is part of a range of plans post Covid for Cumbria County Council, who have just taken on an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Manager for it’s Fires and Rescue service.

The new diversity E-learning will now be compulsory to all staff at the county council from today.

Councillor Janet Willis Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group She said:” There should be less unconscious bias in decision making here at the council. We need to both challenge race equality and help disabled people who are now shielding.

The councillor who also represents 5 parishes across south Cumbria as well as the Fire and rescue portfolio on the council was pleased to announce the arrival of its first ethnic minority officer. She said: “Mohamed Dhalech has just been appointed as Equality Diversity and Inclusion Manager at Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service. He will be reporting back with a plan soon, which we hope will improve equality and diversity in the service.

Patricia Anne Bell, The Cabinet Member for Health and Care Services wanted to know how councillors at any level can get the training they need to tackle unconscious bias. She asked: " I feel equality and diversity is being embraced but there is still much to do. How do communities and local committees get the right information they need on diversity?”

Councillor Willis was quick to promote an initiative launched earlier this year in her reply saying: E-learning is now compulsory to all staff from this week, and it should be rolled out to all members in future weeks.

Cumbria is among the least diverse counties in the UK

on census day 2011, Cumbria’s 499,858 usual residents identified as the following:

• 482,124 identified themselves as White: British (96.5%)

• 10,133 identified themselves as White: Other (2%)

• 2,504 identified themselves as Mixed / Multiple Ethnic Group (0.5%)

• 4,066 identified themselves as Asian / Asian British (0.8%)

• 579 identified themselves as Black / African / Caribbean / Black British (0.1%)

• 452 identified themselves as Other Ethnic Group (0.1%)

This means that only 17,734 of Cumbria's residents identify as something other than White British.