Meet the EDI consultant

The Southwark Stands Together Workforce Workstream is supported by David Weaver, of DWC Consulting

We are working with DWC as an external partner, who will help us develop the work of the workforce workstream. We have asked DWC to act as a critical friend. This means that they will influence and direct our workforce strategy and help us further develop our existing action plan which sets out our strategic priorities for improving equality across the workforce. These priorities are to address structural racism, racial inequalities and injustice and remove barriers to achieving an inclusive council with representation at all levels. 

With almost 30 years’ experience in the field, David’s work has focused on designing, co-creating and delivering interventions that build higher levels of organisational / personal performance for clients across the private, public and not for profit sectors.

A former social worker, university lecturer, local authority senior manager and political advisor to senior government minsters, David’s work majors on interventions with top teams and middle managers within public services, including with local authority cabinets and senior leadership teams. He also works on leadership and organisational effectiveness issues within the NHS, education and commercial sector and large charitable organisations. His work is complemented with significant experience as a life / career coach and mediator / conflict management facilitator.

David is a former political advisor to Home Office ministers including the Deputy Home Secretary in the late 1990's. A key part of his remit was development of the government’s strategy for working with the voluntary sector, community cohesion and on creating the rationale for, and eventual establishment of the Macpherson inquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence. David represented the government on the Council of Europe body (European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia) during this period.

For over a decade, David has been part of a team commissioned by the Local Government Association (LGA) to facilitate the Leadership Academy working with leading elected councillors in England and Wales.  

David is currently president of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), having previously served as a governor / trustee (2012 to 2016) and vice president (2004 to 2009). He holds an MSc in human resources management and qualifications relating to coaching, mediation and psychological profiling.

David and his team support the SST workforce workstream on several key initiatives. This includes:

• advise the SST workforce workstream working groups on their objectives
• help prioritise all objectives of the SST workforce workstream 
• deliver solution focussed conversations for colleagues from all backgrounds
• review key policies and practices, including:
  • councils equalities approach
  • recruitment and selection
  • performance management
  • individual employee complaints procedure
  • capability
  • disciplinary
  • facility-friendly policies

Page last updated: 07 May 2021