Kingston Upon Hull City Council Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/08
The Next Steps 2006/07
1 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 The Next Steps 2006/07
Contents 1. Foreword
2. Introduction
3. Hull City Council’s Vision and Strategic Priorities – where does equalities fit?
4. What will equality look like when we have it? – our vision for equality and diversity
5. How does this Plan link to all the other Plans the City Council has?
• How did we decide what to put in the Plan? • Consultation • Government standards • What’s not in the Plan?
6. Relationship of the Corporate Equalities Plan to the Race Equality Scheme
7. Relationship of the Corporate Equalities Plan to the Disability Equality Scheme
8. Our resources for equalities work
9. Our contractors
10. Our partnerships
11. Structure of the Plan
12. Performance indicators which are about equalities actions
14. Monitoring of the Plan – keeping track of how we are doing
15 . How will our customers and other partners know if we have done what we say we will do?
2 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6
16 Timetable for publication and updating of the Plan
Equalities Action Plan
1. Consultation, Community Development and Scrutiny
2. Employment and Training
3. Leadership and Corporate Commitment
4. Service Delivery and Customer Care
Appendices
1. Diagram of how Plans relate to each other
2. Involved in consultation
3. Legislation
4. Performance Indicators about Equalities Actions
3 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6
1. Foreword
To be completed
4 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 2. Introduction
Hull City Council is committed to treating people fairly, with dignity and respect. Everyone who lives or works in or visits this City, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, sexuality, disability, age or faith should experience high quality services and customer care from the City Council and all of it’s staff. As a community leader, an employer and a provider of services to people in Hull, the City Council is determined to make significant improvement. Part of this improvement is about being aware of the diverse range of needs people have as well as their different aspirations. This Plan is a reflection of that determination to improve. Equality is about everyone. It is not about treating everyone the same – it’s about ensuring people aren’t treated unfairly or given less opportunities and choices because of who they are. It is about making reasonable changes to suit different needs so that there is a level playing field. It is also about removing barriers that we have put up - often without meaning to. Some groups of people are more disadvantaged than others and need specific attention. In order to make the commitment to treating people fairly a reality, the City Council is adopting a systematic approach to improving. There is collective ownership from both Members and the Corporate and Senior Management Teams to improve. In consultation with members of the public, they asked that the Plan be clear, easily understandable and above all, achievable. The Plan is quite long – it is difficult to avoid this due to the requirements set by Government and the law. But it is also lengthy because we have again put into it the main priorities that came from customer consultation. This Corporate Equalities Plan 2006/07 – The Next Steps , outlines the actions we need to take for the second phase of the City Council’s journey to Equality and the continuation of our process of systematic improvement.
5 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 3. Hull City Council’s Vision and Strategic Priorities – where do equalities fit?
The Local Government Act (2000) made the community leadership role a statutory one for all local authorities. The Act gave local authorities a new power to “promote well-being”, which enables local decisions to made regarding social, economic and environmental improvements. In its community leadership role the City Council embraces and welcomes the diversity within the City and recognises the rich contribution that different people make to the life of a city which is currently at an exciting turning point of regeneration and renewal. Community leadership is about establishing a collective and shared vision, good political and managerial relationships, collective focus on things that matter and genuine engagement with communities, listening to many voices in order to drive change and ensure quality services. Equalities is at the heart of what the City Council aims to do. It is the ‘golden thread’ that runs through all of our work. We recognise that our Vision statement and list of strategic priorities, as set out below, are not truly achievable unless we positively face equality issues and treat all people fairly.
Hull City Council Vision, Mission, Values Statement for the Authority
A City Vision Kingston upon Hull is a unique, vibrant European city, rich in culture and confidence, where people are proud to live, learn, work, play, visit and invest. The City Council’s Mission The City Council will strive to secure a positive and sustainable future for the city. This will be achieved through decisive leadership, consultation, the development of inclusive and meaningful partnerships and the support of active and empowered communities.
The City Council is committed to:- 1. Providing the good quality services that people need. 2. Actively seeking to develop worthwhile and sustainable partnerships at a local, national and international level. 3. Developing the full potential of the city and its people by being outward looking, enhancing its image, celebrating its achievements and building on the pride people have in their communities. 4. Promoting social inclusion and effecting an urban renaissance. 5. Rejuvenating the city’s economy and environment.
6 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 6. Supporting individuals and communities to create safe and healthy environments in which they can flourish. 7. Learning from others and seeking best practice (e.g. responding effectively to the challenges posed by the Corporate Governance Inspection).
Core Values
Communicating openly and honestly.
Putting people and communities at the heart of everything we do.
Ensuring people are treated equally and that difference is valued.
Valuing and investing in people as the City Council’s key resource.
Encouraging local democracy and public accountability.
Being responsive to changing aspirations, priorities and opportunities.
Striving for excellence.
Concentrating on outcomes, not process.
Contributing to and taking an interest in all new initiatives within the city.
7 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 4. What will equality look like when we have it? – Our vision for equality and diversity Kingston upon Hull City Council values the increasing diversity of the communities and people of the City of Hull. We not only recognise the strengths that diversity brings but also the barriers that can prevent full inclusion and engagement in the life of the City. Therefore, in accordance with its core values the Council is committed to raising the quality of life in Hull by improving the well-being of all of its people in all of the communities, putting people and communities at the heart of everything it does. Recognising and meeting the needs of diversity is about everyone having fair access to the Council’s services. This may mean that for some groups specific provisions are made in order to support them to gain access e.g. make adaptations, hold an event on a particular day or time of day, put on ‘women only’ swimming sessions because some women feel embarrassment swimming with men, or translate a pamphlet into a language other than English. It’s about finding out how we can best tailor services to meet individual needs and differences. In ensuring that people are treated fairly, equally, with respect and that difference is valued we are committed to ensuring that no-one is disadvantaged by virtue of their race, disability, gender, sexuality, age, religious beliefs, income level, where they live, health status or family circumstances. In pursuing our values of open and honest communication, and encouraging local democracy and accountability we are committed to the principles of fairness and equality which will underpin all of our policies, procedures and practices. The Council is committed to developing the full potential of the City and its people, promoting inclusion and access and supporting individuals and communities to create safe and healthy environments in which they can live and thrive.
The City Council will ensure that its customer services and information are accessible to all - equality and diversity is about excellent customer care. In providing a better customer experience we will recognise and cater for difference, this includes employing staff who reflect our customer’s differences.
What will Equality look like when we have it? – our Vision Diversity is seen as strength
••• Everyone will feel valued and treated with respect. ••• Residents will feel that all parts of the community get on together. ••• People`s differences are understood and respected ••• Everyone will have similar life opportunities in work, education, training, housing and leisure and the opportunity to achieve their potential. ••• No one group of people will be treated more favourably than another.
8 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 ••• Everyone will equally be able to access and use services and information in ways appropriate to their needs and satisfaction levels will be similar. ••• Services will be provided in ways that are sensitive to, and reflective of, a person’s culture ••• We will understand the make up, needs and satisfaction levels of our communities and workforce. ••• Everyone will have equality of opportunity to participate in decision-making for the community. ••• The make up of the Councils workforce will represent the community we serve in terms of the whole workforce and in the seniority of posts held. ••• There will be zero tolerance of discrimination and harassment of any kind
9 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 5. How does this Plan link to all the other Plans that the City Council has or is involved in? There are a lot of plans in this local authority. It can be confusing about how all these Plans relate to each other and have any relevance to services within the City Council and the people who work in them (see Appendix 1).
The major plans that we have at the moment are: The Improvement Programme – this sets out how the City Council will improve in the next year on all the areas that have been identified as weak or in need of attention. You can find the Management Plan for this Programme on the Hull City Council website: www.hullcc.gov.uk The Corporate Plan – this is the Plan which outlines the activities the City Council will undertake in the next year, in order to meet the strategic priorities of the City Council and contribute to the Community Strategy (see below). Equalities related activity is woven into the Corporate Plan, rather than bolted onto it, in order to ensure that the values and actions relating to dignity, respect and fairness are a part of what everyone does and is responsible for. The Council will also ensure that its services start to impact specifically on three Priority Audiences identified by the Community Strategy. These are: 1) Children, young people and their carers, 2) Older people and their carers and 3) Black and minority ethnic people, disabled people and their carers and other traditionally marginalised and excluded groups. ¹ One of the challenges for this year is to provide a better customer experience. The Community Strategy – Living, Learning and Working - this strategy has been developed by the agencies and sectors (public, private and voluntary) which make up the Local Strategic Partnership, Cityvision who together work to improve the city and the lives of the people who live here. The Community Strategy sets out the actions needed to make real the City’s aspirations. It recognises that to ensure that everyone benefits, it will be important to focus efforts on particular groups of people who will need to benefit most – the three priority audiences. It sets out how we will support those people who need more help to benefit from the opportunities that will be created. The Community Strategy, The Corporate Plan and The Corporate Equalities Plan share a common vision of fairness for the city and its communities.
1 Black and minority ethnic people include gypsies and travellers, refugees, asylum seekers and European migrants. Disabled people include people with physical and sensory disabilities, people with learning disabilities and people with mental health problems. Traditionally marginalised and excluded groups can be defined as Homeless people, Lesbian, gay bisexual and trans people, Substance misusers, Commercial sex workers, Homeless people, People who work all day, Families within the child protection system, Those within the criminal justice system (including ex- offenders)
10 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6
The City Council is playing its part in raising the profile of equalities and community cohesion within the Local Strategic Partnership and will highlight the importance of these areas for the future of the City. The Community Cohesion Strategy – Hull Together –The Local Strategic Partnership Cityvision and its partners have developed Hull Together, the Community Cohesion Strategy, which provides a clear framework to improve community relations (the sense of togetherness and how well people get on together with the people they live near and work with) at all levels across the City.
11 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 6. How did we decide what to put in the Plan? The Corporate Equalities Plan 2006/2007 provides an over arching framework for equalities which officers, Elected Members and other stakeholders can understand and work together to action. The Plan is a living, working document. It incorporates the City Council’s actions from Hull Together - the Community Cohesion Strategy, the Race Equality Scheme and the Access Strategy.
Consultation We have consulted with a wide range of individuals and groups before writing the Corporate Equalities Plan. Consultation has been ongoing this year through a range of existing groups and forums, individuals and members of the public across the voluntary and community sector, Council staff, the Council’s partners and stakeholders. It is possible that we have missed groups or people out. If you feel you that we have missed something out or have you have different priorities – then let us know – it’s never too late and we are continually adapting what we are doing In December 2005 a conference was held with partners and stakeholders including the voluntary and community sector to consult upon and inform the development of the plan. This has helped to identify some of the main priorities identified from different sections of the community. The people involved were asked what the priorities should be for the City Council in terms of: • Commitment and leadership from the City Council • Service delivery and customer care • Employment and training of staff • Community consultation, development and scrutiny We are very grateful to people who freely gave their views. The process of consultation demonstrated that the public are experts in identifying issues, but more importantly, developing solutions. Many of the suggestions given are what the Government is expecting local authorities to do. Other suggestions are practical, could result in better value for money, are common sense and will make a real difference to some people’s lives. We have grouped together the main range of issues and ideas and tried to reflect these in this Plan. In addition we sent a draft of the Plan to all those who participated in the consultation and a range of organisations, stakeholders and individuals to ask for their feedback. A list of those people and agencies we consulted is shown at Appendix 2. Government standards The Government and organisations working closely with Government have produced a range of standards, guidance and good practice around equalities. There are too many guides and standards to mention here, but, for example, there are recent good practice guides on:
12 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 • work with gypsies and travellers, (Commission for Racial Equality) • working with people with mental health problems ( Social Exclusion Unit) • community cohesion (The Home Office) The overarching standard for equalities is the Equality Standard for Local Government. The Equality Standard The Equality Standard for Local Government is designed to put in place a range of processes that will provide the basis for continuous improvement in equality policy and practice. There are 5 levels to the standard, with Level 5 being the most advanced. The Equality Standard is not statutory, so local authorities have a choice about whether to work to the Equality Standard or not. Hull City Council has decided to adopt the Equality Standard, has just achieved Level 2 and is currently working to achieve Level 3. Many of the actions in this Plan are part of what the City Council must do to embed level 2 and achieve Level 3 of the Equality Standard by March 2007. Because of the importance of the Equality Standard in driving our improvement, the actions relating to the Equality Standard are not negotiable. Legislation The Plan has been developed in the context of equalities legislation. A list of the legislation that is most relevant to equalities for local authorities appears in Appendix 3. During 2006 we will be working in the context of the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 which provides new statutory duties for Councils to actively promote disability equality, eliminate unlawful discrimination and promote equal opportunities for disabled people. It also requires the Council to develop a Disability Equality Scheme by December 2006 in partnership with disabled people. In October 2006 the Employment Equality (Age) Regulation 2006 provisions come into force covering older and younger people. These outlaw age discrimination in employment and vocational training. More legislation is expected in 2007, including gender equality. What’s not in the Plan? It should be noted that not every single action the City Council will take on equalities is in this Plan. This is partly due to the practical task of trying to capture every single action across a large organisation, but is also because the public, in consultation, asked that the Plan be as short as possible. We are currently developing our Access Strategy into a Disability Equality Scheme in partnership with Disabled People. This Plan will be revised to incorporate the actions identified in the development of the Disability Equality Scheme and from the annual review of the Race Equality Scheme later this year. All of the Service Areas within the City Council have their own Equality Action Plans, into which will go the actions they need to take because of this Corporate Equalities Plan. In addition, Service Areas will also put in their own actions into their own Plans some of which will be identified from their equality impact/ needs assessment of their policies and procedures. All Service Areas have detailed Equality Action Plans and these will be available on the Council’s website at XXXXXX
13 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 It is recognised that without making significant progress on equalities, Service Areas and the City Council as a whole will not be able to achieve excellence by 2008.
14 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 7. Relationship of the Corporate Equalities Plan to the Race Equality Scheme Under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, public bodies have a duty to produce and monitor race equality schemes. Hull City Council has a Race Equality Scheme, which at the time of writing, we are revising. The Equality Standard and the Race Equality Scheme, whilst different, are both aiming to achieve the same thing – continuous improvement and real change in equality outcomes. The Commission for Racial Equality, which was a partner in developing the Equality Standard, supports the integration of the two approaches. Therefore, the actions that need to be taken that relate to the Race Equality Scheme are incorporated into the Corporate Equalities Plan. However, the way in which we have written the Corporate Equalities Plan means that we can separately monitor the actions associated with the Race Equality Scheme. This Corporate Equalities Plan will incorporate the actions from the annual review of the Race Equality Scheme 2006/2007. Equality Impact Assessments The Council has a three year programme of equality impact assessments. This is outlines in the Race Equality Scheme. The Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 provides public authorities with a specific duty to review and assess Council functions and policies for their impact on race equality. Whilst not yet required by legislation to do so, (with the exception of race) Hull City Council is assessing impact and needs/requirements across the six equality strands of race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, and faith. We will publish the results of all assessments and workforce monitoring on the Council website.
15 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 8. Relationship of the Corporate Equalities Plan to the Disability Equality Scheme Under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 from December 2006 public bodies will have a duty to produce and monitor Disability Equality Schemes.
Hull City Council currently has an Access Strategy which we are in the process of developing into a Disability Equality Scheme in partnership with disabled people. As with the Race Equality Scheme, the actions relating to disabled people are incorporated into the Corporate Equalities Plan and can be monitored separately. This Corporate Equalities Plan will be revised to incorporate the actions arising from the development of the Disability Equality Scheme later this year.
9. Resources The Council is committed to integrating equality and diversity policies into mainstream service planning and budget allocation. In terms of resources to deliver against the Plan, it is expected that each Service Area will identify any resource implications and meet these from their existing budgets or capacity. Much of what needs to happen is not about more money, but is more about officers incorporating equalities actions into their systems, practices and specific projects. The Council also devotes dedicated resources to developing, promoting and monitoring our Corporate Equality Plan. The Corporate Equality Unit and Human resources provide corporate policy development, scrutiny and practical support. In 2006 we appointed two specialist Equality and Diversity training officers who provide specific and general equalities training appropriate for the needs of different staff. We intend to further increase resources this year by an additional 18 and a half hour Equality Officer post. Each service area has a lead officer and an Equalities Steering Group with responsibility for co-ordinating the implementation of the Plan at service level to front line service delivery.
16 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 10. Contractors We will operate fair contracting and procurement policies in line with best practice guidance from the Commission for Racial Equality. Through procurement of services we will ensure that our contractors assist us in our duties under the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 and under the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 to promote Race and Disability Equality. Our policies will also ensure that contractors assist us in progressing beyond compliance by promoting equality for all groups. We will monitor contractor compliance with equality requirements and we will encourage contractors to develop best practice in equality and diversity. This includes organisations and agencies which the Council commissions services from through a Service Level Agreement.
11. Partnerships Partnership arrangements that the City Council is involved in will all incorporate equality policy statements and objectives to promote equality and diversity across the six equality strands.
12. Structure of the Plan The Corporate Equalities Plan divides the actions needed into the 4 sections of the Equality Standard, which are: • Commitment and leadership from the City Council • Community consultation, development and scrutiny • Service delivery and customer care • Employment and training of staff
The Plan has been written in such a way that we can monitor progress against the Plan and update it as a living, working document. The technology allows people to look at actions relating specifically to any of the 6 strands of equality,or by the service areas that need to take action. It is intended to have the Plan on the City Council’s website and the public will be able to track progress and look into the detail of Plan.
13. Performance indicators which are about equalities actions There are a number of Government set performance indicators which all Councils are required to set targets against. Councils then measure how well they perform against these targets. These indicators are often called “BVPIs” which stands for Best Value Performance Indicators. There are hundreds which every local authority has to report on and they are subject to change. In 2006 we will also be surveying the community regarding perceptions of community cohesion. The BVPIs that are particularly important for equalities related work are shown at Appendix 4.
17 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 14. Monitoring of the Plan – keeping track of how we are doing It is the overall responsibility of the Chief Executive, and Deputy Chief Executive to make sure that equality action plans and targets are in place and working to deliver this Plan. Every manager and employee has a part to play in implementing the Plan. In order for this plan to be successful managers will understand how true customer care can only be achieved through proper consideration and addressing of the equalities issues that present – and that this is their core business. All reports regarding decisions to be made must now include equalities considerations and impacts.
The Cabinet has a collective responsibility for overseeing achievement of Plan and its progress. The Scrutiny Commission have responsibility for checking its contents, objectives and performance against the plan.
The City Council has a Corporate Equalities Group, which is chaired by the deputy Chief Executive. Membership is at Head of Service level across all service areas. This Group, which meets bi-monthly, is responsible for improvements in both equality policy and practice. It oversees progress against the Corporate Equalities Plan and gets regular reports on what has been achieved and which actions are proving more difficult to achieve. It also gets feedback from community representatives and groups, takes responsibility for overseeing consultation and scrutiny and co-ordinating self assessment and audit processes against the Equality Standard. All service areas have an Equalities Action Plan which outlines the actions a service area is responsible for to improve equality and diversity and mainstream it across the service area. The service area action plans are monitored at monthly Service Area Equalities Steering Groups chaired by the relevant Head of Service. Membership is drawn from all levels across the service area. The groups are supported and advised by a named officer from the Equalities Unit. The groups are responsible for self-assessment of their service area’s progress against the Equality Standard. The Equalities Unit will ensure independent audit of evidence for the self assessment. This year the Council’s progress against the Equality Standard will also be externally audited by a peer local authority and the Audit Commission. The Equality Forum will provide scrutiny and challenge. In addition, in the autumn of this year the Council will also be assessed by an Audit Commission Comprehensive Performance Assessment of which equalities and diversity plays a significant role. The Corporate Equalities Unit is made up of specialist officers who oversee the detail of the Plan and work closely with Service Areas and the area committees to advise and support them in the work they need to undertake. Some actions are quite straightforward and can be achieved relatively quickly, whilst other actions are long term and are more difficult to achieve, or even measure, because they are about changing the culture of the organisation and how well we deliver services to people. We will use customer and staff feedback and the range of monitoring that the City Council has to undertake to monitor our progress. In addition the City Council will assess the impact of our policies and practices on different groups and these assessments will also help us to understand where the City Council is making progress and where there are still
18 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 areas which need attention. We will also consult upon and publish the results of our impact assessments and monitoring.
An Equalities Section of the City Council Web Site has been established. A copy of the Corporate Equalities Plan will be posted on the Web Site and quarterly updates will be added.
19 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 15. How will our customers and other organisations know if we have done what we say we will do? First and foremost customers and other organisations will judge if we have done what we have set out to do by the way in which they experience contact with the City Council and what the organisation does and says as a community leader. Other than direct experience, progress on the Plan will be discussed in the Equalities Forum of community representatives, which was established in 2005/06, existing community and voluntary fora and groups e.g. Disability Focus Group, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Forum, Interfaith Forum, Women’s Network and a new Ethnic Minority Forum which will be established by the Black and Minority Ethnic group Umbrella Organisation as detailed in the Plan. Equalities Officers meet regularly with these groups to give and receive feedback on progress. We are always actively seeking feedback.
In addition, we will publish our achievements and areas which remain to be achieved each year, in the spring, after a progress report has gone to both the City Council Cabinet and Scrutiny Commission. The progress report will help us to revise the Equalities Action Plan each year.
16. Timetable for publication and updating of the Plan June 2006: Draft Corporate Equalities Plan to Cabinet for approval. July 2006: Corporate Equalities Plan updated by actions from review of race Equality Scheme and published and available on the City Council website. November 2006: Corporate Equalities Plan updated by actions from Disability Equality Scheme. December 2006: Consultation with community representatives, City Council employees, Elected Members and other agencies on what priorities should be for the revised Plan 2007/2008 May 2007: Report to Cabinet highlighting progress made against the Plan and approval sought for the draft Plan for 2007/2008. July 2007 : Corporate Equalities Plan published and available on City Council website.
20 The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 Appendix 1 - Diagram of how Plans relate to each other
Community
Strategy
Corporate Plan Medium Term Financial Plan
Service Plans
Team Plans
StrategicPlans Equalities Plan,
Including Corporate Personal Performance and Development
Plans
(Achievement and Developments)
Appendix 2 – Involved in Consultation
Africa Forum Afro-Caribbean Society, Hull University Age Concern Arthritis Care Asylum Seekers & Refugees of Kingston upon Hull (ARKH) Bangladeshi Cultural Society of Hull Bosnia-Herzegovina Assoc.
The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 21 BEGOP CAB Ethnic Minority Advice Project CAB Leo Schultz Project Cameroon Cultural Association of Hull Carer’s Centre Children's Centre The Children's Fund Choices & Rights Congolese Association Connexions Council for Drug Problems Dads Against Drugs Disability Focus Group East Hull PCT Eastern European Community Federation for the Blind Goodwin Community Wardens Gypsy & Traveller Project (Hull DOC) HABINTEG HAIG HASSG The Haven Project HERID HERIB Hull and East Riding Council for Disabled People Hull & East Riding Asian Cultural Assoc. Hull & ER Hindu Cultural Association Hull African Initiatives Support Project Hull Afro-Caribbean Assoc. Hull Al-Noor Youth Project (Berkerly Street Mosque) Hull Asylum Seekers Support Group (HASSG) Hull Chinese Cultural Association Hull Chinese Cultural Centre Hull Chinese School Hull City Council Employees Fora Hull City Council YPSS Hull Jewish Representative City Council Hull Mosque & Islamic Centre Hull Muslim Women’s Association Hull Youth Council Humber All Nations Alliance Humberside Ethnic minorities Information and Resource Centre Humberside PIAG Humberside Police Imam Al-Hassan Association Improvement & Development Agency (IDeA) Indian Assoc. of Humberside Interfaith Forum International Community & Christian Fellowship (ICCF) Jewish Welfare Assoc
The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 22 Khedrupje Buddhist Centre Kurdish Information & Advocacy Centre Learning Disability Partnership Board Learning Disability Service User Forum MER Social Programme MENCAP Mental Health Action Group Mental Health Trust Men United Standing Together Pakistan Kashmir Association Pearson Park Mosque Polish Community Racial Harmony Group Refugee Lifeline RNIB SEARCH Sikh Temple & Community Centre Stroke watch Transition Taboo Voice and Influence Group Warren West Hull PCT Youth Service
The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 23 Appendix 3 - Legislation
Hull City Council’s commitment to equalities is underpinned by national and European equalities legislation. Some of the actions in the Plan relate to pieces of legislation that the local authority has a duty to comply with.
Gender • Equal Pay Act 1970 (as amended) • Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (as amended) • Equal Pay (Amendment) Regulations 1983 • Sex Discrimination Act 1986 • Sex Discrimination ( Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999 • Sex Discrimination ( Indirect Discrimination and Burden of Proof) Regulations 2001 • Gender Recognition Act 2004 Race • Race Relations Act 1976 • Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 • Race Relations Act (Amendment) Regulation 2003 Disability • Disability Discrimination Act 1995 • Disability Discrimination Act 2005 • Disability Rights Commission Act`1999 Sexual Orientation ••• Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulation 2003 • The Civil Partnerships Act Faith ••• Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulation 2003 General ••• Human Rights Act 1998 ••• Data Protection Act 1998 ••• Freedom of Information Act 2000
In addition to legislation that is in place already, the City Council is mindful of preparing for new legislation. In particular:
• Employment Equality (Age) Regulation 2006 • Equality Act 2006 • DDA 2005
The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 24 APPENDIX 4 - PERFORMANCE INDICATORS ABOUT EQUALITIES ACTIONS
BVPI Description 2003/04 2003/04 2004/05 2004/05 2005/06 2005/6 2006/07 Target Performance Target Performance Target Performance Target 2a The level (if any) of the 0 0 1 1 2 2 3 Equality Standard for local government to which the authority conforms 2b The duty to promote 55% 33% 33% 36.8% 55% Jun-06 77% race equality (expressed as a percentage score against a checklist) 156 The percentage of No data 1.82% 19% 9.41% 38% Jun-06 57% Authority buildings open to the public in which all public areas are suitable for & accessible to disabled people 11a Percentage of top 38% 36.33% 38% 40.6% 41% Jun-06 41.5% posts filled by women 11b Percentage of top 5% 1% 1.35% 1.5% 0.9% 1.75% Jun-06 2% earners filled by minority ethnic staff.
The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 25 BVPI Description 2003/04 2003/04 2004/05 2004/05 2005/06 2005/6 2006/07 Target Performance Target Performance Target Performance Target 11c Percentage of top 5% Not Not Not Not Not Jun-06 Not earners with disabilities Applicable Applicable Applicable Applicable Applicable Applicable 16a The percentage of local 3.48% 1.29% 1.96% 1.25% 2.63% Jun-06 3.3% authority employees declaring that they meet the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 disability definition 16b The percentage of 17.45% 17.45% 17.45% 17.45% 17.45% Jun-06 17.45% economically active disabled people in the authority area declaring that they meet the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 disability definition 17a The percentage of local 1.3% 1.15% 1.3% 1.17% 1.43% Jun-06 1.57% authority employees from minority ethnic communities
The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 26 BVPI Description 2003/04 2003/04 2004/05 2004/05 2005/06 2005/6 2006/07 Target Performance Target Performance Target Performance Target 17b The percentage of 2.55% 2.54% 2.55% 2.55% 2.55% Jun-06 2.55% economically active minority ethnic community population in the authority area 54 Older people helped to 85% 95% 96% 98.65% 99.00% Jun-06 99.50% live at home per 1,000 population aged 65 or over. (PAF C32) 74b Satisfaction of council 60% 71.4% NR 71.4% Not Jun-06 83% house tenants with the (+/-10%) (+/-10%) Required overall service provided by their landlord: BME tenants 75b Satisfaction of council Not 51.9% Not 51.9% Not Jun-06 66% house tenants with Required (+/-10%) Required (+/-10%) Required opportunities for participation in management and decision making in relation to housing services provided by their landlord: BME tenants
The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 27 BVPI Description 2003/04 2003/04 2004/05 2004/05 2005/06 2005/6 2006/07 Target Performance Target Performance Target Performance Target 164 Does the authority Yes No Yes No Yes Jun-06 Yes follow the Commission for Racial Equality's code of practice in rented housing and follow the Good Practice Standards for social landlords on tackling harassment included in the code of Practice for Social Landlords: Tackling Racial Har 165 % of pedestrian 1 90% 100% 91% 100% Jun-06 100% crossings with facilities for disabled people 174 The number of racial 85.8 85.8 82.5 128.7 80 Jun-06 78.5 incidents recorded by the authority per 100,000 population 175 The percentage of 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% Jun-06 100% racial incidents that resulted in further action 225 Action against Not Not Not Not Not Jun-06 domestic violence Applicable Applicable Applicable Applicable Applicable
The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 28
In addition to these national performance indicators all service delivery plans will include local equality objectives and action plans open to inspection and audit.
The Next Steps Corporate Equalities Plan 2005/6 29