Everyone Matters Cardiff Council - Strategic Equality Plan Annual Report 2013/14 Foreword Welcome to the updated issue of the City of Cardiff Council’s Strategic Equality Plan, ‘ Everyone Matters’ , annual report 2013/14 (first issued in April 2014). This document reports on work carried out during the second year of ‘Everyone Matters’ , which was initially launched and published in March 2012. This updated issue re-emphasizes efforts and commitments made by Council Directorates to achieve many of the Council’s planned equalities outcomes for 2013/14, building on our aspirations and the foundations for a fairer society for all of Cardiff’s citizens in future years. Since 1 April 2014 we have made further progress towards reducing inequalities, as well as assisting in and recognizing areas for improvement that will require a number of years of continued effort to successfully address. When we come to produce our annual report for 2014/15 this time next year, we will be able to show the early fruits of the Administration’s new vision for Cardiff, with an increased emphasis on working co-operatively with our partners, networks and citizens to achieve improved social justice and inclusion. In recent times the City of Cardiff Council has developed a vision ‘To be Europe’s most liveable Capital City’ focusing on four key priorities (Education and Skills for People of All Ages; Supporting People in Vulnerable Situations; Sustainable Economic Development as the Engine for Growth and Jobs; and Working with People and Partners to Design, Deliver and Improve Services). This vision and priorities will help us focus our work in coming months as we work towards publishing our second Strategic Equality Plan on 1 April 2016. In my role as Cabinet Portfolio holder responsible for equality and diversity, I am committed to advancing the outcomes set out in ‘Everyone Matters’ – building on Cardiff’s reputation as a warm and welcoming place, where diverse communities have come together to form a truly special city. Councillor Daniel De’Ath, Cabinet Member (Safety, Democracy and Engagement) March 2015 2 Our Vision for a Fair, Just and Inclusive Society Cardiff, the capital city of Wales, is the nation’s major centre of population, employment, business services and public administration. It is the seat of national government, providing a unique environment and culture that has, for more than a century, attracted settlers from all corners of the world. We want to retain and celebrate our uniqueness – The ‘Diff . This Administration has a co-operative vision, and has adopted three key values recommended by our employees – ‘Open’ ‘Fair’ and ‘Together’. Building on the great steps forward set out in this Equality Annual Report for 2013/14, the year ahead promises to be an exciting and challenging period for Cardiff and its communities. The ambition to become Europe’s most liveable Capital City ushers in a new era of community engagement and co-production which is at the heart of the Council’s relationship with its citizens. This brief overview illustrates a few examples of this vision as they relate to matters of equality. Cardiff and Cardiff Council have benefited from the city’s cultural diversity and generational richness, two factors that have helped the city evolve and react in unity to demographic, economic and societal changes. The City of Cardiff Council is committed to the goals of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Bill, due to be published in March 2015; working to tackle intergenerational challenges, ensuring that the Council’s services deliver long term goals not just for Cardiff but in co-operation with other partners across Wales in a spirit of co-production for the future well-being of the whole nation. As a co-operative Council, the views and opinions of people across Cardiff are of fundamental importance to us in shaping services that meet the needs of all. The three year programme of engagement launched in 2014 under the title “The Cardiff Debate” has engaged thousands of citizens, both in local communities and in specific communities of interest such as Cardiff Youth Council, the City’s Access Focus Group and Older Person’s Forums. Although co-production is central to our co-operative vision, the current financial challenges facing Cardiff have made partnership with communities more vital than ever, to ensure that we can together preserve services and facilities at a time of austerity. We are aware that for local communities, “Stepping Up” to adopt management of facilities traditionally managed by the Council is a significant ask, and want to do all within our power to support community groups as they step up to the challenge. The Council is developing a “single view of the customer”, so that people can access a range of Council and partner services in a consistent and accessible manner. Our aim is to create a network of service points that bring together essential public services like libraries, housing, leisure, benefits advice and a wide range of other Council services such as waste management and street lighting under one roof. 3 The Council’s Community Hubs Programme has seen the delivery of multi- service buildings around the city, many of which (as in Ely and Caerau, Butetown, Llanrumney, St Mellons and Grangetown, and the City Centre Advice Hub) are already operational, with further ambitious plans for significant investment in hubs in areas of need such as Splott, Llandaff North and Llanishen. The Hubs also provide Into Work support including Job Clubs, CV workshops and work related training. External advice services, credit unions, community groups and even in some locations South Wales Fire and Rescue Service also have a presence. The Administration believes that Members of the Council need to take a lead by championing equality and diversity themselves. With the appointment in 2014 of Councillor Cecelia Love as the Council’s Member Diversity Champion, we can tap into a network of Member Diversity Champions across Wales. We hope to share and adopt good practice in leading positive values and behaviour in the way that we work with each other and with others. Although the effect of increasing economic pressures and the need to consider further rationalising services cannot be ignored in the current climate, our Council’s efforts and strategies are seeking to put the needs of communities at the heart of our decisions. We hope that from this short explanation of just a few of our current initiatives you can see our goals are to design and deliver improved services to the whole community, now and in the future. 4 Contents 1. Introduction 6 2. ‘What Matters’ – the ten year strategy for Cardiff 7 3. ‘Everyone Matters’ – Strategic equality objectives 8 4. Key Aspects of ‘Everyone Matters’ 10 5. Strategic equality objectives - Summary of Progress 13 6. Collecting Relevant Information 21 7. Council Services - Good Practice During 2013/14 29 8. Employment in Cardiff Council 47 9. Physical Access & Accessible Communications 55 10. Engagement, Consultation & Involvement 56 11. External Partners 63 12. Hate Crime, Community Cohesion & Community Safety 66 13. Equality Development Grant 73 14. Equality Events and Cultural Activities 78 15. Equality Impact Assessments 82 16. Conclusion & Summary 86 APPENDIX 1 – CARDIFF COUNCIL MONITORING FORM 87 APPENDIX 2 – EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION 91 5 1. Introduction The Equality Act 2010 places a public sector duty upon Local Authorities to consider all groups when carrying out their day to day work – in shaping policy, in delivering services and in relation to their own employees. It requires public bodies to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity, and foster good relations between different groups when carrying out their activities. The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against people with a ‘protected characteristic’. The protected characteristics are: • Age • Disability • Gender reassignment • Marriage and civil partnership • Pregnancy and maternity • Race • Religion or belief – including lack of belief • Sex • Sexual orientation In response to the Equality Act, Cardiff Council published its Strategic Equality Plan ‘ Everyone Matters ’ on 2nd April 2012. It is a four year plan that outlines our commitment to reducing inequalities and sets out our key priorities for 2012-16 through a series of strategic equality objectives. Public authorities are required to produce a Strategic Equality Plan annual report by the 31 st March each year. In line with the Equality Act 2010, this annual report sets out: • the steps Cardiff Council has taken to identify and collect relevant information • how we have used this information to meet the three aims of the public sector duty • any reasons for not collecting relevant information • a statement on the effectiveness of the authority’s arrangements for identifying and collecting relevant information • progress towards fulfilling each of Cardiff Council’s equality objectives • a statement on the effectiveness of the steps we have taken to fulfil each of its equality objectives • employment information This annual report will also reflect upon our achievements, challenges and improvements during 2013/14, whilst outlining the way forward for future years. Cardiff Council’s Strategic Equality Plan 2012 -16 can be accessed online in English and Welsh, hard and other formats upon request 6 2. ‘What Matters’ – the ten year strategy for Cardiff Cardiff has a 10 year strategy for the City, ‘What