Agenda item

(Director of Governance) To consider the attached report.

The Director of Neighbourhoods introduced the report on the Equality Objectives plan for 2016 to 2020. The Council was required to publish equality objectives every four years to take forward its public sector equality duty. This duty required that we proactively consider how discrimination could be addressed through the work that we did, and also whether we could advance equality of opportunity and encourage good relations between different protected groups. The setting of objectives provided a focus on the outcomes to be achieved during the next four years.

In 2012 the Council adopted equality objectives which reached the end of its lifespan in March 2016. New objectives had been developed to take the Council up to April 2020, and because the objectives must be specific and measureable, an action plan had also been developed to deliver them.

The setting of equality objectives every four years was required of public bodies under the Equality Act 2010. It was therefore, a key statutory duty that the objectives were set and published, together with the ongoing progress to achieve them.

Four objectives were proposed and are set out below together with a brief outline of the reasons for their proposal:

Objective 1:   To integrate the Council’s public sector equality duty into our partnership working

The public sector equality duty was relevant across the full range of its activity including its work through partnerships. The duty also applied to its public sector partners and it may be the Council could access good practice or share work to comply with the duty.

Objective 2:  To apply robust equality requirements in commissioning, procurement and contract management

Procurement by local authorities was identified by the government as a key area for the development of equality and where there was the potential to improve the lives of people. Whilst it was evident there was some consideration of equality in our procurement practices, procurement had not been a focus for equality work to date, and integration was required if the duty was to be fully met.

Objective 3:  To develop our capacity so that our employees have the knowledge, skills and confidence to deliver our plans

Employee understanding of Council requirements remains important. Whilst some progress had been made in the course of the current set of objectives, the CEWG considered there was the potential to refine and refocus training for employees to reflect the Council’s current position.

Objective 4:  To improve and develop equality in our business activities

This included projects and reviews, and along with Objectives 1 and 2, sought to build on progress already made in integrating equality into service planning and delivery, and extend it into our wider activities, and at an earlier stage of our investigation and research.

It was noted that as part of the objectives action plan, under item 4, each Directorate of the Council would undertake organising the work experience for three young people, making a total of 12 persons for each year. This would be different from the council apprentices as it came under a different scheme. They were looking to ensure that over time all the schools in the district had an opportunity to take up this work experience and make a positive difference to young people.

Under item 5 the council would work with partners to help older people to reduce the impacts of isolation.  Councillor Wixley noted this was targeted at rural locations but that isolation could occur anywhere.

RESOLVED:

That, subject to the concurrence of the Cabinet, the Council’s Equality Objectives and Action Plan for 2016-2020, be agreed.