Fairness For All Scheme
Promoting Equality, Celebrating
Diversity
Borough of Poole’s Equality Scheme
Sept 2009-2012
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Foreword
Our second Equality Scheme “Fairness for All” sets out our policy commitments and
future actions to promote equality and celebrate diversity. We will do this for and with
Poole’s residents and visitors, our partners and contractors, and our employees and
Councillors.
This Scheme is for everyone who uses services, facilities and information provided by,
or on behalf of, the Council.
We recognise that people have different needs, find themselves in different
circumstances, and may face barriers that could limit what they can do and be. We
recognise that by promoting equality and celebrating diversity we will provide better
quality services and outcomes for the people of Poole. We see our Scheme’s
commitments as important to achieving real improvements in the way that we work.
We have taken steps forward over the life of our first “Promoting Equality, Respecting
Diversity” Scheme but we know that we are still on a journey. We would like to thank
those who have helped us move forward this far. We know there is much more work to
do still.
We have revised the Scheme based on the views of residents and partners but want
this to be a ‘living’ programme of work. We will continue to welcome your feedback or
suggestions about where we can do better. We will regularly review and report on our
progress and let you know how we are doing.
John McBride
Chief Executive
Elaine Atkinson
Portfolio Holder for Equality
and Social Inclusion
Sept 2009
Please contact Sue Newell, Improvement and Policy Officer - Equality on 01202
633035 or e-mail performance@poole.gov.uk for more information about our Scheme
or to tell us what you think.
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Contents
Page
Definitions of Equality and Diversity
4
Our Fairness for All Commitment
5
Our Vision for Fairer Outcomes
5
What Informs Our Commitment
6
Who Delivers Our Commitment
6
Our Commitment Targets
8
How We Will Check and Report How Well We are Doing
8
Framework for Our Approach
9
Delivering Our Commitment
10
Providing Council services and information in a way that meets
individual needs - simply, fairly and efficiently
10
Enabling people to influence decisions that affect their lives and no
community being considered hard to reach
12
Building a strong, safe and inclusive community where people from
all backgrounds come together …
13
Enabling people to trust and have confidence in us to tackle
discrimination, abuse and report prejudice incidents …
14
Services enabling people to fulfil their potential and make choices
about their lives and services they use
15
Being an employer of choice, promoting fair pay and equal access
to employment ...
16
How We Pay For This Work
19
Sharing Our Approach and Welcoming Your Views
19
Appendices
1. What Informs Our Commitment
20
2. The Law
27
3. Supporting Policies and Guidance
28
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Definitions
Equality
Equality is concerned with breaking down the barriers that block opportunities for
certain groups of people, in society, the workplace, education and so on.
Equality schemes aim to identify and minimise the barriers that exclude people. They
take action to ensure that everyone has equal access to all aspects of life and work.
Eliminating discrimination is important in achieving equality. It is not just physical
environment or poor policies that create barriers. It is also ways of working, attitudes
and stereotypes about different groups of people.
Diversity
Everybody is different, with different needs and potential. Treating everybody in the
same way fails to recognise the differences between people and can cause unfairness
and inequality.
By recognising diversity and meeting different needs effectively, every individual has a
better chance of being able to live and work in the way that is best for them.
Britain and Poole are made up of increasingly diverse communities. The Borough of
Poole has a leadership role to play to make sure people from different backgrounds get
on well and value each other, as well as in promoting the celebration of diversity in our
local community.
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Our Fairness For All Commitment
We are committed to taking action1 to:
-
Promote equality of opportunity
Promote good relations and positive attitudes towards all people
Encourage participation in public life
Eliminate discrimination and harassment
Take steps to meet the needs of disabled people, even if this requires ‘more
favourable’ treatment.
Our Fairness For All commitment covers promoting equality and celebrating diversity
on the grounds of age, disability, gender, gender identity, race, religion and belief, and
sexual orientation. These are collectively known as the seven equality strands.
We also recognise that people on very low incomes or that live in relative poverty may
also experience inequality and reduced life chances. Other groups also need
additional support or specialist services to achieve their aspirations. These include
children looked after by the Council and carers. Our commitment extends to all people
who live in and visit Poole.
Our commitment is recognised in our work with partners in Poole’s Sustainable
Community Strategy. Our Corporate Plan ‘Striving for Excellence’ reflects the
Council’s continued promise to promote ‘equality of opportunity’ as one of our values.
This shapes everything the Council does.
Our Vision For Fairer Outcomes
We are committed to promoting equality and celebrating diversity in our town, services
and workplace. The outcomes we want to see are:
1. Council services and information provided in a way that meets individual needs simply, fairly and efficiently
2. People can influence decisions that affect their lives and no community is
considered ‘hard to reach’
3. Poole being a strong, safe and inclusive community where people from all
backgrounds come together, get on well and diversity is celebrated
4. People trust and have confidence in us to tackle discrimination, abuse and report
prejudice incidents, and are happy with how we deal with it
5. Services enable people to fulfil their potential and make choices about their lives
and services2 they use
6. We are an employer of choice for all our community; promote fair pay and equal
access to employment, training and career development opportunities
1
2
based on the ‘general duties’ of disability, gender and race equality legislation
These may be directly provided by us or on our behalf by other organisations
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What Informs Our Commitment
Inspections
What you have
told us
Performance
indicators
Demographics
Poole / Community
Fairness for All
Scheme
National/ Government
Equality
Framework for
Local Government
Progress
reviews of
equality work
Best practice,
Law
Our ‘Fairness for All’ commitment sets out how we will meet our duties under equality
legislation. We aim, however, to carry out our work in the spirit of the law and go
beyond the minimum legislative requirements.
Our Fairness For All vision is shaped by our wider learning and experience over the last
few years. Each of the above sources helps us identify issues that we need to address
locally and is used in shaping and designing our service and action planning.
Appendix 1 gives more detail.
In the life of this Scheme we recognise the need to involve people on an ongoing basis
and to fill gaps in our knowledge. Our action plan sets out areas where we need to do
this. We will regularly review new information and update it as a result.
Who Delivers Our Commitments
Everyone – our Councillors, employees, suppliers and contractors - is responsible for
working together to meet all our Scheme’s commitments. All Councillors represent and
need to reflect the needs of all parts of our community. However some people have
specific responsibilities:
-
Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Equality is the Member lead that makes
sure that Cabinet embeds equality and diversity into our policies and culture
-
The Equality Councillor Champion and Councillor Champions and leads for each
equality strand support the Portfolio Holder in their Cabinet role. They engage with
specific community groups to better understand local needs, highlight issues and
address concerns
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-
Chief Executive has overall leadership responsibility for the commitments in the
Fairness for All Scheme
-
Strategic Directors are responsible for providing leadership and delivering
consistent practice on the equality and diversity agenda across services
-
Service Unit Heads are responsible for making sure that equality and diversity is
considered in their service delivery and employment practice
-
Line managers are responsible for making sure their teams are aware of the
Council’s Fairness For All commitments. They should provide support to achieving
these and deliver good practice in their services and employment practice. They
are also responsible for recruiting and employing people fairly
We require all employees and Councillors to deliver our commitments by:
-
Providing access to services, facilities and information
Treating staff and customers fairly, with dignity and respect
Reporting and responding to prejudice incidents and complaints in a positive,
proactive way
Meeting specific needs of service users, the public and those they work with
We have an Equality Leadership Group. This is made up of:
-
Chief Executive
Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Equality
Equality Member Champion
Lead representative from opposition parties
Strategic Director with an Equality lead
Improvement and Policy Officer – Equality
This Group meets every two months to steer and monitor delivery of the equality
objectives and performance targets. They recommend key decisions to Cabinet. The
Improvement and Policy Officer – Equality supports the Group by developing, coordinating and reporting on the corporate programme of work.
An Equality Group helps implement and shape the agenda. This is made up of
representatives from all service units, Trade Unions, Voice - the disabled employee
group, and the Black Workers Support Group. The group meets quarterly to receive
updates, review progress and discuss how work should develop. In addition regular
support meetings are held to discuss putting corporate guidance into practice and
problem solve.
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Our Commitment Targets
The Equality Framework for Local Government is a national standard that helps us put
in place processes to meet the needs of different people and our legal duties. It has
three levels – ‘Developing’, ‘Achieving’ and ‘Excellent’. We want to reach and be
externally assessed as ‘Achieving’3 by September 2009.
By September 2012 we want to meet the ‘Excellent’ level of the Framework
We will also use a number of other national and local performance indicators to monitor
progress, measure success and set improvement targets (see below). We will develop
further equality-related targets as a result of Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs),
which will be included in updates of our action plan.
Other examples of key success measures include:
-
Achieve web accessibility standards accredited by disabled people from the Shaw
Trust
Responding to all prejudice incidents reported to the Council
Increase number of domestic violence offenders brought to justice
Increase number of older people who are satisfied overall with the local area
Increase the proportion of our employees from a Black and minority ethnic
background
How We Will Check and Report How Well We are Doing
We have six Overview and Scrutiny Committees that look at the effectiveness of our
policies and practice in our service delivery. An additional Committee exists for
decisions that are ‘called-in’ or challenged. Each committee looks at equality issues in
relation to their area of work.
In addition the Communities Overview and Scrutiny has the overall responsibility for
reviewing our work on equality. A report will be taken to them at least annually to
enable them to assess progress and raise any issues.
We report to Cabinet on the performance indicators used to measure progress against
our objectives every six months. We produce a full annual review to highlight
achievements, assess progress and set future priorities.
We will be looking into how we can work with the Bournemouth and Poole Diversity
Forum to help shape and scrutinise our equality work. The Forum is made up of
community and voluntary sector organisations with an interest, knowledge and
understanding of equality issues.
We will also undertake external assessments against the Equality Framework.
Any performance issues will be referred to the Equality Leadership Group to investigate
and take action on.
3
Level 3 of the former Equality Standard.
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Framework For Our Approach
Driven by:
Poole Partnership’s Sustainable Community Strategy
Striving For Excellence - our Corporate Plan
Legislation
Led by:
Equality Leadership Group
Implemented via:
consistent Equality Impact Assessments and
monitoring in all services and partnerships
Embedded through:
Equality Group
Planning and Performance Framework
Programme and Project Management
Customer Service Standards
Communications Guidance
Procurement Strategy
Asset Management Plan
Community Engagement Strategy
Research Governance
Workforce Plan
Appraisals
Training
Outlined in:
Equality specific guidance
Corporate guidance on the above areas
Support to employees:
Trade Union Representatives
Employee Groups
Chaplaincy
Scrutiny and Performance Management through:
Cabinet
Overview and Scrutiny Committees
Customer and community feedback
Progress reviews
Inspections and performance measures
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Delivering Our Commitment
This section of the Scheme sets out our policy for delivering our commitment and
identifies some of the areas for improvement and review following on from our first
Promoting Equality, Respecting Diversity Scheme. Our action plan sets out in more
detail what we intend to do over the next three years to further meet our commitments.
1. Providing Council services and information in a way that
meets individual needs - simply, fairly and efficiently
Our vision for customer service is to provide people with the highest quality services we
can afford, in a way that meets their individual needs – simply, fairly and efficiently – at
times and in places that are convenient and accessible.
Treating people fairly
We are committed to treating people fairly and according to their needs. We already
have standards for our Customer Service Unit and all services are encouraged to work
to them. The standards say that when you make contact with us we will:
-
-
Be easy to deal with and provide quality responses to your queries
Treat you fairly, equally and with respect
Ensure your privacy in all your dealings with us
Try to give you all the advice and information you need the first time you contact us
Where appropriate, give you a case number or reference number and contact
details relating to your enquiry
Advise you of relevant timescales for responding to your enquiry
Where it is not possible for us to meet the standards we have set, keep you updated
on the progress with your enquiry and let you know when a full response can be
provided
Keep information on our website and in our reception areas up to date
We aim to deliver the highest standard of service to all our customers. In return we ask
you to:
-
Help our employees to help you effectively by being patient when asked for
information and by providing answers where you can
Not use any foul or abusive language
Let us know if you have any specific access needs
Ask us to explain anything you are not sure of
Arrive on time for appointments and tell us in advance if you are going to be late.
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Access to information
We aim to provide our information in an accessible way. This means we will:
-
-
-
Use plain English
Follow our guidance on making printed information accessible and make it clear that
we will help people understand the information and / or provide other formats, such
as large print, Easy Read, audio tapes
Provide access to services through BigWord written and telephone translation
services and RNID’s Text Relay service for contacting deaf and speech-impaired
customers by telephone
Make arrangements for a sign language interpreter and other face to face language
interpreters when necessary
Use positive images that reflect all sectors of our local community
Meet web-accessibility standards on boroughofpoole.com
We will review use of our intranet to improve employees’ access to information and
improve access to translations and interpreting services.
Access to buildings
We audit buildings and facilities run by the Council for their compliance with the
Disability Discrimination Act. We will work to ensure that people with physical
disabilities are able to access and use our buildings and the surrounding environment
using the same route as other people. Signage will be simple, clear and use symbols.
Entry systems, reception points and meeting rooms will be adjusted for ease of access
and communication.
All new and refurbished Council buildings will be fully accessible.
Access to meetings
We will make sure events and meetings are easy to access. We expect meeting
organisers to ask people in advance if they have any special requirements such as diet,
access or communication support. We ask people what their most suitable form of
support is and then seek to arrange this. Where people need communications support,
this will be provided. When food and drink is made available, special diets must be
identified and catered for, different food separated and clearly labelled.
When people attend meetings we plan for emergency evacuations. Organisers must
consider how best to evacuate disabled attendees.
Events, meetings, facilities and services must take account of people’s ability to get to
them. This includes public transport links, disabled parking bays, slopes or steps
around the building. When setting a date or time commitments such as caring
responsibilities and religious holidays or Sabbaths, including the implications of fasting,
should be considered.
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Buying or commissioning goods and services
Where we buy or commission goods and services we expect contractors, suppliers and
consultants to meet equality legislation and standards. A review of our Corporate
Procurement Strategy will provide refreshed procedures that will clearly set out our
expectations. These will be mandatory and apply across all Service Units and local
authority community schools, and will be monitored for compliance. Employees and
Members will be trained on their use. Contracts will not be awarded if commitment to
promoting equality is not demonstrated. Breaches may lead to termination of contracts.
Monitoring fair access to services
We collect data about our customers and employees, which we use to identify trends
and patterns. It will help us see if we apply our policies fairly or if they have any
unintentional consequences. We look for under or over-representation of different
groups of people and use this information to take action where needed.
Where relevant and appropriate, data will be collected on the seven equality strands.
We may collect other information, such as first language or cultural or religious needs,
where this will help deliver our services.
We will implement new guidance about gathering, collecting, using and storing this
information sensitively, consistently and appropriately.
2. Enabling people to influence decisions that affect their
lives and no community being considered hard to reach
We are committed to enabling people to influence our service design and delivery, and
in setting our priorities. This includes minority, disadvantaged, and emerging
communities or groups so they are not considered hard to reach. We want this
involvement to be meaningful, and will therefore be honest about what we can and
cannot achieve or do.
Over the past 3 years we have improved the research and community development
taking place in Poole. We recognise, however, there are gaps in our knowledge and
contact with specific equality communities or groups. To strengthen this work we will
develop a Community Engagement Strategy to formalise and focus on how we enable
people from Poole’s diverse communities to have a more effective say.
We will also be developing a prioritised programme of research with ‘hard to hear’
groups. This will be used to inform our service plans. A review of our Research
Governance Framework, which includes equality elements, will be used to check how
effectively the issues are considered in our research.
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3. Building strong, safe and inclusive communities where
people from all backgrounds come together …
We are committed to fostering safe, strong communities where people feel included
and everyone can contribute and support one another. This involves developing a
strong community and voluntary sector that supports and represents a diverse range of
Poole people. This would include organisations such as Dorset Race Equality Council,
Faithlinks, Poole Forum, Dorset Deaf Action and Dorset Blind Association. We will
work with Poole Community and Voluntary Services (PCVS) and Dorset Race Equality
Council to strengthen and broaden the diversity of this sector.
We regularly support events and activities in our communities. We want to make sure
these appeal to a diverse range of people and that people with specific needs can
attend Council organised events. We can help community groups seeking support and
advice for particular events that celebrate diversity.
We also offer advice and support on setting up community groups including the
Council’s annual grant process and the Council’s mini grants scheme (maximum of
£250), which can help newly forming groups. We work closely with PCVS, who support
community groups and promote volunteering for the benefit of Poole’s communities.
PCVS can also advise and support groups to gain funding.
In 2007, we launched the Safer Neighbourhoods initiative with the Police and other
agencies. It is now working in seven local areas across Poole. Through the scheme
local residents decide what the most important community safety issues are for them,
and are then involved in finding and delivering solutions to their concerns.
We support the work of the Safer Poole Partnership. This is made up of local agencies
who tackle crime and substance misuse together. They monitor the types and levels of
crime and make sure there are local services to support people who are affected. Their
priorities include providing support services to domestic abuse victims, and ensuring
the safety and well-being of children and adults.
Over the coming three years we will be addressing how we work with communities to
develop a strong sense of belonging and a shared vision for Poole through a
Community Cohesion Framework.
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4. Enabling people to trust and have confidence in us to
tackle discrimination, abuse and report prejudice incidents
…
We aim to challenge all forms of discrimination where we find them. We encourage
people to report any issues either through our complaints or ‘Prejudice Incidents
Reporting’ processes.
Making a Complaint Against the Council
We have a complaints process to encourage people to tell us what we are doing wrong
so that we can try to put it right. We take complaints seriously. It is an opportunity to
listen to those who use our services to see how services can be improved. People can
tell us through this process if they think they have been subject to discrimination,
prejudice or harrassment.
We aim to deal with complaints within 10 working days of receiving one. A review of
the complaint outcome can be requested. We aim to deliver this within 15 working
days of its referral. Reviews are carried out by a Strategic Director, who is independent
of the service.
Complainants also have the right to refer the issue to the Local Government
Ombudsman, whose job it is to investigate complaints in a fair and independent way
without taking sides.
We encourage people to tell us about themselves when they make a complaint. This
allows us to identify if there are particular equality issues that have led to the complaint
being made. We then consider what we need to do so that it does not happen again.
We are currently working to make customer feedback processes more consistent
across the Council. We want to improve how that feedback is used to inform service
development.
Prejudice incidents
We also encourage people to tell us when they have experienced or witnessed any
incident that they think is discriminatory based on age, disability, gender, gender
identity, faith/belief, race and sexual orientation, or a combination of any of these. A
‘prejudice incident’ could have happened on the street, at school or work. It could be a
crime but it may also be a complaint against a service, an outcome or a member of
staff. We provide training to our staff on what to do if someone reports an incident to
them or if they witness or experience an incident.
We follow up on every report. Our Community Safety Team check how well we
respond to reports. They may be able to help residents where the incident is
community based. We also monitor reports collectively with the Police and other
agencies, through the Bournemouth and Poole Prejudice Free Group, to see where
there are particular problems. We then take action together to provide support to
particular communities or groups of people, for example for Take Away Restaurants or
taxi drivers. We will also campaign together to raise awareness of the reporting
process and put help in place for those affected.
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The complaints process and the Prejudice Incident Reporting are linked so a problem
can be raised under either process and should be dealt with effectively. We will review
how well the two processes work together.
Annual reports on complaints and Prejudice Incidents are reported to our Management
Team. Learning from complaints feeds into our Equality Impact Assessment process.
5. Services enabling people to fulfil their potential and make
choices about their lives and services4 they use
To make sure that we enable people to reach their potential and have choices about
services, we will make equality and diversity part of our thinking and culture. We
expect managers to consider equality and diversity in all aspects of their business,
project and programme plans.
We use a tool called Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs) to guide our thinking. This
helps us to systematically consider how to best meet people’s needs across the
equality strands and reduce any potential negative impacts. We use EQIAs when a
new policy or service is being developed or changed. EQIAs make use of national and
local data, consultation and other feedback to inform developments.
EQIAs should:
-
Be clear so people can understand how decisions are made
Show how the service impacts on and meets the needs of different communities
Allow people to feed into or challenge decisions
Our revised Planning & Performance Framework guidance will reflect the need to
undertake EQIAs, making it integral to these processes. Our Programme and Project
Management guidance already includes this.
Our Management Team, Cabinet, and Overview and Scrutiny Committees expect to
see evidence of EQIAs. This enables them to make informed decisions about meeting
the needs of specific groups of people. Committee administrators will check that
equality implications are outlined in decision-making reports before they are sent to
Councillors.
All EQIAs are published on our website and will be reviewed every three years. We
update and publish service units’ EQIA timetables.
We will update our EQIA toolkit and continue to provide training to managers.
4
These may be directly provided by us or on our behalf by other organisations
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6. Being an employer of choice, promoting fair pay and equal
access to employment …
We want to be an employer of choice that reflects all sections of our community. This
means providing equality of opportunity in all aspects of our employment practice. We
value and want to make best use of employees’ different competencies, skills and
knowledge, and the contribution they make to the organisation. We value diversity
because of the opportunities and rich experiences that this brings to the Council.
All staff must be treated fairly and we expect everyone to be treated with dignity and
respect at work. We are committed to and work towards promoting a working
environment free from all forms of unacceptable behaviour.
We carry out and publish EQIAs on our Human Resources policies and practice.
Recruiting people fairly
We advertise all our job vacancies on boroughofpoole.com and with JobCentrePlus.
We also use local press and, where appropriate, national press, specialist publications
and relevant websites. Our adverts and supporting information use positive images
that reflect the diverse nature of our community.
We are a Positive About Disabled People ‘Two Ticks’ employer. We are assessed
against this Scheme. It commits us to interview all disabled applicants who meet the
minimum criteria for the vacancy.
We give priority to internal candidates where they have skills and experience
appropriate to a job in special circumstances, such as redundancy and redeployment.
Each role has a job description and person specification that outlines the main
responsibilities and criteria required to undertake the role. These must not include
criteria that could directly or indirectly discriminate against a potential applicant. When
recruiting to new posts, we measure applicants on whether they meet the person
specification. We do not have essential or desirable criteria. We judge applicants on
their ability to meet various competencies, not the length of experience in a role.
Genuine Occupational Qualifications/Requirements may apply to some jobs. For
example, recruiting a female worker to work with women affected by domestic violence.
We positively consider applications from those seeking to work part time or job share.
We will take lawful positive action to achieve a workforce who reflect our community at
all levels. We will use specialist media/events to target under-represented communities
or training/development/work-placement opportunities targeted at certain people where
we think this will be beneficial.
Our interview processes are designed to be free from bias and to promote equality of
opportunity. For example, a candidate will not be asked questions – formally or
informally – that are not directly relevant to the job (for example, questions about family
life or hobbies).
16
All managers involved in the interview process are encouraged to attend our two-day
Recruitment and Selection course. This covers our Recruitment and Selection
guidance and best practice for interview procedures. At least one member of an
interview panel must have attended the course. We also encourage services to
consider the gender balance of interview panels.
Monitoring fair access to employment
To ensure fair practice, we will monitor our employment practice for those who:
-
Apply for jobs, are shortlisted, interviewed and get the job
Apply and receive training and development opportunities
Have been involved in grievance or disciplinary procedures
Leave the organisation
Service Unit Heads will receive monitoring reports on their service area and be given
guidance about taking action to address any imbalances. For our workforce as a whole,
targets are set, monitored and reported on to Management Team and Cabinet. Each
year the results will be published on our website.
Providing appropriate training
We expect all our staff to understand and be confident about delivering our Fairness
For All commitments and their legal obligations in relation to their role. We support
them to achieve this through training and development.
An introduction to our equality and diversity commitments starts in our Corporate
Induction Programme. A further understanding of this and our legal duties is provided
in our mandatory Embracing Diversity training.
Additional training is available and provided according to job roles, including:
-
Welcoming Disabled Customers
Dyslexia Awareness Training
Prejudice Incident Training
Equality Impact Assessment Training (for Managers)
Recruitment and Selection Training
Carer’s Rights Workshop
Gypsies and Travellers: Lifestyles, beliefs and practices
Trans-gender Awareness Training
Life and customs of the Polish community, …Chinese Community
Understanding Judaism, … Islam, … Christianity
Other mainstream courses, such as appraisal and business planning, include our
equality and diversity commitment at their core. Equality and Diversity intranet pages
provide access to advice and guidance. This and our Talking Matters staff newsletter
keep all employees informed of new developments.
Members’ Equality training has been provided in modules. A full Member induction
programme will be developed.
17
Listening to our employees
We listen to the experiences of our employees to improve our employment practice on
an ongoing basis.
We carry out a staff survey every two years and look at statistically significant
differences in satisfaction in relation to different service areas, age, gender, and where
possible disability, race, sexual orientation and faith.
We will continue to engage with Trade Unions. Our employee support groups5 are also
consulted in the development or review of relevant policies.
We have also carried out equality specific consultation with employees through our
Investors in People re-assessment and a series of ‘All things being equal’ discussion
forums in 2009. An action plan will be developed in consultation with employees.
Employee concerns
Employees have the right to raise a complaint relating to equality and diversity, and to
do this in good faith and without being victimised. Our grievance procedure aims to
resolve problems as early as possible and as close to the point of origin. We hope to
avoid formal grievances through effective communication and early discussion between
employees and their immediate line managers.
Employees are encouraged to follow our Dignity At Work Policy if they have any
concerns about bullying. Employees can also raise an issue under the Prejudice
Incident Reporting Process. Affected employees are given information on appropriate
support, such as:
-
Unions
Chaplaincy – which is open to people of all faiths and none
Counselling or Occupation Health Services
An Employee Group
Buddies
Human Resources
Grievances are included in the monitoring data we collect and will be reported as part
of our employment practice.
Black Workers Support Group, Voice – the disabled employees group, and a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexaul
and Transgender group is being developed
5
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How We Pay For This Work
Most equality work is about making sure our services and employment opportunities
are accessible to everyone. As a result we plan how we can best use our
resources through Medium Term Financial Planning, annual budget setting and
business planning process.
In doing so we will seek to target resources for groups and communities as appropriate
and within the overall means available to us in the short to medium term future.
Priorities will be identified using Equality Impact Assessments.
Some work is undertaken on a short-term, small-scale project basis. Funding this may
be planned as part of the annual budget planning cycle or could be funded by, or in
partnership with, external organisations.
Some large costs (such as making Council buildings accessible) need to be planned
and budgeted for. They will be prioritised and carried out over several years.
We have a small dedicated ‘Corporate Equality Budget’. This is used for:
-
External scrutiny
Supporting events and activities for celebrating diversity
Consultation and research with minority or disadvantaged communities and
employees
Producing guidance, campaigns and communications
Supporting telephone language translations
Our rolling medium term financial plan will more clearly demonstrate how resources will
be allocated to help meet our equality commitments in future years.
Sharing Our Approach and Welcoming Your Views
We will continue to update guidance and our approach, where needed, over time.
Employees and Councillors will be kept informed of new developments so they can
keep in touch with what is expected of them via our intranet, staff newsletters and our
Equality Group.
Our equality and diversity pages on boroughofpoole.com provide a range of information
about our work. Every year we will publish progress reports against this Scheme on
this site. We also aim to keep the community informed about progress and
developments through ‘Poole News’, our website and the media.
This Scheme will be made available in a summary version and a range of different
formats. It is a ‘living’ programme of work that is updated annually and fully reviewed
after three years. We want to involve people on an ongoing basis, continue to develop
our knowledge and make improvements. We welcome comments and suggestions on
our equality work and how the issues affect you.
Please contact Sue Newell, Improvement and Policy Officer – Equality, on 01202
633035 or e-mail performance@poole.gov.uk for more information or if you have a
complaint to make under this Scheme.
19
Appendix 1: What Informs Our Commitment
Demographic information
The Borough of Poole is a unitary authority in the South West of England and covers
an area of 65 km sq. Despite a declining average household size, new development is
expected to increase the population from 138,100 (ONS 2007 mid year estimate) to
about 143,000 by 2026 (ONS 2006 estimate).
More important is the changing composition of the population as this will impact on the
types of services we provide and the needs of our customers. In the future there will be
proportionally more older people but there is also an increasing number of children in
Poole. In comparison to the UK, Poole has a smaller proportion of its population under
the age of 50, and a higher proportion over 50. By 2021 one in four of Poole’s
residents will be aged 65 years and over, and by 2027 one in ten will be aged 80 years
and over (ONS 2006 population projections). In the past five years there has been a
large increase in the number of 0 – 4 year olds in Poole (over 900 children). Between
2006 and 2007 the number of births increased by nine percent compared to three
percent in England and Wales.
Poole’s Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) population is relatively small but diverse.
Although the Black, Asian and minority ethnic population remains small it has more
than doubled, in percentage terms, between 2001- 2006 (Census 2001 and ONS, Midyear Estimate, 2007).
Percentage of the total population in each ethnic group
Ethnic Group
White British
All minority ethnic groups
White Irish ethnic group
‘White other’ ethnic groups
Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Groups (i.e. not incl. ‘white
other’)
2001 (%)
2007 (%)
96.0
4.0
0.6
1.6
92.9
7.1
0.7
2.2
1.8
4.2
Since May 2004 over 2,500 people have travelled from Eastern Europe to live in Poole.
In schools, pupils speaking Polish as a first language grew from 27 in January 2007 to
49 in January 2008. Anecdotally, we know that some local minority ethnic people are
the second and third generation to live here. In Poole there is one static Gypsy and
Travellers site, with 5 pitches and 11 people living there (May 2009). Settled Gypsies
and Travellers are resident throughout Poole, mostly in Alderney and Turlin Moor.
Poole’s population enjoys good health and life expectancy is above the national
average, although differences can be found in some areas of Poole. Almost 25,000
people, of whom 10,000 are of working age, reported that they have a long-term
limiting illness (Census 2001). There has also been a steady rise in the number of
people claiming disability living allowance from 4,130 people in August 2002 to 5,330 in
August 2008 (Nomisweb – ONS). There are 438 people with a learning disability who
are registered with Poole Adult Social Services.
20
In 2001 14,387 people were providing more than an hour of unpaid care per week.
4,093 of those were providing 20 or more hours unpaid care per week (2001 Census).
The 2001 Census provides some data on people’s beliefs. At the time 74% of the
population said that they were Christian. There is however a long established Jewish
community in the conurbation and we know of smaller numbers of people of other faiths
through Faithlinks, an interfaith project.
The Government estimates that 5 – 7% of the national population is gay. There is no
reliable data on the number of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals for Poole. If national
rates are reflected in Poole there would be between 6,900 and 9,700 gay people living
locally. There is no data available about transgender people in Poole.
We put the customers at the centre of our planning processes and are responsive to
the changing needs as a result of the current economic climate. We are aware of the
impacts on financial health and social consequences for some of our vulnerable
groups, and the known and likely increase demand for services such as homelessness,
benefits, mental health and domestic violence services.
For further information see www.boroughofpoole.com/research
What you have told us
We use the feedback from consultation and participation activities (which may be
carried out by ourselves or others) as well as other feedback to inform what we do.
This includes comments, compliments, complaints or prejudice incident reports.
Research and consultation
We undertake regular consultation through, for example, the Place Survey or Poole
Opinion Panel. In these we look for statistically significant differences in opinions
between different types of people, for example by age, gender, disability and MOSIAC
groups6. When designing research we seek to identify and consider specific equalities
issues need to be addressed. Recent examples of equality specific consultation are:
-
Fair Say consultation has led to amendments to Fairness for All Scheme. Three
consultation sessions were held at Lighthouse. In total, 93 residents took part in the
event, and over 20 organisations were represented. Feedback was also invited
through our website and a leaflet provide in a range of formats (Polish, Easy Read,
Audio).
-
A Time of Our Lives – Poole’s older people strategy is based on the views and
ideas put forward by the older population during a variety of consultation exercises
and three annual ‘Older People’s Speak Out’ events. The Older People’s Services
Steering Group oversees progress the Strategy.
-
The Children and Young People’s Plan is based on and reviewed in light of an
annual Children and Young People’s Needs Assessment that identifies inequalities
for different groups of children and their families in the different areas of Poole.
6
Mosaic analysis shows the likely demographic and socio economic characteristics of households. Each
postcode has a different Mosaic Group.
21
-
Gypsy Housing Needs Assessment led to the redevelopment of the existing
Traveller site and engagement with the community about a site allocation policy.
-
In 2006 the ‘Positive about Disability’ consultation offered disabled people the
opportunity to share their experiences of living and working in Poole, to tell agencies
what is important to them, the barriers they face and what can be done to overcome
them. This informed the development of our disability equality work.
We use other local relevant research, such as Gay and Grey’s research ‘Lifting the Lid
on ageing and sexuality’ and Dorset Healthcare Trusts report ‘Needs not numbers’,
which was about mental health needs of Dorset’s BME community, to inform decisionmaking. NHS Bournemouth and Poole commissioned consultation about the needs of
gay and lesbian young people from the SPACE Youth Group. As a result we
commissioned SPACE to work with LBGT young people in Poole to develop local
activities. National research and benchmarking is also used to inform service planning.
Community Engagement and Development
Some community engagement examples are set out below:
-
Locality work with older people has improved access to health and social care
services in people’s homes, which in turn has decreased avoidable hospital stays.
Older People’s Steering Groups led to new services being developed such as
podiatry, exercise classes and a new range of community social care and well-being
services. Older people have also become much more involved in the recruitment of
Council employees, taking an active part in some selection panels.
-
The Annual Performance Assessment (APA) praised the rate of participation of
young people in helping to develop the Children and Young People's Plan (CYPP).
This includes initiatives such as the CYP Shadow Board, Inclusion Forum, school
councils, Youth Forum, Anti-Bullying Alliance and further specific consultations,
such as Children and Young People’s consultation 2009.
-
Engagement with BME communities has improved but needs to be better coordinated and extended. This includes:
- with Dorset Healthcare Foundation Trust’s BME Community Development work
to improve access to mental health services
- funding and other support to Dorset Race Equality Council, and groups such as
Poole Indian Cultural Society, Unity in Vision, Dorset Bengali Women’s
Association and Bournemouth’s Chinese School
- funding a community development worker to work with settled Gypsy and
Travellers, and work with South West Association of Nomads and those on the
existing Travellers’ site
- Support to Multi-Cultural days and other BME community events.
-
Dialogue with the faith sector takes place via Standing Advisory Councils on
Religious Education for schools, and through Chaplaincy and an interfaith project,
Faithlinks, which is funded by the Council. Engagement with the Poole-based
Dorset Islamic Centre has helped find them a new, larger premises and resolved
issues around burials. We also support the work of a church-based community
worker in the regeneration area of Poole, which supports the integration of existing
and new communities in the area.
22
-
International Women’s Day is an annual event that is organised and involves a wide
range of local women. The day highlights women’s contribution to the local area as
well as profiles local services to ‘hard to reach’ groups of women.
-
Established ways of engaging with people with a learning disability are through
Poole Forum, a user led organisation funded by the Council. They are
commissioned to service our Learning Disability Partnership Board and are routinely
involved in all staff interviews. In 2009 they took part in the tendering process for
new care and support providers and volunteers are being trained as quality
checkers for the ‘Moving on from Hospital’ project.
-
PRO Disability, Disability Wessex and other specific user groups, including Dorset
Blind Association, Dorset Deaf Action, and Broadstone Access Group have contact
with different parts of the Council. Transportation’s ‘Getting About Group’ influences
its transport plans and developments in the town. Partners have also engaged
others through the Expert Patient Programme and the Mental Health Service User
Forum. We are looking at how we can support the development of local user-led
(disability) organisations in the conurbation.
Engagement with the gay community includes addressing homophobic incidents,
through the Police-led Lesbian and Gay Liaison Officer Group, and Bournemouth and
Poole Prejudice Free Group. We are developing our engagement with the SPACE
Youth Group. We have contact with organisations, such as Over the Rainbow, the
MCC Church and Body Positive (funding them through Supporting People Programme)
and have a presence at the annual Bourne Free celebration.
Complaints and prejudice incidents
From the equalities monitoring information about who is making complaints we found
that a significant number of ‘longer-running’ complaints relate to a person’s physical
disability. Problems generally arise because the service has not identified disability as a
key factor in the complaint or request for service from the beginning. More rare are
issues related to mental, sensory loss or learning disability or other equalities issues,
possibly because affected people may not be aware of the complaints process. As a
result we have plans in place to improve complaints training, monitoring and to provide
information in other formats.
Analysis of prejudice incidents informs the support given, for example, by our
community safety team to neighbour disputes; anti-bullying work in schools, and
training to schools and Take Away Restaurant owners.
23
Progress reviews
We annually review and report progress on the equalities agenda to Cabinet. We also
undertook a 3 year race equality review in May 2008. Some examples of key
achievements7 since 2005:
Supporting Children and Young People
-
-
-
Published our Children and Young People’s Plan
Established six Children’s Centres across Poole, which are supporting vulnerable
families in the areas of highest need in Poole. Work has included father groups,
groups for ethnic minority, parents/carers and grandparent groups
Ten schools have achieved the Poole Inclusion Mark
Published a strategy for raising achievement of Traveller and Black and minority
ethnic children and young people, and provided ongoing race equality training and
support to schools
Developed English Language support to children whose first language is not
English through bi-lingual teaching assistants scheme
Developed an Anti-Bullying Strategy and Children and Young People Led AntiBullying Alliance which has looked at racist and homophobic bullying
Promoting Health and Well-Being
-
-
Developed and published 'A Time of Our Lives’, our Older People’s Strategy
Improved access to health and social care services in people’s homes, which in turn
has decreased avoidable hospital stays. Older People’s Steering groups led to new
services being developed such as podiatry, exercise classes and a new range of
community social care and well-being services
Established a new, accessible mobile library to improve services to residential care
and nursing homes, and people who do not live near a static library
Improved take up of direct payments so that disabled people and parents of children
with disabilities can have a greater choice over the social care services they receive
Increased the take up of benefits by older people
Relaunched Poole Forum a speaking up group run for and with people with learning
disabilities
Supported Dorset Healthcare Foundation Trusts research and ongoing work on the
mental health of local Black and minority ethnic communities
Improve disability access to our Leisure Centres
Protecting Poole’s Environment
-
-
-
7
Improved disabled access at recreational and leisure facilities around Poole. These
include play areas, fishing platforms and at the beaches
Set up ‘no cold calling’ zones with the Police in three areas of Poole. These help
prevent residents using rogue trades who sell goods and services door-to-door and
prevent distraction burglaries affecting older people
Amended the burial policy for Muslims to enable them to be buried facing Mecca
without additional costs
Further examples are identified in our Level 3 Equality Standard Self-Assessment August 2009
24
Strengthening Our Communities
-
-
Increased support to more diverse community groups and events, supported a wide
range of arts and cultural activities which have celebrated diversity
Redeveloped our existing Gypsy and Traveller site
Facilitated an increasing number of civil partnerships and funerals
Enhanced support to those affected by Domestic Violence
Launched the Safer Neighbourhoods Initiative across seven areas of Poole
Extended the racist and homophobic incident reporting to cover all equality strands
and increased reporting levels from 20 in 05/06 to 46 in 08/09
Safer Poole Partnership funded the production of a DVD and teaching pack looking
at prejudice and discrimination, “harassment journals” (an evidence diary to be used
as court evidence), and Late Night Safety Training for Black and minority ethnic take
away restaurants
Developing a Dynamic Economy
-
-
-
Set up the Cosmopolitan business initiative, which promotes dialogue with local
BME businesses and raise awareness of help available to them
Provided ‘Induction to Communicating in English’ (ICE) training for migrant workers
who are in employment through local employers
Supported up to 60 disabled people a year into employment through the Workstep
programme and implemented the ‘Bridge to Work’ Programme to help those who
have been unemployed for a long time into work
Supported Skillsfest, which is a hands-on jobs fayre for young people. Over 8000
pupils went in 2008 which is 1,500 more than in 2007
Provided translated food safety workshops for BME-owned restaurants
Improved access to transport for older people and those with disabilities through
improved facilities at bus stops and pedestrian crossings; implementing the
concessionary fare scheme for over 60s and travel training for people with learning
disabilities
Amended route 128 bus service to serve Upton House to facilitate learning disabled
people to access work placements.
Mainstreaming equalities into our business and employment practice
-
Established a cross-party Equalities Leadership Group to shape and monitor
progress against the agenda
Undertaken Equality Impact Assessments across the Council and improved our
understanding of the needs of different equalities groups to inform services
Improved disability access to Council buildings and schools, and published
guidance on emergency evacuation for disabled visitors and employees
Signed up to the Plain English Campaign, implemented BIG Word language
translation services, and improved website accessibility
Invested significantly in equalities and diversity training across the whole
organisation and established a more comprehensive training programme
Reviewed the Council’s staff appraisal process, which now includes setting equality
objectives for individual employees
Undertaken Equal Pay audits targeted at groups of female employees where there
have been potential equal pay issues. An analysis undertaken indicates that 1662
employees have benefited from equal pay reviews already undertaken, including
1514 female employees (91%).
25
Equality Framework, best practice and legislation
We review our progress against the Equality Framework for Local Government
annually. We are also committed to a number of other national best practice standards
that aim to support our employees, and potential employees, to have a positive
experience. In 2008 we were successfully re-assessed as an Investors in People
employer. We are also a ‘Positive about Disabled People’ and ‘Skills pledge’ employer
(which develops the basic skills of all employees).
We maintain a watching brief and update our policies following changes to legislation.
26
Appendix 2: The Law
Our Scheme is built around the following key pieces of legislation and their subsequent
regulations and amendments:
-
Equal Pay Act 1970
Sex Discrimination Act 1975
Race Relations Act 1976 and Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
Disability Discrimination Act 1995 & 2005 and Disability Discrimination (Public
Authorities) (Statutory Duties) Regulations 2005
Human Rights Act 1998
Employment Equality (Religion & Belief) Regulations 2003
Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006
Equality Act 2006 (which makes provision about discrimination on grounds of
religion and belief in goods and services, imposes the Gender Equality Duty, and
enables further regulations to cover provision of goods and services on grounds of
sexual orientation, and religion and belief).
Definition of disability is an impairment, which has a substantial and long-term adverse
effect on someone’s ability to carry out normal day to day activities. The impairment
should have lasted or be expected to last 12 months or more.
Note: It includes people with conditions such as cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma and
HIV. A mental impairment could also be a mental illness, for example depression,
schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder or stress.
Substantial and adverse means 'more than minor or trivial'. Normal day-to-day activities
include: mobility; manual dexterity; physical co-ordination; continence; ability to lift,
carry or move everyday objects; speech, hearing or eyesight; memory or ability to
concentrate, learn or understand; perception of the risk of physical danger.
It includes people with conditions that may re-occur or who had conditions in the past
that meet the definition. Some progressive conditions (such as cancer, multiple
sclerosis and HIV) count from when the condition first develops. Other types (e.g. motor
neurone disease) count as soon as the condition has some effect on the ability to carry
out normal day to day activities. This effect does not need to be continuous or
substantial now, but is likely to be substantial and adverse at some point in the future.
Medical or other treatment and aids are disregarded when defining disability, however
normal use of spectacles or contact lenses are included so the disability is based upon
the ‘corrected’ vision. Tattoos and decorative body piercing are excluded from the
definition of severe disfigurement.
Equality law also applies to people ‘by association’ that is, for example, someone who
is not disabled is protected from disability discrimination if the discrimination relates to
the fact that they care for someone with a disability. People are also protected from
discrimination if they are perceived to be of a particular age, disability, gender, race,
religion/belief, sexual orientation.
For more information see Commission for Equality and Human Rights
27
Appendix 3: Supporting Policies, Standards and Guidance
Equality Impact Assessment Guidance
Accessible Meetings Checklist
‘How to’ Accessible Communications Guidance and statement
Accessible Communications Suppliers
Design Standards for Printed Materials
Equality Monitoring Guidance For Service Delivery;
Emergency Evacuation Planning for Employees and Visitors
Prejudice Reporting Process Guidance and Support Pack
Research Governance Framework and Consultation Brief
Procurement Toolkit
Asset Management Plan
Workforce Plan and Recruitment and Selection Guidance
Customer Services Standards
Customers First Programme Definition Document
For Human Resource Policies see:
HR Handbook for Managers including Recruitment and Selection Guidelines
Employee Handbook including Dignity At Work Policy
Corporate Training Planner
Acknowledgement
Borough of Poole would like to acknowledge Devon County Council’s Fair for All
Programme in aiding the development of this Scheme.
28
Borough of Poole’s Fairness for All Action Plan
Code
Objective
Sept 2009-Sept 20012
Action
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Outcome 1: Providing Council services and information in a way that meets individual needs - simply, fairly and efficiently
C
Make it clear what the
Council does so
customers know that
they can expect from us
Research what equality groups know about
our services, how they contact us, their
experience of using our services and what
can be done to improve this
-
Investigate using pictures/ photos as part
of ‘Your Poole’ portal
-
Provide Poole News in Easy Read and
BSL formats
-
Rename and publicise ‘site map’ as ‘key
information’ (or something similar)
Strategic
Directorate
Mar 2011
Mar 2011
Customer
Services and
Communications
Mar 2010
Dec 2009
C
Reduce number of
phone calls that are not
transferred correctly
-
Provide staff with a simple ‘desktop guide’
to transferring and retrieving calls
ICT
Nov 2009
D
Help people who need
it to complete forms
-
Promote the fact that staff are willing to
help with forms etc in Poole News and
reception areas
Strategy
Directorate/ All
Services
Dec 2009
-
Simplify forms as they are revised and
provide supporting guidance to help people
complete them
All services
Ongoing
-
Improve the range of information and
advice for older people through our
customer contact centre
Customer’s First
Mar 2011
A
Improve access to
information about local
services for older
people and their carers
-
29
Increase number of older people
who feel well informed about
council services (Place Survey
Q12)
Code
Objective
Action
A
Improve access to
information to families
with children
-
Improve the range of information and
advice to children and families through our
contact centre, Family Information Service
and face to face at the Central Library
A
Improve access to local
services for families
with young children
-
Set up 2 more children centres to bring the
network across Poole to a total of eight,
and provide services through outreach
bases
-
-
Provide guidance to staff on using British
Sign Language interpreters and publicise
this and Text Relay service to the deaf
community
-
-
Enable our website to use British Sign
Language videos summarising key
information
-
Provide deaf awareness training to our
contact centre staff and corporately
As above/
Human
Resources
Oct 2009
-
Train 24 Council and independent sector
staff in deaf awareness
Adult Social
Services
Mar 2010/
Annually
-
Review our Social Services hearing loss
work in consultation with deaf people
Develop and implement Corporate
Guidance (incl. schools) on the use of face
to face language interpreters
Customer
Services and
Communications
Sept 2010
Commission research on the culturally
specific service needs of older BME people
Strategy
Directorate
Dec 2010
R
Targets/ Milestones
-
D
D
R
Improve access to
services and
information for deaf
people
Improve access to
services and
information for Black
and minority ethnic
people
-
-
Increase number of children with
disabilities accessing children’s
centres
Increase number of BME children
accessing children’s centres
(establishing baseline in 09/10)
Consultation with the deaf
community in 2010/11 to assess if
improvements have been made
Lead
Deadline
Customer’s First
Mar 2010
Children and
Young People’s
Integrated
Services
June 2010
Customer
Services and
Communications
Oct 2009
Mar 2010
30
Mar 2010
Code
Objective
Action
R
Improve access to
services for Gypsies
and Travellers
-
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Undertake a review of the health promotion
work amongst older Travellers
Adult Social
Services
Mar 2010
-
Review work with Gypsy Traveller children,
young people and families around
accessing services which are sensitive to
their needs
Children and
Young People’s
Trust
Apr 2010
-
Provide culturally sensitive services from
Yarrow Road Traveller site and support
Travellers to access all services
Make online Welcome Pack available and
publicise it to the community
Housing and
Community
Services
Strategy
Directorate
2012
Property Services
Sept 2009
Ongoing
R
Enable migrant workers
to have easy access to
information about Poole
and our services
-
D
Improve access to
Council buildings and
services
-
Consider ‘Fair Say’ findings when
developing the disability access strategy for
Council buildings and implement
-
Publish and train on Personal Emergency
Evacuation Plans for disabled visitors and
employees
Sept 2009
Ongoing
-
Provide Fair Say feedback on Crown
Building reception in contract monitoring
meeting
Dec 2010
-
Use symbols and/ or photos / pictures for
future sign in Council buildings
Ongoing
-
Enhance the Civic Centre reception map
with photos and produce picture maps of
Civic Centre for visitors
-
50% of Council buildings having
routine public access to be DDA
compliant in line with DCLG
guidance (BoP 190)
Customer
Services and
Communications
31
Dec 2009
Mar 2009
Code
Objective
Action
C
Ensure we and our
contractors meet
equalities legislation
obligations
-
Review and update Procurement Guidance
and related policies
-
Provide training on revised guidance
C
C
Improve the way we
collect and use
equalities data to inform
our services
Review and improve
access when we plan
and design our services
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Financial
Services
Dec 2009/
Apr 2010
Apr 2010
Implement new equalities monitoring
standards to improve our understanding of
how services are used in order to plan for
the future
-
Increase equalities monitoring
responses about complaints by
10%
Strategy
Directorate
Sept 2009
Onwards
-
Develop an information strategy for
collecting, analysing and using customer
information
Strategy
Directorate
Sept 2010
-
Provide guidance to schools on recording
information on and supporting parents with
specific needs
Children and
Young People’s
Strategy, Quality
and Improvement
Mar 2011
-
Improve the equalities data being collected
through Benefits application process
Financial
Services
Mar 2010
-
Monitor progress Corporate Equalities
Action Plan and undertake 3 year reviews
-
Update Equality Impact Assessment
(EQIA) Guidance and publish EQIA
timetable
-
Train managers on undertaking EQIAs
-
Provide guidance and ongoing advice to
Service Units on equality impacts in budget
setting and monitoring
-
Successfully assessed at Level 3
Strategy
of the Equality Standard / Reached Directorate
‘Excellent’ of revised Equality
Standard Framework
Annually/
Sept 2012
Dec 2009
Ongoing
32
Financial
Services
Mar 2010
Code
Objective
Action
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Outcome 2: Enabling people to influence decisions that affect their lives and no community being considered hard to reach
A
A
D
Ensure that children
and young people and
their parents and carers
are able to influence
the planning and
decision-making of the
Children's Trust and no
groups are hard to
reach
-
Review parents and carers involvement in
the Children and Young People’s Trust
Children and
Young People’s
Strategy Quality
& Improvement
Mar 2010
-
Undertake an annual Children and Young
People’s Needs Analysis
-
Review Children and Young People’s
Participation Strategy to see how effectively
we involve hard to reach groups
Children and
Young People’s
Integrated
Services
Mar 2010
Ensure that a wide and
diverse range of older
people are able to
influence the planning
and decision-making of
the Council and its
partners
Enable people with
disabilities and mental
health problems and
their carers to have a
stronger voice in
decision-making
-
Review and improve engagement with
older people through locality work
Adult Social
Services
Mar 2010
-
Work with Poole and Bournemouth CVS
and local disability organisations to develop
a network or organisation(s) that can
promote the rights of disabled people
Strategy
Directorate
Mar 2012
-
Support Poole Forum and the Learning
Disability Partnership Board to have a voice
in our decision-making processes
Adult Social
Services
Ongoing
-
Support the development of Poole’s health
and social care Local Involvement
Networks
Ongoing
-
Develop a mental health service user
forum across Poole and Bournemouth
Oct 2009
-
33
Increase the % of older people
who feel they can influence
decisions in their local area (NI4b)
(baseline to established in 09/10)
Mar 2010
Code
R
B
SO
Objective
Action
-
Support the new BME carers group and
Dorset Healthcare Trust’s BME community
development workers
-
Develop ways of involving disabled people
in planning processes
Support the work of Dorset Race Equality
Council’s community development worker
Develop our
engagement with our
diverse and growing
BME community
-
Further develop the
understanding of the
needs, aspirations and
perspectives of people
of different faiths
Develop a stronger
understanding and
engagement with gay,
lesbian, bi-sexual and
trans-gender people in
Poole
-
-
Develop, with the Local
Strategic Partnership,
stronger processes for
enabling all residents to
influence partnership
priorities and services
-
Support the Pan-Dorset Lesbian and Gay
Liaison Officer Group to engage with the
community
-
Deadline
Planning and
Regeneration
Strategy
Directorate
Dec 2009
Ongoing
Mar 2010
Support the SPACE steering group, which
is a project involving LBGT young people in
shaping activities for them in Poole
-
Lead
Ongoing
Review the way the Council engages and
consults with the BME community
Support the development of and consult
with Faithlinks, a local inter-faith network
-
-
C
Targets/ Milestones
-
Increase group and individual
contact with LGBT young people
(establishing a baseline in
2009/10)
Strategy
Directorate
Ongoing
Children and
Young People Strategy Quality
& Improvement
Ongoing
Ongoing
Strategy
Directorate
Consult with LGBT groups and set up a
Museum based volunteer project to
research LGBT history
Develop a Community Engagement
Strategy, using the Fair Say findings, to coordinate and improve the way partners
work with and respond to communities so
that no community is hard to hear
Develop work with Bournemouth and Poole
Diversity Forum to scrutinise our equality
work
34
-
-
Increase the % of people who feel
they can influence decisions in
their local area from 27% in 08/09
to 30.1% by 2010/11 (NI4)
Increase perceptions that people
in the area treat one another with
respect and consideration from
26.1% in 08/09 to 23.9% in 2011
(NI23)
Culture and
Community
Learning
Housing and
Community
Services
Feb 2011
Strategy
Directorate
Mar 2011
Mar 2010
Code
Objective
Action
C
Provide better feedback
from consultation and
improve information
about the opportunities
to get involved in
decision-making
-
Meet with or contact the organisations that
took part in Fair Say event, publicise
Fairness for All scheme and opportunities
to get involved
-
Create a ‘Fair Say’ web portal to publicise
opportunities to engage, provide feedback
and information on equalities related
consultation
C
C
Promote equality of
opportunity through our
Member community
leadership roles
Better understand the
needs of our diverse
communities
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Strategic
Directorate
Dec 2009
Mar 2011
-
Publicise the Member equality leads in the
Poole News and on the website
Legal and
Democratic
-
Review whether all groups of people feel
able to go to and feel welcomed at Area
Committees
Mar 2011
-
Investigate how other areas look at how
well Members represent the whole
community
Mar 2011
-
Develop accredited Member Induction
Mar 2011
-
Review how well equalities issues are
being address in our research
-
Develop programme of equalities specific
research and consultation
Strategy
Directorate
Dec 2009
Mar 2010
Sept 2010
35
Code
Objective
Action
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Outcome 3: Poole being a strong, safe and inclusive community where people from all backgrounds come together, get on well and difference is
celebrated
C
Celebrate Poole’s
diversity
-
Publish an annual programme of equalities
events supported by the Council that
considers the feedback from Fair Say
-
Promote local events to mark Older
People’s Day
-
C
Develop strong local
communities and
neighbourhoods where
people from different
backgrounds come
together and support
each other
-
Support International Women’s Day
-
Participate in Bourne Free (Pride Festival)
-
Develop an Arts Programme for BME and
LGBT communities
-
Develop Gypsy and Traveller Heritage
project
-
Map young people’s achievement
celebrations and co-ordinate activities
Support the town centre community
development work so that all residents
work together as the area is regenerated
-
-
-
Support schools to fulfil their duties in
relation to community cohesion
-
Review with Poole CVS and via our
community centre leases to ensure these
centres are open and inclusive
In 09/10 establishing baseline
figures for arts based activities
focussed on the following groups:
disabled, BME, older, children and
young people, intergenerational
work and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender. Targets to be
set in 2010/11.
Strategy
Directorate/
Housing and
Community
Services
Dec 2009
Oct 2009
Mar 2010
Culture and
Community
Learning
Annually
Mar 2010
Children and
Young People’s
Integrated
Services
2012
Mar 2011
Strengthen how we work with communities
to develop a strong sense of belonging and
shared vision for Poole through a
Community Cohesion Framework
-
Increase % of people who believe
people from different backgrounds
get on well together in their local
area from 79% in 08/09 (NI1)
36
-
Increase the % of people who feel
they can influence decisions in
their local area from 27% in 08/09
to 30.1% by 2010/11 (NI4)
-
Targets for Hamworthy Library:
Strategy
Directorate
Ongoing
Nov 2009
50 young people per year having
greater impact on influencing local
decisions and increased
participation
Children and
Young People’s
Strategy Quality
& Improvement
100 older people per year feeling
more confident in using the library
Housing and
Community
Housing and
Mar 2012
Sept 2012
Code
Objective
Action
-
C
C
C
Targets/ Milestones
Open a new Hamworthy Library which will
involve the local community, particularly
older and young people, disabled people
and people with learning needs
Ensure that our
communications are
relevant to and
positively promote
Poole's diverse
population
-
Promote our equalities achievements
through Poole News, website and the
media
-
Improve our stock of positive images that
reflect equality and diversity
Support the
development of a
strong, diverse
community and
voluntary sector
-
Work with Poole CVS to support the
community and voluntary sector and
promote volunteering through the Stronger
Communities Plan
-
Ensure procurement policies actively
encourage third sector to tender for Council
contracts and does not discriminate against
them providing us with services
-
Support seven Safer Neighbourhood teams
across Poole
-
Develop and implement a local plan to
work with communities to prevent potential
tensions in our communities
Ensure our diverse
communities know
about and can raise
concerns and problems
in the community
50 disabled people per year
improving their community
relations
-
Increase % of people who believe
people from different backgrounds
get on well together in their local
area from 79% in 08/09 (NI1)
-
Increase perceptions that people
in the area treat one another with
respect and consideration from
26.1% in 08/09 to 23.9% in 2011
(NI23)
Environment for a Thriving Third
Sector (NI7) from 13.6% in 08/09
to 11.6% by March 2011
Deadline
Community /
Property
Mar 2010
Culture and
Community
Customer
Services and
Communications
Ongoing
Mar 2010
-
-
-
Lead
Work with diverse groups to develop plans
for civil emergencies
37
Participation in Regular
Volunteering (NI6) from 21.6% in
08/09 to 24.1% by March 2011
-
Building resilience to violent
extremism (NI35) Maintain or
increase current score of 2.
-
Increase awareness of civil
protection arrangements in local
area (NI37)
Strategy
Directorate
Mar 2010
Apr 2010
Financial
Services
Strategy
Directorate
Mar 2010
Mar 2012
Ongoing
Code
Objective
Action
A
Provide positive
activities for young
people
-
Explore and promote options for affordable
and accessible ‘wet weather’ activities for
young people
R
Improve understanding
between different
generations and
different people
-
Work in schools with parents and children
through ‘Future Stars’ to develop
understanding of multi-cultural Britain
A
A
Reduce the fear of
crime for older people
Targets/ Milestones
-
Seek funds to co-ordinate intergenerational
activity
-
Deliver “Flourish” intergenerational arts
project called Common Ground on Poole’s
Waterloo Estate
Support Neighbourhood Watches to
prevent crime
-
-
Support of a range seasonal projects
targeted at older people’s safety, such as
Trickster (about bogus callers), Jingle Bells
-
See NI1 and NI 23 above
-
Reduce perception of teenagers
hanging around on street corners
as a problem (Place Survey antisocial behaviour question)
-
Reduce levels of older people who
feel unsafe after dark and during
the day (Place Survey question)
Lead
Deadline
Children and
Young People’s
Integrated
Services
Children and
Young People’s
Strategy Quality
& Improvement /
Integrated
Services
Mar 2012
Culture and
Community
Learning
Strategy
Directorate
Mar 2010
Ongoing
Dec 2009
Ongoing
Ongoing
Decrease older people’s
perception of anti social behaviour
(NI17b)
Outcome 4: Enabling people to trust and have confidence in us to tackle discrimination, abuse and report prejudice incidents
D
C
Make it easier for
disabled customers to
raise complaints about
services
-
-
Review how well Prejudice Incident
reporting works with complaints and related
employee policies
-
Increase the use of Easy Read
prejudice incident reporting forms
(Establishing baseline in 09/10)
-
Provide complaints information in
alternative formats, eg Easy Read, BSL
-
See targets below
-
Improve consistency of complaints
processes through training, advice and
equality monitoring
-
Implement Corporate Feedback Project, to
how customers’ feedback inform our work
Housing and
Community
Services, Human
Resources and
Strategy
Directorate
Mar 2011
Mar 2010
/11
Dec 2009
38
Customer’s First
Dec 2009
Code
Objective
Action
C
Increase local people's
confidence in how all
agencies respond to
prejudice incidents and
crimes so that more
incidents are reported
and people who
experience incidents
are satisfied with the
response
-
Share Fair Say findings with Prejudice Free
Bournemouth and Poole Group to inform
development of their action plan
-
Increase prejudice incident
reporting to Council by 15% in
2009/10 comparison to 2008/09
-
Work with partners to promote where
people can report prejudice incidents
-
100% reporting of prejudice
incident reporting outcomes
-
Identify a wider range of independent
reporting centres, such as Libraries
Mar 2011
-
Analyse prejudice incident reports to
identify areas of concern to address
Ongoing
/quarterly
-
Publicise how prejudice incidents have
been successfully dealt with
Dec 2009
-
Monitor outcomes on all Council reports to
ensure people feel satisfied with responses
Ongoing
-
Investigate independent phone / advocacy
support to racist and homophobic incidents
Publish and implement Anti-Bullying
Strategy and action plan
Dec 2009
R
SO
Reduce racist and
homophobic bullying in
schools
-
Targets/ Milestones
-
Increase racist reporting from
schools
-
Reduce repeat racist abuse
reporting of children and young
people to 0%
Lead
Deadline
Strategy
Directorate/
Housing and
Community
Services
Oct 2009
Children and
Young People’s
Strategy, Quality
& Improvement
Mar 2010
Jan 2010
-
Support the development of the children
and young people led Anti-Bullying Alliance
-
Support schools to implement ‘Safe to
Learn’, especially reduce homophobic,
racist & disability bullying
Nov 2009
-
Undertake governor training to raise the
profile of the issue
Ongoing
39
Ongoing
Code
Objective
Action
G
Reduce violence
against women
-
Develop and implement a Domestic Abuse
Strategy based on local need and
consultation with victims
-
Provide ongoing support and services to
women and families affected by abuse
A
Ensure vulnerable
children and young
people feel safe in their
communities and
families
Targets/ Milestones
-
Establish baseline for measure of
sexual offences
-
Increase no. of domestic violence
offenders brought to justice from
185 in 05/06 to 208 in 09/10
-
Increase DV incidents reported
annually by the victim using the
telephone or in person from 1032
in 05/06 to 1148 in 09/10 (LAA
Stretch Targets 12 and 13)
-
% reduction in no. of DV repeat
incidents (NI32) (establishing
baseline in 09/10)
Lead
Deadline
Strategy
Directorate
Mar 2010
Ongoing
-
Increase the safety of children by carrying
out recommendations from case reviews as
part of the Safeguarding Action Plan
-
Maximum of 9% if children are
subject to protection plan for more
than 2 years (NI 64)
-
Ensure that child protection services are
culturally sensitive and meet the needs of
individuals
-
12% or less of children becoming
subject to protection plan for a
second subsequent time (NI65)
Ongoing/
Mar 2011
-
Raise public awareness around child
protection by working with the Local
Safeguarding Children's Board
-
Increase number of community
and voluntary sector providers with
child protection policies
Ongoing
-
Undertake preventative activities with
children and young people in hotspot
areas, eg use of mobile youth services
-
Initiate Safe Schools projects to prevent
young people from getting in trouble with
the police
Children and
Young People’s
Social Care
Children and
Young People’s
Integrated
Services
Aug 2009
6 monthly
Ongoing
Sept 2010
40
Code
Objective
Action
A
Ensure vulnerable
adults are safe from
abuse, neglect and
harm
-
Work with partners to establish an effective
Safeguarding Adults Board
-
As part of the Valuing People Board, work
with people with a learning disability and
their carers to reduce the number of repeat
incidents of abuse for people with a
learning disability
D
Targets/ Milestones
-
-
Reduce the number of repeat
alerts from people with LD living in
congregate living environments by
at least 10% by April 2010
Lead
Deadline
Adult Social
Services
Sept 09/
ongoing
Apr 2010
Increase in alerts by 10% within
mental health
- 100% of care providers will have
Support residential and nursing care
updated procedures monitored
providers for people with dementia to
through contract review by Mar 10
provide high quality care
Outcome 5: Enabling people to fulfil their potential and make choices about their lives and services8 they use
-
Supporting Children and Young People
G
Improve access to
childcare in Poole
D
G
Reduce teenage
pregnancy conceptions
and improve outcomes
for teenage mothers
8
-
Develop an additional Dad’s club
-
Improve disability access for priority set of
childcare settings
-
Take action to reduce the number of
teenage pregnancies in Poole
-
Improve sex and relationship training in
schools and follow up advice
-
-
These may be directly provided by us or on our behalf by other organisations
41
Increase no.of male carers
accessing services
Reduce under 18 conception rate
(NI112) from 1998 baseline by
45% by 2010
Children and
Young People’s
Integrated
Services
Sept 2009
Children and
Young People’s
Strategy, Quality
& Improvement
Mar 2010/
Annually
Mar 2011
Code
Objective
Action
D
Improve outcomes for
Poole’s disabled
children
-
Implement Aiming High for Disabled
Children core offer to improve information,
assessment and involvement of disabled
children and their families in services
-
Extend opportunities for disabled children
to take up leisure, arts and recreational
facilities through Short Breaks programme
Monitor and support vulnerable young
people who are not in employment or
training to access services
C
D
G
R
Improve outcomes for
vulnerable young
people
Improve attainment in
school, with a focus on
boys, Traveller children
and children with
learning and physical
disabilities
-
Targets/ Milestones
-
Work with children and adults with complex
needs to provide dedicated support to
whole family via ‘Think Family’ approach
-
Monitor attainment and support Traveller,
Black and minority ethnic children; children
with special needs; and boys and girls
-
-
-
-
-
Improve services for disabled
children from 60% from 08/09 to
63% in 09/10 (NI54)
-
450 Leisure opportunities to be
provided through Short Breaks
programme by March 2010
-
-
Provide support to children whose first
language is not English in schools
-
Support schools in achieving the Inclusion
Mark
-
Provide equipment, aids and building
modifications as part of the Schools Access
Initiative
Train governors on their responsibilities
under equalities legislation
42
-
Lead
Deadline
Children and
Young People’s
Integrated
Services
Apr 2010
Mar 2010
16-18 year olds who are not in
education or training (NI117) –
Monitored by race, disability,
young offenders and teenage
mothers
Children and
Young People’s
Trust
Ongoing
Children and
Young People’s
Social Care
Sept 2011
Monitor and report attainment –
boys and girls measures
Special Educational Needs
(SEN)/non-SEN gap achieving Key
Stage 2 in English and Maths
SEN/ non-SEN gap – achieving 5
A*-C GCSE inc. English and
Maths (NI104 and 5)
Key Stage 2 attainment for Black
and minority ethnic groups (NI107)
Key Stage 4 attainment for Black
and minority ethnic groups (NI108)
Achievement needs to be equal to
or greater than ‘white British’
children (G&T or all BME)
Children and
Young People’s
Strategy, Quality
& Improvement/
Integrated
Services
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Ongoing
Code
Objective
Action
C
Ensure positive
outcomes for children in
care
-
-
Targets/ Milestones
Deliver good health and education
outcomes for children in care
-
Improve the diversity of carers available to
children in care
-
Promote employment opportunities, and
provide appropriate accommodation and
support for care leavers
-
-
D
Improve the mental
health and emotional
well-being of children
-
Implement the Targeted Mental Health in
Schools Project with 5-13 year olds in 17
Poole Schools
SO
Develop support for
Poole’s LGBT young
people
-
Design and implement positive activities
with and for LGBT young people in Poole
-
43
Lead
Deadline
Emotional and behavioural health
Children and
of children in care (Target 16)
Young People’s
NI058
Social Care
Stability of placements of looked
after children: number of moves
(Target 11%) N1062
100% of Care leavers in suitable
accommodation (NI147)
100% Children in care reaching
level 4 in English at Key Stage 2
100% Children in care reaching
level 4 in Maths at Key Stage 2
(NI 99 and 100)
20% Children in care achieving 5
A*-C GCSEs (or equivalent) at Key
Stage 4 (inc English + Maths)
(NI101)
70% of Care Leavers in Education,
Employment or Training (NI 048)
Children and
Young People’s
Strategy, Quality
& Improvement
Ongoing
Increase group and individual
contact with Poole LGBT young
people (establishing baseline in
09/10)
Mar 2010
As above
Ongoing
Ongoing
2011
Code
Objective
Action
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Adult Social
Services
Ongoing
Promoting Health and Well-Being
A
D
Improve people’s
choice and access to
adult social care
services
-
Promote direct payments so people can
buy the care they wish to
-
Increase the choice and control people
have to buy their own care through
Personal Budgets
-
Ensure a wide range of services people
would want to buy, including culturally
relevant services, are available
-
Enable a full range of care and support
advocacy options from the independent
sector and the Council
-
Undertake a review of day service
provision and offer alternative
arrangements to give people choice
-
-
-
Increase number of people
receiving care and support through
a personal budget 30% by Mar
2011
Increase the no of adults and older
people receiving ongoing direct
payments from 142 per 100,000 in
05/06 to 350 per 100,000 by Sept
09 (LAA Stretch 6)
Increase % of those with ongoing
direct payments who report they
are satisfied or very satisfied from
89.7% in 07/08 (LAA Stretch 7)
Jan 2010
Mar 2011
Mar 2011
Mar 2010
44
Code
Objective
Action
A
Improve the quality of
life and overall wellbeing of older people in
Poole
-
Support older people to remain
independent in their own home
-
Use our learning from a project in
Westbourne that enabled people with
dementia and their carers to receive
support in their home at times of crisis
Targets/ Milestones
-
Increase no. of older people who
are satisfied overall with the local
area (Place Survey question)
-
Assist a minimum of 400 older
people through the Safer Homes
scheme each year
-
Signpost 150 older people each
year to relevant energy efficiency
schemes that can provide them
with warmer homes
-
Pay additional £2M in state
benefits to persons of pensionable
age each year
Lead
Deadline
Adult Social
Services
Mar 2010
Annually
June 2011
Ongoing
-
Improve the health & social services
assessment process so that older people
have a positive and consistent experience
-
Increase the number of older people
receiving their benefit entitlements
-
-
G
Improve support to
Poole’s carers
Run Locality Steering Groups to make sure
older people can influence how local
services are delivered
-
Develop a programme of activities to help
older people keep mind and body active
-
Implement the Bournemouth and Poole
Carers’ Strategy
-
Support BME groups, including the Black
Carers, to participate in carers’ focus &
support groups
-
Reduce the gap in life expectancy
between the worst and best areas
by a third by 2013 (see other
related National Indicators)
-
Number of older people registered
with Silver 3X30 scheme
-
Increase carers receiving needs
assessment or review and a
specific carer's service, or advice
and information to 25% by 2011
(NI135)
R
-
45
Increase in the total “over 60”
benefit caseload by 5% between
2008-11
Increase BME uptake of carers
services and support from 1%
Financial
Services
Ongoing
As above with
Housing and
Community
Services
Ongoing
Ongoing
Adult Social
Services
2018
Ongoing
Code
Objective
Action
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Leisure
Dec 2009
Protecting Poole’s Environment
B
D
D
Ensure cemeteries
meets the needs of
faith community and
disabled people
-
Carry out disability audit of cemeteries and
update public information on access
-
Improve disabled
access to recreational
facilities
-
Consult with disabled people and faith
groups to plan the new Canford Magna
cemetery
Extend opportunities for disabled children
to use recreational facilities
Dec 2010
-
Modernise 22 play areas through
Playbuild Scheme
-
Consider introducing disabled scooter hire
at Upton Country Park
-
Review and update Poole’s Housing
Strategy and the Private Sector Housing
Strategy (which looks at how to keep
people independent in their own homes)
-
Deliver 3500 affordable homes –
monitored annually through
number of affordable homes
(NI155)
-
Ensure all new homes meet the Lifetime
Homes Standards
-
-
Monitor Registered Social Landlord
preferred partner protocol as to its progress
in meeting delivery and targets for new
affordable housing
Provide more new care home places
Year-on-year increase in the
proportion of all new dwellings built
to lifetime homes standards, to be
monitored annually (PCS8)
As above
Mar 2011
Mar 2010
Strengthening Our Communities
C
A
D
Make sure future
housing meets the
needs of Poole
Provide suitable
housing and support for
older people and
disabled who need it
-
Put in place 45 extra care sheltered
accommodation scheme at Pitwines
housing development site
-
Increase number of care home
beds by 500-700 places by 2025
-
No closures of viable care homes
with over 45 bed space capacity
Housing and
Community
Services
Mar 2010
Ongoing
Ongoing
As above
2025
Dec 2009
46
Code
Objective
Action
D
Enable people with
learning disabilities to
live in the community
-
Implement ‘Moving on from hospital’ project to enable people with learning disabilities to
live in the community
A
Enable more older
people to access library
services
-
Extend library services to housebound
readers and people living in residential
homes
A
Encourage young
people to read more
and access libraries
-
A
Create affordable
opportunities for older
people to become
involved in the arts
-
Improve disability
access to arts and the
Museum
-
Improve disability access to annual street
arts festival in Poole
-
Undertake arts projects such as the
“Flourish” focusing on adult mental health
and older people, and the Arts and Health
programme targeted at disabled people
Ongoing
-
Improve access to information for people
with visual impairments and dyslexia at
Poole Museum
Work with partners to make sure Poole
Learning courses and activities meet
disabled people’s needs
Mar 2015
D
D
Provide Poole Adult
Learning courses for
disabled people
-
-
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Move 29 Poole people from
hospital units to a home of their
choice with support
As above with
Adult Social
Services
April 2010
-
Increase the numbers of people
receiving a delivered library
service from 600 by March 2010
Culture and
Community
Learning
Nov 2010/
Nov 2013
Implement the Read a Million Words
challenge
-
Enrol 1000 children on Read a
Million Words challenge
As above
April 2010
Develop ’Flourish’ programme of artsbased social activities for older people
-
Maintain 08/09 level arts
programmes for older people
As above
Ongoing
-
Proportion of older people
engaged in the arts over a 12
month period
Maintain no. of activities and
engagement of disabled adults in
the arts at 13%
As above
Sept 2009
annually
-
Introduce courses that lead to qualifications
for disabled people
47
-
Maintain no. of activities and
engagement of disabled adults in
Poole Adult Learning at 17%
-
Number of learners who have
learning difficulties and disabilities
As above
Ongoing
Jul 2010
Code
Objective
Action
Targets/ Milestones
R
Enable people to
improve their English
language skills
-
Provide English as Second Language
courses, particularly in peoples’ workplaces
-
Ask Tourism Partnership to make an
equalities commitment and raise disability
access awareness at Tourism conference
-
Update website and develop Bournemouth
and Poole Tourism disability access guide
Dec 2010
-
Encourage take up of Tourism for All
access standards for hotels, restaurants,
accommodation and attractions
Implement Multi-Area Agreement, and
contribute to the development of subregional Employment and Skills Strategy
Dec 2010
-
% of non-English speaking people
successfully completing ESOL
courses each year (NI13)
Lead
Deadline
As above
Ongoing
Tourism
Dec 2009
Developing a Dynamic Economy
D
A
Promote disability
access to Tourist
facilities
Support young people
to find work in the local
area
-
-
-
Proportion of 19-64 population
with at least NVQ Level 4 (MAA3)
-
Graduate retention and
employment in local economy participants successfully
completing STRIDE programme
(MAA4a)
Evaluate schools mentoring programme
and continue to implement
48
-
Graduate retention and
employment in local economy students successfully completing
mentoring programme (MAA4b)
-
Graduate retention and
employment in local economy student enterprise projects
completed (MAA4c)
Planning and
Regeneration
Mar 2010
Sept 2009
Code
Objective
Action
R
Provide business
information, advice and
training to Black and
minority ethnic
businesses
-
Support Cosmopolitan Business Initiative
which raises awareness of support and
advice available to BME businesses
-
Provide more translated food safety
seminars if required
Support people who
have been unemployed
for a long time to find
and keep jobs
-
Support and enable disabled people to find
and sustain meaningful employment
-
Maintain 56 full time equivalent
jobs through Workstep contract
Adult Social
Services
Ongoing
-
Implement ‘Bridge to Work’ project to help
the long term unemployed into ongoing
employment
-
To support 72 people across
Poole to gain long term
employment
Culture and
Community
Learning
Jul 2010
Improve information
and access to public
transport
-
Implement Community Transport Voucher
Scheme for people with mobility problems
who are unable to make use of a bus pass
-
Increase number of community
transport journeys to 24,500
Transportation
Ongoing
-
Develop a Community Transport Strategy
with partners for Bournemouth and Poole
Increase use by those under 60
years old by 5% by 2011
-
Improve lift D by the office in Dolphin
Centre multi-storey car park
-
Review disabled parking across the
Borough
-
Extend pre-driver training and continue to
deliver ‘Pills, Thrills and Automobiles’
training for 16-24 year olds
-
Reduce the no. of killed or serious
road injuries (KSI) involving
children by 50% by 2010 (NI148)
-
Evaluate the impact of road safety
initiatives / policies involving young men
-
Reduce the no. of young men
involved in KSIs traffic collisions by
a third from 40 to 27 by 2011
D
R
G
A
D
D
A
Improve access to
disabled parking
facilities
Improve road safety of
young men in Poole
G
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Planning and
Regeneration
Ongoing
Environmental
and Consumer
Protection
-
Mar 2010
Mar 2012
Maintain or increase satisfaction
Transportation
with disabled parking in Poole from
2008
Mar 2010
Feb 2010
49
Transportation
Ongoing
Ongoing
Code
Objective
Action
Targets/ Milestones
Lead
Deadline
Outcome 6: We are an employer of choice; promote fair pay; and equal access to employment, training and career development opportunities
G
G
C
Equalise pay between
men and women
-
Complete implementation of Equal Pay
review so that male and female employees
receive equal pay for equal work
-
Review the terms and conditions of staff
that are transferred from the Council to
work for other organisations
Support staff with
caring responsibilities
to be supported and
work flexibly
-
Provide a workplace nursery for employees
-
Review the experience of women taking
maternity leave
Monitor diversity in our
workforce and make
sure it reflects our
community
-
Revise Workforce Plan and set targets to
ensure that reflect our workforce reflects
our community make up
-
Develop guidance and take action where
there is under-representation of particular
groups in services’ workforce
-
Publish results of workforce monitoring and
performance against targets
-
Encourage more disabled people to work
for the Council
-
Implement a new system to enable more
effective equalities employment monitoring
-
Introduce Graduate Trainee Scheme and a
joined up approach to traineeships across
the Council (with Adult Learning)
-
No tribunal equal pay claims
awarded against the Council (BoP
223)
Human
Resources
Dec 2009
Jan 2010
Average number of children
attending Flippers per week
(BoP224)
As above
-
% of Top 25% of earners who are
women (BoP 247)
As above
-
% of Top 25% of earners who are
from minority ethnic communities
(BoP 246)
-
-
-
50
% of Top 25% of earners who are
disabled (BoP 245)
Increase number of employees
under 25 years old across
organisation
-
% of employees with a disability
(BV16a) compared to local
population
-
% of employees from a BME
background or 'white other'
classification (BoP 225)
Ongoing
Jul 2010
Mar 2010
Ongoing
Apr 2010
Sept 2010
Mar 2012
Dec 2010
Apr 2010/
Mar 2012
Code
Objective
Action
-
-
C
Build the skills and
confidence of
employees and
Members to deliver the
equalities agenda
-
-
Targets/ Milestones
Implement Positive About Disabled People
(Two Ticks) scheme and develop guidance
to support managers to recruit disabled
people
Develop and implement an Adult Social
Care Workforce Plan which is integrated
with Corporate and partners’ plans
Review how the new appraisal scheme is
helping staff apply equality and diversity to
their job roles
-
Lead
Deadline
Ongoing/
Dec 2010
% of employees from a BME
background (17a) compared to
local population
Adult Social
Services
Oct 2009
As above
Feb 2010
Deliver the mandatory corporate equalities
training to all Council’s staff groups and
provide a better range of equalities training
to employees/ Councillors
Ongoing
Mar 2010
C
Listen to employees
about their experience
to shape our policies
and practice
-
Develop a Councillor induction programme
-
Monitor equality of access to training for
corporate training courses
Ask employees how confident they feel
about addressing equality issues in the
People Matters Survey
-
Develop an action plan as a result of ‘All
things being equal’ staff consultation
Sept 09/
annually
-
Promote, develop and respond to
employee groups and Trade Union
engagement
Ongoing
-
Undertake a successful IiP re-assessment,
including progress against equalities
Dec 2011
Dec 2010
As above
51
Oct 2009
Code
Objective
Action
D
Improve ICT access for
disabled employees
-
A
D
B
Age equality
Disability equality
Faith and belief equality
Targets/ Milestones
Improve our ICT guidance and information
about how to support disabled staff and talk
to them to further understand their needs
G
R
SO
Gender equality
Race equality
Sexual orientation equality
52
C
Lead
Deadline
Information
Communications
and Technology
Dec 2009
Cross cutting covers all equality strands