Equalities Impact Assessment
Community Meals Service
Date: 2007
Record of Equality Impact Assessment
Department/Service Area
Adult Social Care Service – Community Meals Service
Equality areas assessed
Race, religion / belief, culture
Date assessment completed
2007.
Policy assessed
There is no specific policy on the Community Meals Service although the
authority has a statutory responsibility to provide sustenance to individuals in
need, based on its eligibility criteria.
Historically the Community Meals Service has always striven to provide meals
for everyone presented no matter their race or religion.
The Community Meals Service encompasses ‘Home delivered Meals’
and Luncheon Club provision. In both cases their main purpose is to maintain
peoples’ independence and well-being, enabling them to remain in their own
home and community for as long as possible. Provision is open to all ages,
but is predominantly used by older people.
The Community Meals Service was reviewed in 2000 as part of the Best
Value Review of Domiciliary Services. This review identified inequalities in
provision based on geography. That is not all areas had a 7-day service.
There were also inconsistencies in quality, a result of the variety of suppliers
used and the distances meals had to travel.
Members agreed to the recommendations of the BV Review in 2001, which
addressed these inequalities, whilst a Lib/Dem amendment removed the
option of Home Delivered Frozen Meals. That is that :



Community Meals would be delivered through a single externalised
contract.
The service would run 365 days a year across the whole county.
Modernise luncheon clubs to enable them to play a fuller role in the
promotion of the independence and prevention agendas.
By the introduction of the contract the following has been established :


Service users have a choice of meals.
Meals are frozen and regenerated in transit in order to improve the
quality of the meal on delivery.
h:equalityimpactassessment.doc
2
Data Collection and consultation
Data Collection
The primary sources of data were collected from the Census 2001 and from
performance data from SSIS.
Other data was collected from benchmarking with other local authorities and
from meals suppliers including apetito.
Consultation
The Department is working in partnership with Age Concern Leicester
Leicestershire & Rutland and their development worker, to access local
communities regarding the type of service acceptable to each community. A
representative from the Department now attends the Leicestershire and
Rutland Minority Ethnic Forum.
Taste Testing
Twenty people including current service users from the Asian community were
invited to a taste testing in April 2005. Four suppliers were asked to provide
sample meals. Those taking part were asked to mark the meals for flavour,
aroma, appearance, temperature, authenticity and component parts. The
responses were evaluated by ESPO.
The four suppliers were Asra, Leicester City, Age Concern’s Shree Ram, and
for Apetito, their supplier Raj Foods. Overall the fresh cook suppliers Asra and
Shree Ram were the most favoured.
Complaints
There are on-going complaints from service users that the current Asian
vegetarian meals provision from apetito is not authentic and its components –
rice and a curry are not standard elements for this community.
In addition, Asian Elders find it difficult to accept a frozen regenerated meal as
authentic.
Most referrals to the service are sort lived. Since the introduction of the new
contract in April 2003, 78 agreements are recorded on SSIS, of these 53
lasted up to 3 months with ultimately only 2 lasting over 2 years.
World Trade Exhibition and Seminars
Seminars on care catering provision underlined how important it is that local
communities trust their meals suppliers. Further they explained why generally
people requiring a Kosher diet are happy with current supply networks. They
have very strict certification standards and the whole community know the
certifying bodies.
h:equalityimpactassessment.doc
3
The situation is very different for Halal food, where there are many and
various certification bodies using a variety of standards. This potentially
means that local communities will only trust providers they know.
Key Findings
Leicestershire’s Population
Leicestershire’s community is made up of an increasingly wide range of ethnic
and religious groups all of which could potentially create new demands on the
community meals service. Muslims from Asian countries require different
menus to Muslims from Eastern Europe – though both require Halal meat.
People from different parts of India require different meal styles for example
chapattis can be very different depending on the area they come from.
It is important to note that most of the people using the community meals
service are over 65, that is 95.4%.
There follows data on the main groups in the county :

Asian communities
According to the census, for all age groups the non-white population of
Leicestershire is 5.3%, 4.5% of which are over 18 and 3.3% is Asian/Asian
British.
The largest group is Asian/Asian British – Indian. They live in every district but
predominantly in Blaby, Charnwood and Oadby & Wigston.
People of Bangladeshi origin live mainly in Charnwood.
People from the Pakistani community live mainly in Oadby & Wigston and
Blaby.
The census also identifies people by religion and that although Hindus,
Muslims and Sikhs live in all districts of the county most live in Charnwood,
Oadby & Wigston and Blaby. See table below.
NW Leics
Melton
Hinckley Bosworth
Oadby & Wigston
Harborough
Charnwood
Blaby
HINDU
172
160
507
3,337
361
6,112
1,694
MUSLIM
110
42
277
1,554
180
2,411
371
SIKH
80
16
238
2,323
230
794
1,279
The people living in Charnwood are Asian/Asian British – Indian generally
originating from Gujarat. They are also mainly Hindu requiring a mainly
vegetarian diet.
The largest numbers of Muslims live in Charnwood and Oadby & Wigston.
They eat Halal meals where the meat has been blessed.
h:equalityimpactassessment.doc
4
The greatest number of Sikhs, who originate from the Punjab in India, now live
in Oadby & Wigston and Blaby. They can eat meat – but not Halal meat.

Other BME Groups
Black/Black British older people form a small community in
Leicestershire living mainly in Blaby and Oadby & Wigston
The older Chinese community is small but is found in all districts
again predominantly in Charnwood, Blaby and Oadby & Wigston.
The ‘White other’ group is significant and it is recognised that this
must include a substantial grouping of Polish origin.
In addition, census information shows that there are nearly 800
people in Leicestershire – mainly in Loughborough and Oadby who
say that they are Muslim and that their ethnicity is not Asian.
There are currently approximately 100 Muslims, again mainly
living in Loughborough who come from Eastern Europe. Obviously
this community would eat Eastern European dishes using halal
meat for which there are very few suppliers.
Current Services
Home delivered Meals
Provision of ethnic meals is from three sources.
1. The Countywide apetito meals contract. This service provides a range
of non-European meals including Asian Vegetarian, African Caribbean
and Kosher. These are meals are produced by suppliers using
authentic ingredients and menus.
Where applicable the meat/process is blessed – all being audited to the
highest standard.
They meet as far as possible the required nutritional standard as
stipulated in the National Association of Care Catering Recommended
Standard for Community Meals.
They are currently reviewing their Ethnic Meals provision.
The meals are frozen and regenerated in transit to people’s homes.
2. Two local suppliers Asra Housing and Age Concern Leicester,
Leicestershire and Rutland
Meals are fresh cooked and are delivered in ‘old style’ hotlocks by
‘Interim Fleet’ drivers. There are currently not enough drivers
contracted to work weekends and bank holidays.
These suppliers can only produce Gujerati style Asian Vegetarian
meals.
Asra can provide meals 7 days a week. The Age Concern kitchen
based at the Shree Ram Temple can only provide meals Monday to
Friday.
h:equalityimpactassessment.doc
5
These services are not available countywide and as the kitchens are
small operations they are unable to produce a choice menu and are
currently contracted to produce around 8 -10 meals per day. This
contract is currently under review pending this report.
NB The nutritional status of ‘fresh cook’ meals needs to be reviewed in
light of Leicester City’s experience, where for example, portion sizes
were too large leading to customers sharing meals or more worryingly
saving elements until later.
Luncheon Clubs
Meals provision to luncheon clubs supported by the community meals
service come from a number of suppliers, primarily apetito. Other local
fresh cook suppliers are used such as Initial Catering (where the luncheon
club is held in a school) and John Storer House.
The Community Meals Service supports three luncheon clubs for Asian
Elders. They receive an Asian Vegetarian meal freshly cooked and
supplied from the Shree Ram Temple. The clubs are all affiliated to Age
Concern Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. A fourth is soon to be
introduced, again supported by Age Concern Leicestershire and Rutland
which purchases its meals locally
The Community Meals Service also jointly funds a Chinese luncheon club
in Leicester – which cooks its meals on site.
Requests for funding further luncheon club for Asian Elders in Oadby are
currently being considered.
In addition other Luncheon Clubs are supported by Grants through the
Department’s Commissioning Team such as the Polish Centre in
Leicester, the Bangladeshi Tea Group and the Winstanley Dosti Asian
Lunch Club. This, latter was previously funded by the Education
Department as part of Community Plus, but has been transferred to Adult
Social Care.
Ethnic Meal suppliers
apetito – covers the whole county with frozen regenerated meals from its own
and sub-contractors. It has undertaken brokerage arrangements with local
fresh cook suppliers in other authorities.
Asra – meals are fresh cooked and delivered by ASC drivers. This service is
reserved for service users with ‘grandfather rights’. Capacity is restricted by
the contract and the size of the kitchen but is available 7 days
Shree Ram – again meals are fresh cooked and delivered by SSD drivers.
This service is reserved for service users with ‘grandfather rights’. Capacity is
restricted by the contract and the size of the kitchen and it is only available 5
days a week.
h:equalityimpactassessment.doc
6
Other Options for ‘Fresh Cook’ Ethnic meals supply
Leicester City – Edward Street and the Belgrave Centre.
Age Concern Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland, Catherine House, Evington.
Savak Samaj, Oadby.
LCC SSD Curtis Weston House, Wigston
West Indian Senior Citizen’s Project
NB There are no local suppliers of Halal meals.
Other Options for Frozen meals Ethnic meals supply (including Asian and
Halal dishes)
Punjab kitchens
CFH Group
Mrs Gill’s Kitchen.
Use of Service
Overall, 1.6% of Leicestershire’s ‘over the age of 65’ population is from BME
groups. The Meals at Home Service currently provides meals to 1700 people,
2.1% or 35 being served to people from BME communities.
On reviewing the duration of community meals agreements it is interesting to
note that although the number of people are vastly different between
agreements for those from BME communities and those from White, the
percentages are similar. So for example 53.7% of people from white
communities are on the community meals service for 0-3 months whereas the
figure is 67.9% for BME groups. These figures are even closer in comparison
in the 6 month – 1 year bracket being 14.1% and 15.4% respectively.
However, the figure drops considerably the longer the agreement. But overall
the trend is similar whatever the service user group except in the 3-6 month
bracket where agreements are half that of people white origin.
In addition, the Community Meals Service supports twenty three Luncheon
Clubs with three in development. Of the current 23, 4 are for minority
communities and of the 3 in development, 2 are for minority communities.
That means that during 2006/7 the number of luncheon clubs for BME
communities will be 24% of the total.
In addition Adult Social Care also supports a further 5 clubs for minority
communities through Grants managed by the Planning and Commissioning
team.
Benchmarking through the National Association of Care Catering
(NACC)
Replies were received from Edinburgh, Derby City, Islington, Leeds,
Derbyshire, Dorset, Nottinghamshire, Bradford, Coventry, Staffordshire,
Tower Hamlets and Haringey.
h:equalityimpactassessment.doc
7
In addition, during preliminary discussions with the IDEA Advisor Scheme
information regarding meals services in Brent was sourced.
All of these councils identified with the issues facing Leicestershire – that is
how to provide an equitable service to a widely diverse population. All the
authorities questioned had made different decisions based on circumstances
within their own authorities. The impression given was that local authorities
which you might have expected to have resolved these issues, don’t appear
to have done so and that there was interest in any options analysis we might
produce (see page 8).
To summarise:
 geography impacted on the decision, so City Councils and
London Boroughs such as Brent dealt with the issue differently
to Shire Counties,
 whether the service was contracted out rather than provided inhouse
 access to local suppliers
 number of luncheon clubs
 funding - whether the service was full cost recovery or at what
level the subsidy was set.
Conclusions
It is clear from the findings that there is a wide and increasing diversity of
ethnic and religious groupings in Leicestershire. The question is, does the
Department attempt to provide an appropriate meals service for every one of
these minority requirements, or simply concentrate on the larger groups?
To supply meals to the growing range of minority ethnic groups in
Leicestershire, each requiring different meal styles and menus, could require
very significant additional expenditure. This is not just a Black or Asian issue,
but will include other groups such as those of Polish origin, Chinese or people
from Eastern Europe.
There are some local services, such as certain Luncheon Clubs, that are
appropriate in cultural terms, but they are not available across the whole
county. Unlike the Meals at Home Service, meals into Luncheon Clubs for
BME groups are usually freshly made and, to date, there have been no
complaints registered about these services. The success of this element of
the service is evidenced by the new requests from groups for funding to
support the introduction of a lunchtime service or to support additional meals
capacity.
It should be noted, however, that not all meal types are available through
either the local supply network or via the national frozen/regeneration option,
particularly where medical needs and special diets are also required.
It could be argues that the Department’s position on this issue was
established 3 years ago, when Members decided that all Meals at Home
service users should receive their meals from a single provider, and that
provider is currently apetito. However, apetito provides frozen/regenerated
h:equalityimpactassessment.doc
8
meals, not favoured by some BME service users. A fresh-cook option for any
service user receiving apetito meals is, therefore, not an option.
Apetito is currently reviewing its ethnic meals ranges with its suppliers. One of
these, Raj Foods, has proposed some significant changes to improve its
Asian range. The new service will start on Monday 25th September.
Until now, service users have been choosing from a 2-choice menu each day.
On the new menu, there are 21 new Asian Vegetarian meals, 7 specifically
described as Gujerati in style, and 21 Asian Halal meals. These meals come
in 3 compartment PET trays and, in the future, will include breads and side
dishes such as bhajis.
However, the nature of the apetito business is that it is a mass production
operation (i.e. high volume / low cost) that will only ever be seen as ‘generic’
in nature. The notion of addressing very specific minority requirements via a
large, bulk-purchase contract could be viewed as entirely incompatible.
h:equalityimpactassessment.doc
9
Options analysis
apetito brokerage service
(fresh cook)
Advantages
Risks
Service users
prefer fresh cook
Local suppliers–
known
authenticity
reducing the
potential problem
that they can only
supply Asian
Vegetarian
Gujerati style
meals
Single costing
structure
Geography –
distance meals
will have to travel
effecting quality
Nutritional status
and
medical/special
diet provision
Availability – not
the range of
suppliers each
ethnic or religious
group requires
Capacity
Stringent food
safety
requirements
required by
apetito
h:equalityimpactassessment.doc
apetito contracted service
(frozen regenerated)
Advantages
Risks
All service users
receive the same
service
Nutritional
standards
‘guaranteed’.
Asian vegetarian,
Asian Halal,
Kosher, African
Caribbean
available
Capacity
Travel time not an
issue
Medical and
special diets very
restricted but
information/support
more readily
available
Direct Payments
Advantages
Risks
Service users –
particularly Asian
Elders continue
to reject this
provision
Service users can
purchase :-
Supply network
underdeveloped
- the meals of their
choice
Concerns on
authenticity and
certification
(Halal)
- at a time of their
choosing
Ensuring the food
safety and
nutritional
standard of
bought in product
- from a supplier of
their choosing
NB Possible
development of
local people
preparing meals for
‘neighbours’
Geography/capacity
not a problem
Range of cultural
and religious
requirements
covered
Develop local kitchen network
/ASD delivery
Advantages
Risks
Local supply
network
know/accepted by
communities
Control of
staff/training
Supply network
underdeveloped
Cost of in-house
delivery
Cost of multiple
supply network
Driver availability
across 365 day
service
Fleet availability
Fleet
maintenance
costs
Management of
service
Travel time
10
Recommendations
To contact local groups and organisations who represent local minority
communities around the county and ascertain from them which of the options
outlined above would be most acceptable. The process should start with
Asian communities as they are the most unhappy with current provision.
Actions







Produce a clear policy statement
The proportion of Asian/Asian British people in Leicestershire’s
population is 3.3%, whilst only 2.1% of
meals recipients are
Asian/Asian British, we need to narrow this gap
Consult with service user groups
Promote new service
Concentrate on developing an appropriate meal service for larger
groups of specific minority communities, particularly Asian vegetarian
meals that can be eaten by Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs.
Having assessed the results of developments for larger BME groups
consider other smaller groups.
Train commissioning staff to better understand the meals and dietary
needs of different religious and ethnic groups
Monitoring


Improve ‘ethnicity’ and ‘religion’ recording on SSIS.
Introduce monitoring of new people onto the service and whether they
stay, for how long and if they leave the service their reason for doing
so.
Authorisation
Business Support Manager
Contact
Principal Assistant Transport & Catering
h:equalityimpactassessment.doc
11