Item no.
2
City Partner Group
Title of report
Date
Contact
1.
1.1
2.
Citywide Equality Strategy
30 April 2015
Councillor Paul Dennett, Strategic Assistant Mayor Director for
Humanegment and Workforce Reform, Salford City Council
(councillor.dennett@salford.gov.uk)
Introduction
This report provides the City Partner Group with information on an Equality
Strategy for Salford and associated citywide action plan. At the meeting on 30
April members will be requested to signify their commitment to these by
commenting on, agreeing and adopting the strategy and action plan on behalf
of Salford City Partnership.
Equality Strategy for Salford 2015
2.1
The strategy (Appendix B) is being led by the Strategic Assistant Mayor for
Humanegment and Workforce Reform and has been fully developed jointly
with partners and input from over 50 organisations and representatives from
public, private, voluntary and community sectors (Appendix A). The
consultation included comments on drafts, a focus group / workshop attended
by over 20 representatives, a Councillor session and presentation to
Community Committee Chairs and Deputies.
2.2
The strategy outlines the equality vision, principles, aims and objectives that
partners will adopt to ensure Salford is a fair, cohesive and equitable city for
all our residents, workers and visitors. All other equality, diversity and cultural
policies and plans will be aligned to this citywide equality strategy. The
strategy also includes some contextual information to provide an overview of
the diversity of our communities.
2.3
Striving to ensure there is equality in all our practices is an evolving process
and this strategy is a step towards developing an Equality Charter for Salford.
2.4
The main drivers behind the development of this strategy are:
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Salford is a growing and increasingly diverse city;
we have fewer resources and need to change the shape of delivery to
reduce duplication and focus on the key issues;
the need to improve coordination and work in partnership;
to assist us to meet our legal requirements.
2.5
In accordance with the Equality Act 2010, the strategy ensures all those who
identify with a protected characteristic have been considered. It also
acknowledges others, recognised by Salford as most in need, for example
people with caring responsibilities, people in and coming out of the criminal
justice system, people suffering deprivation and their socio-economic status. It
is acknowledged that people often identify with more than one characteristic,
and that multiple-discrimination may occur.
2.6
An equality vision for Salford has been developed in line with the City Mayor’s
overall vision for the city:
“Salford is growing - with a bold ambition to become a modern global city.
Our greatest asset is our people and the rich diversity of our communities. We
are committed to equality; giving everyone equal chances and opportunities to
live and fulfil their potential in a city where everyone feels safe and respected.
Together we will celebrate our diversity which is the spirit of Salford.”
2.7
Four objectives have been identified to ensure we achieve this equality vision:
1. Remove barriers that prevent disadvantaged groups from playing a full
and equal role in decision-making.
2. Develop a better understanding of the diversity of our local communities,
bringing people together and building a sense of belonging.
3. Develop the capacity of local organisations to be more responsive to the
diverse population.
4. Connect residents from Salford’s diverse communities to opportunities.
2.8
3.
Performance of the strategy and the actions within the citywide action plan will
be overseen by the City Partner Group. Performance indicators will be agreed
as part of the partnership performance management framework and this will
be coordinated by the council’s Strategy and Change team. Responsibility for
collecting equality data will lie with the thematic partnerships, Safeguarding
Boards and Third Sector Leadership Group with input from all individual
partners.
Citywide Action Plan
3.1
The action plan (Appendix C) includes citywide (joint or partnership) activities
required to achieve the equality objectives. Each partner will further develop
its own equality activity plan with specific actions for its organisation.
3.2
All partners, including public, private, voluntary sector organisations and the
communities themselves are required to contribute to the delivery of the
citywide equality action plan. ‘Lead’ organisations will provide guidance and
expertise based on their role within Salford or their experience within the
identified activity.
Each action has a number of desired outcomes, activities to achieve these
outcomes and success indicators to help us keep on track. SMARTER
3.3
(specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic, time-related, evaluated and
revised) indicators will be developed as part of the overarching performance
management framework and will be adopted within the individual partner
action plans.
3.4
Emphasis has been placed on the pooling of resources, ensuring inclusion
and widening the equality offer, and delivering equalities functions more
efficiently across the city. The key actions include:
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3.5
.
4.
4.1
5.
5.1
The action plan will be reviewed annually. ‘Lead’ organisations will be added
on an on-going basis and will be expanded to include representatives from
across the city including community organisations and the private sector.
Next Steps
Following agreement and adoption, the strategy and action plan will be
reproduced and formatted by Salford City Council design team then published
on the Salford City Partnership website and made available for all partners.
Work will then begin on delivering both the citywide action plan, in particular
the development of an Equality Charter for Salford by 31 December 2015.
Recommendations
City Partner Group members are requested to:
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END
creating an Equality Charter for Salford;
establishing a Salford Equality Network (and Citywide Equality Training
Group) to include partners from across the city and the community, to pool
resources, oversee and share information and best practice, and develop
a citywide training offer;
supporting disadvantaged communities to be better represented in
decision-making, access opportunities and services, and raise awareness
of their needs;
improving community cohesion and knowledge about our diverse
communities;
increasing equality, diversity and cultural knowledge of our workforce,
disadvantaged communities and the general population;
developing a more representative workforce with robust equality policies,
practices and procedures in place.
comment on, agree and adopt the Equality Strategy for Salford and
associated action plan on behalf of Salford City Partnership;
commit to developing their individual equality action plans supporting the
citywide ambitions and actively participate in the delivery of the citywide
action plan;
support the development of an Equality Charter for Salford..
Appendix A: Organisations included within the consultation
Note: Those with * involved in the focus group / workshop held 26 February
Partnerships
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Salford City Partnership (City Partner
Group)
Thematic Partnerships
Safeguarding Boards
Public Sector
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Armed Forces
Forest Bank Prison
GM Fire and Rescue Service
GM Police*
GM West Mental Health NHS
Foundation Trust*
Jobcentre Plus*
NHS GM Clinical Commissioning Unit
NHS Salford Clinical Commissioning
Group*
Salford City Council* (inc. Elected
Members and Staff Equality Groups*)
Salford City Unison*
Salford Ethnic Minority and Traveller
Achievement Service
Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust*
Schools
Trade Union Congress
Unite the Union
University of Manchester*
University of Salford*
Urban Vision*
Private Sector
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GM Chamber of Commerce
Media City / The Landing
The Business Group
Community, Voluntary and Social
Enterprise Sector
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Access 2 All Areas
AFRUCA
Churches
City West Housing Trust*
Community Committees
Europia
Healthwatch Salford
Integrated Engagement Board
Interlink Foundation
Out IN Salford
Salford Community Leisure
Salford CVS*
Salford Forum for Refugees and
People Seeking Asylum*
Salford Disability Forum
Salford Foundation*
Salford Interfaith Network*
Salford Link
Salford Women’s Centre*
Salix Homes*
Unlimited Potential
Wai Yin Society*
Yemeni Community Association
Youth Council
Appendix B
1
Foreword
I am delighted to introduce this Equality Strategy for Salford.
Our greatest asset is the people who live and work in Salford. Ensuring equality in
everything we do and recognising the rich diversity and opportunities provided by the
communities within Salford is vital for our city moving forward.
This strategy is a first but major step towards developing an Equality Charter for
Salford.
Salford City Council is committed to treating everyone fairly and ensuring our great
city is welcoming to all. However, we cannot do this on our own and this strategy has
been developed by our partners across the city including other public sector
organisations, private sector representatives, the community, voluntary and social
enterprise sector agencies, but most importantly by the communities themselves.
There is an associated action plan that will be constantly reviewed. It is these actions
that will bring about change as we continue to grow.
Together we will make Salford a great city for everyone, helping you live and work
here, encouraging visitors and making Salford the place of choice now, in the future
and for generations to come.
Councillor Paul Dennett
Assistant Mayor for Humanegment and Workforce Reform
2
Introduction
2.1
This is the overarching equality strategy for Salford. It outlines the equality
vision, principles, aims and objectives that partners will adopt to ensure
Salford is a fair, cohesive and equitable city for all our residents. All other
equality, diversity and cultural policies and plans will be aligned to this
citywide equality strategy. Striving to ensure there is equality in all our
practices is an evolving process and this strategy is a step towards
developing an Equality Charter for Salford.
2.2
Our vision for equality in Salford is:
Salford is growing - with a bold ambition to become a modern global
city.
Our greatest asset is our people and the rich diversity of our
communities. We are committed to equality; giving everyone equal
chances and opportunities to live and fulfil their potential in a city where
everyone feels safe and respected. Together we will celebrate our
diversity which is the spirit of Salford.
2.3
Equality means having the right to be treated as an individual and not to be
discriminated against because of who you are or what makes you different
from other people. Where a person experiences disadvantage then this will be
addressed to ensure all the people of Salford are treated fairly.
3
Our equality principles
3.1
As a minimum, Salford commits to the fundamental principles detailed under
the general equality duty within the Equality Act 2010. The general equality
duty states we should have ‘due regard’ to the need to:
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eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that
is prohibited by or under this Act;
advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant
protected characteristic and persons who do not share it; and
foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected
characteristic and persons who do not share it.
3.2
For public services there is also the Public Sector Equality Duty which adds
specific duties intended to help performance on the general equality duty.
3.3
Having due regard to the need to advance equality of opportunity means that
in delivering this strategy and supporting local policy development,
consideration is given to the need to:
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remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by persons due to their protected
characteristic;
take steps to meet the needs of people with protected characteristics; and

encourage persons who share a relevant protected characteristic to
participate in decision making about their community and the city.
3.3
By fostering good relations we will tackle prejudice and promote
understanding.
3.4
Ensuring these principles are embedded within all our activities we will also
contribute towards the City Mayor’s vision for Salford contained within the City
Plan:
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A growing city - connecting people to opportunities
A caring city - protecting the most vulnerable
An innovative city - reforming public services
A co-operative city - communities working together
3.5
It is essential that we are compliant with the equality regulations and it is
through working together we will deliver better outcomes for all local residents
by sharing knowledge and resources, sharpening our focus and minimising
duplication.
4
Who does our strategy include?
4.1
Our Equality Strategy for Salford includes all who live, work and visit our city.
It is for all our partners and that includes our communities. In particular, our
strategy ensures we consider all those who identify with a protected
characteristic, these being:
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Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Pregnancy or maternity
Race, including ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality
Religion or belief, including lack of belief
Sex or gender
Sexual orientation or identity
Marital or civic partnership status
4.2
Furthermore, this strategy strives to ensure we also take into account the
equality needs of the most marginalised groups within our community
including those with caring responsibilities and those in care, homeless,
refugees and people seeking asylum, people in and coming out of the criminal
justice system, people with substance misuse problems, deprivation and
socio-economic status.
4.3
It is also acknowledged that people often identify with more than one
characteristic, and that multiple-discrimination can occur.
5
Salford – a growing and increasingly diverse city
5.1
The following section provides information that highlights the rich diversity of
our city’s communities and population. It is not a complete set of data but is
included to provide some context to the strategy.
5.2
Salford is a growing and increasingly diverse city. In 2011, there were over
103,000 households in the city (an increase of over 10% since 2001) with a
population of 233,933. It is estimated that by 2021 there will be over 265,000
people living in Salford. Although some of our communities are new, many are
well established, for example with third or fourth generation children from
migrants and Salford has been a diverse city for a long time. In the longer
term Salford aspires to be a modern global city, and its population is set to
grow even further. It is predicted that Salford’s population will grow at a higher
rate than the Greater Manchester, North West and national averages between
now and 2025.
5.3
The 2011 Census of population provides the most reliable demographic
information:
City of Salford
Age
0-4
16,300
(6.97%)
5 - 14
26,000
(11.16%)
15 - 64
158,500
(67.76%)
65 +
33,100
(14.15%)
Disability
Disabled
48,417
(20.70%)
Not Disabled
147,421
(89.02%)
Gender
Male
116,782
(49.92%)
Female
117,151
(50.08%)
Race
White
200,327
(85.60%)
BME
33,606
(14.37%)
Religion / Belief
Christian
150,111
(64.20%)
Muslim
6,030
(2.60%)
Jewish
7,687
(3.30%)
Buddhist
1,040
(0.40%)
Sikh
324
(0.10%)
Hindu
1,504
(0.60%)
Other Religion
691
(0.30%)
No Religion
52,105
(22.30%)
Unknown
14,441
(6.20%)
Marital Status
Civil Partnership
627
(0.33%)
Divorced
17,165
(9.09%)
Married
69,938
(37.05%)
Separated
5,910
(3.13%)
Single
81,837
(43.35%)
Widowed
13,303
(7.05%)
Caring Responsibility
Yes
23,402
(10.00%)
Total
233,933
5.4
Notes
Disabled = people of
working age (16 – 64
years) with a health
condition or disability that
limited their day-to-day
activities.
Information for Sexual
Orientation / Identity or
Gender
Reassignment
was not collected for the
2011 Census.
‘White’ includes English,
Welsh, Scottish, Northern
Irish, British and Irish, but
excludes Gypsy or Irish
Traveller or white other.
Caring
responsibility
refers to the provision of
unpaid care, help or
support
to
family
members,
friends,
neighbours
or
others
because of long-term
physical or mental illhealth or disability, or
problems related to old
age.
It is recognised that people do not align with a single protected characteristic
and that other issues, such as poverty, are also significant (Salford was
ranked the 18th most deprived local authority are in England according to the
2010 Index of Multiple Deprivation). While much has been done locally to
tackle issues of deprivation, the problems people face may often be
exacerbated as a result of inequality, discrimination, social exclusion and
marginalisation of protected groups. The following provides a snap shot of our
population:
5.4.1 Age
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The proportion of older people aged 65 and over has dropped since 2001 by
6%; but
The number of children aged 0 to 4 years increased by 30.4%.
3% higher 24 – 39 age group compared to the England average
We have a world class university that attracts many students predominantly
aged 18 – 24 years from all over the globe.
5.4.2 Disability
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11% of Salford’s population felt that their day-to-day activities were affected or
limited ‘a lot’ by their long term health problems or disability. Another 9.7%
said they were limited ‘a little’.
The number of households with one person with a limiting long term illness or
disability fell by 8,500 to 30,100 between 2001 and 2011 (drop of 22%).
However 5,300 of these households contained at least one dependent child.
Around half of successful incapacity benefit claims are given on the basis of
mental health and behavioural conditions.
The most common disability is hearing impairment (around 17% of the
population) and this often goes unaddressed.
5.4.3 Gender reassignment
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Reliable information concerning ‘gender identity’ and the Transgender
community is not available, however, it is estimated that there are nearly 50
trans individuals living in Salford.
It is known that there are disproportionately high levels of mental health
issues and depression experienced by members of this community and hate
crime and harassment are significant issues.
5.4.4 Pregnancy or maternity

Lone parents in Salford are overwhelmingly women. In 2011, over 13% of all
households in Salford were made up of lone parent families.
5.4.5 Race

Over 11% of Salford’s citizens were born abroad, and more than half of those
had come to live in the city since 2004. The largest number of people born
outside the UK were from the Middle East and Asia. People identifying Poland
as their country of birth were the single largest European community.

In the ten year period from 2001 to 2011 the Black and Ethnic Minority (BME)
communities increased by 176%.
The 2011 Census records 18 ethnic minority categories (including five
identified as ‘other’ such as ‘other Asian’); 12 of these having more than a
thousand residents each. It is acknowledged that this does not reflect the full
range of ethnic minority communities within the city. This assumption is
supported by information provided by interpretation and translation services
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who supply over 40 languages for people where English is not their first
language.
Schools data demonstrates a rise in the percentage of non-White British
pupils to roughly 24% of the total, but this did not include most Jewish schools
in the city.
Recently there has been an increase in primary school pupils for whom
English is not the first language - from a base of 2% in 1997 to 14% in 2013.
East Salford and Ordsall and Langworthy neighbourhood areas contain the
greatest diversity and numbers of residents born outside the UK.
Salford has a significant Gypsy, Roma Traveller population dispersed across
the city with four traveller sites and several hundred people living in
households. Caution must be taken when distinguishing between ‘Romanian’
and ‘Roma’ communities as, although Roma are Romanian by nationality they
may originate from across the east and central parts of Europe, Romanian
also includes ‘non-Roma’.
Salford also has an increasing population of refugees and people seeking
asylum who experience particular hardship financially and barriers in
accessing services such as healthcare.
5.4.6 Religion or belief

The decade 2001 to 2011 saw a reduction in people identifying as Christian
from 76% of the population to 64%.
Religions in Salford (excluding Christian and those with no religion /
belief or their religion was not declared)
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
Buddhist

Hindu
Jewish
Muslim
Sikh
Other Religion
The Jewish community in Salford is growing at over five times the national
average to 7,867 and contains the country’s biggest orthodox Jewish
community outside of London.
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Citywide the Muslim communities have doubled to over 6,000 people
Other faiths include small numbers of Buddhists, Sikhs and Hindus often living
in quite specific areas of the city (such as Buddhists in Irwell Riverside).
52,105 people stated they had no religion and 14,441 people did not declare a
religion at all (28.45% of Salford population)
5.4.7 Sex or gender
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Salford has approximately equal numbers of female (117,151 = 50.08%) and
male (116,782 = 49.92%) residents.
Female pupils consistently outperform male pupils at GCSE. Reading ability
within boys is a significant concern and is particularly important with regard to
raising aspirations of boys and their progression into further / higher
education.
Higher educational attainment by female pupils does not translate into higher
paid jobs or higher rates of employment; this in turn leads to a gender pay
gap.
The overwhelming majority of victims of domestic violence are women.
5.4.8 Sexual orientation or identity

Information on sexual orientation or identity was not collected through the
2011 Census and consequently records for people identifying as Lesbian,
Gay or Bisexual (LGB) are not so robust. A calculation of the estimated

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number of LGBT people over the age of 18 in Salford is between 1,855 and
8,146. These figures were calculated excluding those who ‘prefer not to say’.
This means that it is possible that the Salford LGBT population is equal to or
even larger than the UK average, in particular for gay men.
Information on civil partnerships was collected as part of the 2011 Census
and this suggests that Lesbian and Gay people prefer to live within the central
Salford wards, in particular within the Ordsall and Langworthy neighbourhood.
11% of reported hate crimes and hate incidents in the city were classed as
being motivated by homophobia.
6
Working in partnership
6.1
Salford City Partnership brings together organisations to ensure that local
people achieve the best outcomes. It’s ‘family of partnerships’ is already
making a real difference on issues that affect the lives of local people. The
Children and Young People’s Trust, Health and Wellbeing Board, Community
Safety Partnership, Strategic Housing Partnership, Skills and Work Board,
and future Economic Development Partnership all have their own specific
agreements, action plans, strategies and membership appropriate to the
issues that they are concerned with.
6.2
All Salford residents regardless of their identity or background share similar
aspirations - to live healthy lives, feel safe, be active citizens and have access
to opportunities for themselves and their families to reach their full potential in
education, training and employment. This partnership equality strategy takes
an enabling approach, seeking to support and challenge the existing key
partnerships in the city to consider and address the equalities agenda more
effectively within their specific areas of focus and expertise.
7.
Engaging with our communities
7.1
This strategy and accompanying action plan has been developed through
consultation and engagement with over 50 partners and communities across
the city.
8.
Our equality objectives
8.1
We have established four objectives to ensure we achieve our vision for
equality:
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by removing barriers that prevent disadvantaged groups from playing a full
and equal role in decision-making;
by developing a better understanding of the diversity of our local communities,
bringing people together and building a sense of belonging;
by developing the capacity of local organisations to be more responsive to the
diverse population; and
by connecting residents from Salford’s diverse communities to opportunities.
8.2
Objective 1 – By removing barriers that prevent disadvantaged groups
from playing a full and equal role in decision-making
8.2.1 Salford has a strong tradition of community engagement, with local residents
involved in decision-making in both partnership and organisational structures
as well as a range of engagement mechanisms such as the Council’s
Community Committees, Local Forums and Task Groups, Salix’s Customer
Senate and City West’s Local Area Panels. As the diversity of Salford’s
population grows, we want to empower all of our local communities to be
actively engaged in decision-making and to help provide informed solutions to
some of the issues that we face.
8.2.2 We want to engage with residents from groups that are currently “underrepresented” and support them to move in to positions of influence across the
city such as involvement in housing organisation boards, Salford City
Partnership groups and school governing bodies. At the same time, ensuring
fears and concerns that may arise within the majority or endemic population
are recognised, challenged and acted upon to encourage good relations.
8.2.3 While organisations in the city regularly seek the views of local people we
recognise that this is not always done in a fully inclusive manner. We will
commit to joining up consultation exercises with local communities but also to
look at doing this in a way that avoids duplication and is less piece-meal. We
want to develop more of an ongoing dialogue with local groups and ensure
that not only are their views taken in to account but that feedback is
consistently sought.
8.2.4 We also recognise that local groups representing disadvantaged communities
are often struggling to secure funding and we want to help local groups by
developing a more joined up approach to funding by organisations in the city.
8.2.5 We will also have a clearer understanding of which groups are genuinely
“under-represented” in positions of influence in the city and prioritise collective
action to address those gaps.
8.3
Objective 2 – By developing a better understanding of the diversity of
our local communities, bringing people together and building a sense of
belonging
8.3.1 Salford has undergone unparalleled change in recent years; the past 10 years
in particular have seen the demography of the city transformed along side the
physical regeneration of neighbourhoods in the city. While these changes
have been most noticeable in the parts of the city adjacent to the urban centre
of Manchester there have been changes in the make-up of communities
across the city.
8.3.2 The number of households increased by over 10% between 2001 and 2011
and it is predicted that Salford’s population will continue to grow at a higher
rate than the Greater Manchester, North West and national averages between
now and 2025. A significant driver in this growth has been inward migration
from outside the United Kingdom with the proportion of Salford’s population
that was born outside the UK doubling from 2011 to the current date.
8.3.3 As the city’s population evolves and grows it is increasingly important that we
focus on having a more detailed and dynamic understanding of the diversity of
the local population, in particular their contributions, and the changing needs
of local residents.
8.3.4 Community cohesion is integral to functioning communities. A key contributor
to community cohesion is integration which enables existing and new
residents to adjust to one another and to achieve a sense of belonging.
Community cohesion cannot be achieved or aspired to if any group of people
are excluded or find they are unable to access services. We cannot create or
force community cohesion on its own, it has to happen within and by
communities. However, we do have a responsibility to create the right
conditions for community cohesion to happen and remove barriers where
possible. By empowering local people, it will shape and sustain
neighbourhoods and ensure services are accessible to those who need them
the most, improving understanding, health and wellbeing, safety, and reducing
tensions, such as hate crime, that may otherwise develop.
8.3.5 By pooling information (such as monitoring reports, data sources and
research) and keeping one another updated on emerging community
intelligence, we will create a richer picture of the people who live in Salford’s
neighbourhoods. This will ensure we are better informed about potential
community impacts (both positive and negative) when planning services and
making decisions.
8.3.6 We will also pool resources to develop joint work to address gaps in
knowledge on certain communities. This could be community based research
or a targeted engagement project focused on specific groups where current
data collection does not appear to provide an accurate picture, or where a
group is starting to appear on data sources but little is known in terms of their
experience of services in the city. Examples of the former could be local
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities and Gypsy Roma
Traveller groups, and the latter might be the wide range of emerging African
communities.
8.4
Objective 3 – By developing the capacity of local organisations to be
more responsive to the diverse population
8.4.1 The pace and scale of demographic change in the city creates significant
challenges for organisations in the city wanting to make sure their staff are
skilled up to work with diverse communities and their various needs. We take
seriously our responsibilities to support equality of opportunity and eliminate
discrimination. We are committed to ensuring staff from local organisations
develop an understanding of the many groups that call Salford home. We
want local service providers to feel confident about assessing and addressing
the diverse needs of local residents.
8.4.2 As well as having a workforce that is culturally aware and representative of
the local population, we recognise how important it is that organisations
delivering services in the city employ people from across Salford’s
communities. We recognise that as local employers we have a responsibility
to be exemplars in removing barriers to job opportunities for residents from
Salford’s disadvantaged communities. We also recognise that we should be
working to increase diversity at all levels of our organisations, making sure
that there are no “glass ceilings” for any individuals seeking to reach their full
potential in employment.
8.5
Objective 4 – By connecting residents
communities to opportunities
from Salford’s
diverse
8.5.1 A significant number of local organisations play a positive role in linking local
people in to training / employment opportunities. At the highest level the
Partnership’s Skills and Work Board is committed to increasing adult skills,
reducing worklessness and improving household income. In support of these
strategic objectives, we see a role for organisations working at community
level to join up more effectively their community development activities to
support learning and capacity building targeted at residents and groups from
disadvantaged communities in the city. Many organisations offer opportunities
for both formal and informal learning which support the development of skills
and increase confidence and we believe there is potential to use these
activities to more effectively increase opportunities for learning but also to help
meet a need where current demand exceeds the offer available from
traditional learning providers.
8.5.2 Organisations across Salford make a significant contribution to reducing
worklessness through the delivery of apprenticeships and work experience
placements. We believe such initiatives can make a real difference to the lives
of local residents from disadvantaged communities by offering structured
routes in to employment. We are committed to ensuring that a diverse and
representative range of local people benefit from such opportunities through
more effective signposting and in some circumstances looking at the potential
for targeted work with certain groups who are currently not participating in
such programmes.
8.5.3 Furthermore, we recognise that overcoming worklessness is not only about
gaining meaningful employment, but it is also about accessing better
healthcare, housing, childcare and the wider aspects of living and fulfilling
aspiration. There are barriers faced by different groups depending on their
needs, for example, people with a limiting long term illness have differing
healthcare requirements; access to appropriate healthcare for people seeking
asylum and speakers of other languages; and if their application to become a
refugee is successful then their housing needs immediately change. We
recognise that an individual’s circumstances, and needs, vary and that a
range of solutions is required to ensure tailored and appropriate support.
9
Delivering and monitoring performance: How will we know if the
strategy is working?
9.1
The Salford Equality Strategy will be driven by the City Partner Group, with
individual partners responsible for their specific activities.
9.2
The City Partner Group is led by the City Mayor and includes key
representatives from each of the family of partnerships, safeguarding boards,
plus community and other third sector representatives to regularly review the
strategic direction for the city. The Group leads on cross-cutting issues
including cohesion, community engagement and empowerment and are
uniquely placed to make sure the aims and objectives of the Equality Strategy
are embedded within the work of the wider family of partnerships.
9.3
For public sector agencies this will be in accordance with the Public Sector
Equality Duty as a minimum but also in accordance with section 29 of the
Equality Act with regards to the provision of services and reasonable
adjustments. Requirements for equality under other legislation in existence
(such as the Children and Families Act 2014) or in place in the future will also
be a basic requirement.
9.4
As a partnership we will agree performance indicators that reflect the priorities
and outcomes we want to deliver. Where benchmarks exist these will be used
to set challenging targets, measured three times a year to make sure we are
making a difference. Examples of how we can monitor our progress include
the use of partners’ complaints processes, recording of hate crime incidents,
employment statistics and provision / take up of services.
9.5
This strategy is a step towards the creation of an Equality Charter for Salford.
The strategy will be reviewed as the charter develops and within three years
(2018) as a minimum.
END
Appendix C: Citywide Equality Strategy Action Plan 2015 – 2018
The action plan includes citywide (joint or partnership) activities required to achieve
the equality objectives. Each partner will further develop its own equality activity plan
with specific actions for its organisation.
All partners, including public, private, voluntary sector organisations and the
communities themselves are required to contribute to the delivery of the citywide
equality action plan. Those organisations identified as a ‘lead’ will provide guidance
and expertise based on their role within Salford or their experience within the
identified activity.
Equality will be included within the performance management framework for Salford
City Partnership and will be aligned to the City Plan. SMARTER (specific,
measurable, appropriate, realistic, time-related, evaluated and revised) indicators will
be developed as part of the overarching performance management framework and
will be adopted within the individual partner action plans.
This citywide action plan has been developed to ensure we collectively contribute to
the delivery of our Equality vision for Salford:
Salford is growing - with a bold ambition to become a modern global city.
Our greatest asset is our people and the rich diversity of our communities. We
are committed to equality, giving everyone equal chances and opportunities to
live and fulfil their potential in a city where everyone feels safe and respected.
Together we will celebrate our diversity which is the spirit of Salford.
We will achieve this vision:
 by removing barriers that prevent disadvantaged groups from playing a full and
equal role in decision-making;
 by developing a better understanding of the diversity of our local communities,
bringing people together and building a sense of belonging;
 by developing the capacity of local organisations to be more responsive to the
diverse population; and
 by connecting residents from Salford’s diverse communities to opportunities.
This action plan will be reviewed annually. ‘Lead’ organisations will be added on an
on-going basis and will be expanded to include representatives from across the city
including community organisations and the private sector.
Objective 1 – Removing barriers that prevent disadvantaged groups from playing a full and equal role in decision-making
Desired Outcome
More efficient and
coordinated services
Increased influence in
decision-making
Activity
Success Indicator
Developing mechanisms for better joint  Establish a Salford Equality
working and information sharing
Network comprising public,
between partners and with
private, voluntary and
communities.
community representatives.
 Equality is included within the
partnership performance
management framework.
 Standardised equality
monitoring form adopted by all
for data collection.
 Coordinated data and
information sharing, including
methods of best practice.
 All partners have robust
equality policies, practices and
procedures in place.
 Development of an Equality
Charter for Salford.
 Linked to Greater Manchester,
regional and national equality
groups.
Developing a collective understanding  Review of engagement
of which groups are currently under
completed and benchmark
represented from decision-making
established.
structures in the city and agreeing a
 Programme of activity to
joint programme of activity to address
promote engagement agreed
that.
and acted upon.
 Increased number of under
represented groups involved in
decision-making structures.
Lead Partner/s
Salford City Council
University of Salford
Salford CVS
Salford City Council
University of Salford
Salford CVS
Identifying an annual partnership
programme of consultation with
disadvantaged groups in the city.

Delivering a series of “recruitment
events” targeted at specific
disadvantaged communities providing
information on opportunities to get
involved in decision-making.


Improved assistance to
groups representing
disadvantaged
communities
Developing a more collaborative
approach to funding organisations
representing local disadvantaged
groups.


Annual consultation
programme:
o Developed,
o Delivered,
o Reviewed,
o Refreshed.
Annual series of “recruitment
events”:
o Planned,
o Delivered,
o Reviewed.
Increased number of
disadvantaged individuals
involved in decision-making
activities.
Collaborative funding and other
opportunities identified.
Support in place for all
protected / disadvantaged
groups.
Salford CVS
City West Housing Trust
Salix Homes
Salford City Council
Salford CVS
Salford CVS
Objective 2 – Developing a better understanding of the diversity of our local communities, bringing people together and
building a sense of belonging
Desired Outcome
Improved community
cohesion,
understanding and
belonging
Improved knowledge
and awareness about
our communities
Activity
Developing and adopting a Community
Cohesion Policy for the city that details
our collective approach to integrating
existing and new residents enabling a
sense of belonging for all.
Developing and actively promoting a
partnership report detailing collective
knowledge on the city’s communities
Success Indicator
 Community Cohesion Policy
refreshed, adopted and
associated action plan in place.
Lead Partner/s
Salford City Council
University of Salford
Schools

Salford City Council
University of Salford

Annual Partnership report
developed and updated
Report actively shared with all
of identity.
Engaging disadvantaged communities
in recording common equality risks /
generating information about their
community for general understanding.



Agreeing priorities for further research
/ engagement to address any gaps in
current community intelligence.

Creating better links to academic
research in the city (and beyond) to
ensure that any new learning is used
to inform decision-making.


partners and the communities.
Improved processes for
reporting equality issues in
place, including migration, hate
crime and community tensions,
effect of benefits sanctions and
destitution.
Disadvantaged groups
supported to develop
‘community profiles’.
Profiles shared with partners
and communities (including the
endemic community).
Priorities for further research /
engagement agreed.
Annual action plan:
o Developed,
o Delivered,
o Reviewed and refreshed.
Coordinated approach to
ensuring learning is
incorporated into decisionmaking in place.
Salford City Council
University of Salford
Salford CVS
GM Police
GM Fire & Rescue
Service
Jobcentre Plus
University of Salford
University of Salford
Objective 3 – Developing the capacity of local organisations to be more responsive to the diverse population
Desired Outcome
More equality, diversity
and culturally aware
workforce and
communities
Activity
Developing a core group of staff and
community representatives able to
deliver training on equalities issues.
Developing a standard training
package in partnership with local
disadvantaged groups on Diverse
Success Indicator
 Citywide Equality Training
Group established through
Salford Equality Network.
 Standardised training package
on ‘Diverse Communities’
developed by Citywide Equality
Lead Partner/s
Salford City Council
University of Salford
Salford City Unison
University of Salford
Salford City College
Salford CVS
Communities in Salford for partnership
staff.

Developing and rolling out a
partnership diversity skills and equality
awareness training package
developed in partnership with local
disadvantaged groups for front line
staff.


Improved employment
opportunities within the
workplace
More representative
workforce
Strengthening links to local groups
through a partnership approach to
celebrating key diversity events.

Delivering targeted crossorganisational programmes to support
the professional development of
specific groups of employees who are
currently under- represented or failing
to achieve progression in workforces
across Salford.

Taking steps to ensure that the
workforce of partner organisations
broadly reflects the diversity of the
local population.





Training Group and local
communities and reviewed
annually.
Annual training programme
developed and delivered to staff
and communities.
Standardised training package
on ‘Diversity Skills and Equality
Awareness’ developed by
Citywide Equality Training
Group and local communities
and reviewed annually.
Annual training programme
developed and delivered to staff
and communities.
Calendar of Equality events
created annually.
Joint activities (in partnership
with disadvantaged
communities) promoted,
delivered and evaluated.
Annual workforce equality
reports produced and shared.
Areas of under-representation
identified and reviewed
annually.
Joint programmes for staff
development identified and
established.
Annual workforce equality
reports produced and shared.
Areas of under-representation
identified and reviewed
Salford City Unison
University of Salford
Salford City College
Salford CVS
Salford City Unison
Schools
Salford City Council
Salford City Unison
University of Salford
Salford City College
Salford CVS
Salford City Unison
Salford City Council
All

annually.
Targeted activities in place.
Objective 4 – Connecting residents from Salford’s diverse communities to opportunities
Desired Outcome
More skilled population
Improved opportunities
to access work
Activity
Increased pooling of learning
opportunities (both formal and
informal) to maximise involvement
from local residents.
Building the capacity of local
organisations (including those from the
community and voluntary sector) to
offer opportunities for local people to
develop basic skills.
More effectively signposting residents
from local disadvantaged communities
to work experience opportunities and
apprenticeships.
Supporting the development of more
Job Clubs targeted at residents from
disadvantaged communities.
Success Indicator
 Review of learning
opportunities completed.
 Assessment of take up by
disadvantaged groups
completed and reviewed
annually.
 Opportunities for pooling
learning activities investigated
by Salford Equality Network
and acted upon.
 Programme of support for local
organisations:
o Developed,
o Delivered,
o Reviewed.
 Suitable opportunities
identified.
 Disadvantaged residents
encouraged to apply and take
up opportunities.
 Take up monitored and
reviewed annually.
 Targets for improvement
established and progressed.
 Job Clubs located in areas of
the city where disadvantaged
communities reside.
Lead Partner/s
Salford CVS
Salford CVS
Jobcentre Plus
Jobcentre Plus


Broadening the offer for
apprenticeships, work experience and
mentoring opportunities for local
people.



Improved access to
services
Ensuring all communities have equal
access to healthcare, housing,
childcare and other services that will
improve their chances to thrive within
the city.


Local support groups
encouraged to deliver Job
Clubs, specifically targeting
the disadvantaged groups that
they serve.
Attendance, support provided
and successes of
disadvantaged groups
recorded, reviewed and further
actions taken where a need is
identified.
Annually, the range of
opportunities is reviewed to
ensure there are opportunities
that are appropriate for the
range of disadvantaged
groups.
A programme of increasing
opportunities developed,
agreed and delivered.
Take up of opportunities
monitored, reviewed and
further actions taken where a
need is identified.
Barriers to accessing services:
o Identified,
o Challenged,
o Monitored,
o Reviewed.
Annual action plan for
improving services developed
and delivered.
Jobcentre Plus
Salford City College
Salford City Council
GM Chamber of
Commerce
The Business Group
Salford CCG
Salford City Council
Healthwatch Salford