Equality Impact Assessment Form

Part 1: Initial Screening

1. Persons responsible for this assessment:

Name: Sandra Kerr / Telephone: 01452 427183
Service: Care and support for specific Extra Sheltered Housing schemes / E-Mail:
Directorate: C&ACD / Date of Assessment: 14/05/10

2. Name of the policy, service, strategy, procedure or function:

Care and Support Contracts for specific Extra Sheltered Housing schemes.
Options:
Option 1 (recommended): To extend the existing contracts via single tender negotiations until 30 Sep 2011. This will allow a countywide review of the whole service in line with the outcomes of the Extra Care Strategy.
Option 2: Not extend the contracts and revert the care and support services back to mainstream domiciliary care services under the current Preferred Provider arrangements.
Is this new or an existing one? This is an existing service

3. Briefly describe its aims and objectives

  1. Extra Care Housing combines housing with on site care and support. It offers housing with the full legal rights associated with being a tenant or home owner in combination with 24 hour on-site care and support. As the care team is based on site the service can be delivered flexibly according to a person’s changing needs. It is this feature along with the security offered by the onsite presence of a care team which enables people to retain a level of independence and makes Extra Care Housing a true alternative to residential care even if a person’s care needs increase and become very high.
  1. The existing contracts for Care and Support, agreed in July 2005 and December 2007, expire in June 2010 and December 2010 respectively.
  1. A Countywide Extra Care Housing Strategy is currently under development and this will have implications for Extra Care provision across the county. It will establish the shared vision for Extra Care in Gloucestershire, the future model(s) of Extra Care that will be adopted and thusthe care and support arrangements that will need to be tailored to the proposed model(s).
  1. The extension of the existing contracts to September 2011 would allow a countywide review of the whole service in line with the outcomes of the Extra Care Strategy, while maintaining consistent support to service users.

4. Who is intended to benefit from it and in what way?

All individuals residing at the extra sheltered housing schemes (whether LA funded or not)
and providers of Care and Support services at the specific Extra Sheltered Housing schemes
Without thislonger-term degree of advance commitment from the local authority there would be little guarantee of provision of on-site round-the-clock care as it would not be financially viable. The scheme would then no longer be viable as extra sheltered housing. In this event there may be a small number of tenants who, without the 24 hour support, would no longer be able to remain in the schemes. The only alternative care provision would be long-term care.
Furthermore, a change in provider and the subsequent transition period would create a disproportionate level of disruption in the provision of this support to service users for the relatively short period when the service is being reviewed within the context of the Extra Care Housing strategy.
  1. What outcomes are expected?

The continuation of a service that promotes and maintains service user independence and dignity and prevents admission to a residential home even for those service users with very high needs.

6. Have you consulted on this policy, service, strategy, procedure or function?

Yes
Main consultees:
Senior Officers within Gloucestershire County Council, Community & Adult Care Directorate;
Cotswold District Council;Stroud District Council;Tewkesbury Borough Council;Hanover Housing Association; Two Rivers Housing.

7. What evidence has been used for this assessment?

The feedback received from the consultation
This has indicated support for extending the existing contracts until September 2011.
These contracts have been running successfully with these providers for almost five years (three in the case of Marina Court) and monitoring information indicates that all these services are of a good standard.

8. Could a particular group be affected differently in either a negative or positive way?

Please evidence that you have used the Consultation toolkit and planning template

Negative / Positive / Neutral / Evidence
Age / Yes / Without thislonger-term degree of advance commitment from the local authority there would be little guarantee of provision of on-site round-the-clock care as it would not be financially viable. The scheme would then no longer be viable as extra sheltered housing. In this event there may be a small number of tenants who, without the 24 hour support, would no longer be able to remain in the schemes. The only alternative care provision would be long-term care.
Disability / Yes / Without thislonger-term degree of advance commitment from the local authority there would be little guarantee of provision of on-site round-the-clock care as it would not be financially viable. The scheme would then no longer be viable as extra sheltered housing. In this event there may be a small number of tenants who, without the 24 hour support, would no longer be able to remain in the schemes. The only alternative care provision would be long-term care.
Gender including Transgender / Yes / Since both the care and support and the housing functions are regulated functions this aspect is covered by the relevant regulatory frameworks.
Race including Gypsy and Traveller / Yes / Since both the care and support and the housing functions are regulated functions this aspect is covered by the relevant regulatory frameworks.
Religion or Belief
/ Yes / Since both the care and support and the housing functions are regulated functions this aspect is covered by the relevant regulatory frameworks.
Sexual orientation / Yes / Since both the care and support and the housing functions are regulated functions this aspect is covered by the relevant regulatory frameworks
Other groups
Community cohesion
/ Describe how the proposed activity, policy, strategy, service, procedure or functions will contribute to Community Cohesion.
You will need to consider;
  • is there equality between those who will and won’t benefit from the proposal
  • are there strong relationships between groups and communities in the area affected and will the proposed action promote positive relationships
  • does the proposal bring groups/ communities into increased contact with each other
/ The Extra Care Housing schemes offer events to the wider community which promotes a community spirit and reduces isolation. These events are open to everyone thereby bringing different groups/ communities into increased contact with each other.

9. If you have identified a negative impact in Question 8 complete this section

Are there any other policies, services, strategies, procedures or functions that need to be assessed alongside this screening?No. The Extra Care Strategy will be finalised in Summer 2010. A separate EIA will be completed for this.
If Yes, please identify which groups are affected
NA
Should the policy, service, strategy, procedure or function proceed to a full Equality Impact Assessment? No
Yes/No (please delete as appropriate)
If the answer is no please give reasons for this decision
No negative impacts have been identified in Question 8
Date by which full Equality Impact Assessment is to be completed
NA

Declaration

We are satisfied that an initial screening has been carried out on this policy, service, strategy, procedure or function * (delete those which do not apply) and a full Equality Impact Assessment is / is not required.

We understand that the Equality Impact Assessment is required by the County Council and that we take responsibility for the completion and quality of this assessment

Completed by: Sandra Kerr / Date: 14 May 2010

Role: Contracts Officer

Countersigned by Head of ServiceDate: 17th May 2010

Date for Review:

Please forward an electronic copy to the Equalities Team by emailing

The original signed hard copy and electronic copy should be kept with your team for audit purposes.