Equality Impact Assessment Form (CACD4 9/2010)

Part 1: Initial Screening

1. Persons responsible for this assessment:

Name: Rosie Callinan / Telephone: 01452 427385
Service: Putting People First / E-Mail:
Directorate: Community and Adult Care / Date of Assessment: March 2010

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

Access to Information and Advice
Is this new or an existing one? New

3. Briefly describe its aims and objectives

We want Gloucestershire to be a place where everyone has access to consistent and reliable information and guidance about the options available, in order to empower them, or the people they support to make real choices to live the lives they choose.

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

This strategy covers all people, including those with learning disabilities, people with mental health needs, older people, and people with physical and sensory impairments, their carers, relatives, friends and neighbours who:
  • require (or will in the future) appropriate access to information, advice and advocacy services.
  • need or are at risk of needing more intensive health and social care support or are supporting someone with these needs
  • are at risk of social isolation and social exclusion
together with the statutory and voluntary organisations across Gloucestershire whose role includes providing services, information and advice
  1. What outcomes are expected?

Everyone to have easy access to the information and advice they need when they need it, whether they are state funded or paying for care and support themselves.

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

Yes / Yes/No
Purpose of event - Information is provided in a range of ways which is reflective of service user and potential service user needs
Events already taken place / Focus group - older people / 12/11/2009 (Brockweir) / Discussion re info requirements preferences and portal preferences
Focus group - Carers / 26/11/2009 / as above
Focus group - older people and people with physical disabilities / 09/12/2009 (Tewks) / as above
Focus group - older people, professionals / 29/01/2010 (Stroud) / as above
Age Concern Drop-In Survey / 21/01/2010 / Survey to establish info/advice preferences
Gloucestershire Lifestyles disability forum / deadline 10.02.10 / survey sent to members
VCS ref group / 16/12/2009 / update on IAA workstream and request for engagement
Feedback from Gloucestershire service User Forum
Future events currently in planning stage / Visit to 3 LD Drop In centres / TBA, initial meeting held to discuss possibilities / to discuss requirements and possibility of specific area on portal designed by this group
GCPA / 25.2.10 / To discuss requirements of Care providers
Visit to Yercombe Lodge / 5.3.10 / To discuss requirement of people with a physical disability
Focus group - Chedworth Farm Shop / 22.3.10 / Mainly older people
Workshop - including access to information including Community Agents / 23.3.10 / Barton and Tredworth communities
Focus group - Moreton in Marsh / 12.3.10 / Mainly older people
Event planned with GAVCA / 26.3.10 / To discuss requirement of VCS
Gloucestershire Lifestyles disability forum / TBA / initial meeting held to discuss possibilities
Gloucestershire Blind Association / TBA / initial contact made to discuss feasibility of telephone survey
BME Communities / TBA / meeting arranged with BY to discuss approach
Gloucestershire Deaf Association / TBA / initial contact made
/ Details of consultation

7. What evidence has been used for this assessment?

National and local research.Feedback from the above events – evaluation reports are to be produced following completion of users groups and surveys at the end of march 2010.
The strategy sets out our intentions in relation to Access to Information and Advice. One of the intentions is to engage with as many individuals and groups as possible in order to inform the development of improved access to information and guidance. There was a series of consultation events during the writing and set up stages of the strategy which are ongoing. Any information, whether it comes via the web, face to face or in written form will be tested with members of the public and staff alike as it is developed. Continuous consultation and feedback is planned – see table below:
Previous local and national research and minutes from meetings indicate the following patterns – Older People value face-to-face support, from local people, they value consistency of contact rather than many people to explain repeatedly to, they do not like being passed to different people, they want one number to contact. Older people want written information in the form of a leaflet. Mental Health – value a specialist advice and support person to talk to face to face who can be an advocate to support them.
These initial finding have been reflected in the action plan and will be continuously revisited during the roll out of the action plan along with finding from the other groups across the county who have been visited and consulted and will be visited and consulted again.

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 / If there is too much emphasis on the internet. This will be addressed by ensuring that other channels of access e.g. telephone and via the Village and Community Agents, (who network in places in communities where older people in particular get together) is available to older people. / Village and Community Agents engage mainly with older people. / Research shows that there is still a lower proportion of older people who access information via the internet. Agents have a good track record in networking face to face to overcome this.
Disability / Largest user group for social care is older people – could be tendency to for information to be biased for this group. We will address this by visiting and consulting with other groups of disabled people throughout the roll outof the action plan. / Website to be AAA rated and will eventually have browse allowed capability. The Adult Helpdesk has Minicom facilities. The Village and Community Agents, although not directed towards the under 50 age group support people in the community face to face for those who have no internet access. / This group has proved to be the hardest to engage with – especially younger people. We will persevere by contacting the organisations who represent younger disabled people again in the future to obtain feedback on any developments we make. We will publicise the chanels for accessing information and advice as widely as possible.
Gender including Transgender / Information needs in relation to independence are the same as the population as a whole.
Race including Gypsy and Traveller / Language could be a barrier to accessing information in written format. / Community Agents network face to face within the communities. Information provision in terms of Gypsies and travellers, should improve when the network of ‘community information points’ is developed in conjunction with the Community Agents in towns pilot.
Religion or Belief
/ Information needs in relation to independence are the same as the population as a whole.
Sexual orientation / Information needs in relation to independence are the same as the population as a whole.
Other groups
Community cohesion
/ The improved access to information and advice for all should contribute positively to community cohesion; by making access easier for any member of the community and raising the profile of information needs so people can source information and practical support for neighbours, friends, family etc
Members of communities should find it easier to support each other by understanding what solutions are necessary as well as available. The Community Agents in towns pilot should bring communities together as has already been demonstrated by the Village Agent and BME Community Agent schemes.

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
If Yes, please identify which groups are affected
Should the policy, service, strategy, procedure or function proceed to a full Equality Impact Assessment?
No.
If the answer is no please give reasons for this decision
The local and national research carried out, and the focus groups and questionnaires completed and in progress, have highlighted any possible negative impact which will be taken into account as the action plan is rolled out. The strategy states that ongoing consultation in a similar format is going to continue throughout the developmental phases. We will constantly test and gain feedback on the progress we have made to ensure that the potential negative impacts are addressed.
Date by which full Equality Impact Assessment is to be completed
N/A

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: Rosie Callinan / Date: March 12th 2010

Role: PPF Workstream Manager

Countersigned by Head of ServiceDate:

Date for Review:

Please forward an electronic copy to the Equalities Team by emailing

15. If there is a negative impact what will you do to promote equality and improve relations within equality groups?

16a How will you monitor/evaluate and check the policy, service, strategy, procedure or function?

16b When will it be reviewed?

Completed by:
Role: / Date Started: / Date Completed:

I am satisfied that a full Equality Impact Assessment has been undertaken in respect of >(Name of policy, service, strategy, procedure or function)

I understand that this Equality Impact Assessment is required by the County Council and we take responsibility for its completion and quality

Countersigned by Head of ServiceDate:

Date for Review:

Summary report published on website and web link sent to Equalities Team

Date:

Copies to:

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