Equality in the Public Sector

A conference brought to you by the Durham Equality and Diversity Partnership, the North East Mental Health Development Unit and Equality North East

Thursday 9th December 2010

9am (for 9.30 start) – 12.30 followed by a networking lunch

Durham Leadership Centre,

County Durham Education Development Centre,

Enterprise Way,

Spennymoor,

DL16 6YP

Programme

9am-9.30am Registration

9.30-9.40amIntroduction by Chair

Liz Reay, Chief Executive, Equality North East

9.40am-10amEkpe Attah, Lead for Mainstreaming Equalities at the Government Equalities Office

10am-10.15am Government’s proposals for the specific duties to support the new Public Sector Equality Duty

Mark Wright, Regional Manager, Equality and Human Rights Commission

10.15am-10.35amQuestion Time Panel with Liz Reay, Ekpe Attah, Mark Wright and Paul Johnstone (Muckle LLP) and Julie Ross (Strategic Health Authority)

10.35am-10.50amBreak

10.50-11.45amWorkshop 1

11.45am-12.35Workshop 2

12.35-1pmNetworking Lunch

Workshops / Who / What
1.Impact of Equality Act for public sector employers / Paul Johnstone, Partner, Muckle LLP / Paul Johnstone will provide an overview of the new Equality Act 2010 in terms of its impact in the workplace. He will also consider the provisions of the Act which relate to the introduction of the Single Equality Duty for public sector employers and the impact that this will have on the provision of services to customers and communities taking into account various protected characteristics.
2.The new disability provisions / Christine Shanks, Equality North East / What are the key differences for disabled people between the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Equality Act 2010?
  • Consider what we already have in place
  • Opportunities and challenge

3.Transparency and setting objectives / Tricia Collins and Carol Blythe, Equality North East / Transparency and setting objectives workshop:-
  • Gain an understanding of the new specific duties for the public sector -
  • Consider what organisations currently have in place to enable them to comply with the duties and what changes will need to be made as a result of the new duties.
  • Challenges and opportunities

4. Promoting equality through commissioning / Julie Ross, Strategic head of commissioning and primary care, Strategic Health Authority / Commissioning for the future
Do you think that there is only one ‘c’ in commissioning?
Think again
There’s choice, competition and collaboration all in the mix!
  • Liberating the NHS – the white paper for health, plots out a new direction for health care provision and commissioning. What will this mean in practice in the north east? What is general practice commissioning all about?
  • The future shape of health care services in the north east – the drivers.
  • Patient choice drives quality
  • Quality drives competition
  • Collaboration is the key to success