Minutes of Implementation Group meeting held on

Friday 18 September 2009

in DCA at 12.30pm

Present: Scott Mands, Catherine Houston (new Equality Champion, City Development

Department), Val Ridley, Joyce Barclay, Irene Mwangi (Student Social Worker),

Maureen Smith, Lisa Carney (in place of Charmaine Wanless), Elspeth Walker (left

2.40pm), Carole Robertson, Dorothy Wilson, Frank Feechan, John Wolstencroft,

Bruce Patrick, Laura Christie, Zena Hyslop (arrived 2.15pm), Annette Costello

(minutes, left 3pm)

1. / Apologies / ACTION
Bobby Mangto, Jane Ling
2. / Matters arising from Previous Minutes
None
3. / Report on EQIA Partnership Training
Training is on 2 levels - Legislation & EQIA Training. Carole updated the group on training she had been on which was very well attended and there was also positive feedback although most people would have liked more detailed training on EQIA's.
4. / Report on Rapid Impact Assessment Tool
The Rapid Impact Assessment Tool was forwarded to SMT, it was then referred to Legal at a meeting with Council solicitors 6 weeks ago. Scott has received feedback from the legal department on helpful minor changes. Scott will make the changes to RIAT and forward to Equality Champions for comment. Due to the time pressures involved in developing the Single Equality Scheme, realistically it is unlikely that Scott will be able to deliver training to departments on using the new tool before the new year.
Scott stressed that Champions will need to take on the role of ensuring Rapid Impact Assessments are taken through their departments. Priority will be to train up the Champions to enable them to take the training forward. Scott said that Champions must be supported in this role by management. The issue of the champions role within departments is to taken forward to senior management.
There was a long discussion and points were noted on a flipchart, which were as follows:
  • 1 senior manager from SMT to take on the role of Equality Champion
  • Elected Members - Champion
  • Model EQIA's/Guidance/Practice & Policy
  • Demonstrate evidence/Data collection
  • Intranet site (need to develop this)
  • H&S Model
  • Case Studies (eqia's, good practice etc)
  • Outcome focus
  • Involvement in Dundee House development
  • Whole System approach to mainstreaming E&D
It was decided that the implementation group would take on an exercise of completing an EQIA on an existing policy. Scott suggested using something which had already been Impact Assessed. Housing representatives agreed to undertake a Rapid Impact Assessment on the Housing Allocation Policy. The lessons learned from this exercise will provide an exemplar EQIA to others in undertaking future EQIA's. Housing will also explore withIrene Mwangi (Student Social Worker) the possibility of Irene undertaking this piece of work however Irene's participation is dependant upon the suitability of this exercise meeting in Irene's course requirements. / SM
SM
JW, LC, IM
JB
5. / Report on Discovering Equality in Dundee event
Scott gave a presentation on the event, including photographs taken on the day. Scott is pulling together the information gathered at the event into a report format that can be used to inform the Single Equality Scheme
6. / Equality Action Plan report to SMT
The report was presented by Bruce Patrick. (See 4, EQIA)
7. / AOCB
8. / Date of Next Meeting
Friday 11 December 2009 at 12.30pm in DCA
Friday 12 March 2010 at 12.30pm in DCA