AGENDA ITEM 5

BOROUGH OF POOLE

CABINET

31st MAY 2005

REPORT ON THE BOROUGH OF POOLE’S REVIEWED RACE EQUALITY SCHEME

1.PURPOSE AND CONTEXT

2.1To present for approval the reviewed Race Equality Scheme

2.DECISIONS REQUIRED

2.1That the Cabinet approves the strategy element of the Borough of Poole’s reviewed Race Equality Scheme (RES).

2.2That Portfolio Holders engage with Service Unit Heads in developing three year action plans, as required, to support the development of a Corporate RES Action Plan by September 2005.

2.3That the Cabinet approves the publication of the scheme in its full and summary formats.

3.BACKGROUND

3.1The Race Relations Act 1976 as amended by the Race Relations (Amended) Act 2000 (RR(A)A 2000) gives a statutory general duty to all public authorities to promote race equality. Under the Act and its attendant Code of Practice, when carrying out its full range of duties and powers, each public body must aim to:

  • Eliminate unlawful racial discrimination
  • Provide equal opportunities and
  • Promote good relations between people form different racial groups

3.2Public authorities, including local authorities, are specifically required to publish a race equality scheme (strategy and action plan) which must:

  • List the functions and policies assessed as being relevant to the general duty to promote race equality
  • Set out arrangements to assess and monitor policies in relation to promoting race equality

3.3Local authorities are also required to:

  • Publish the results of consultation, assessment and monitoring
  • Ensure the public have access to information and services and
  • Train staff in relation to the requirements of the legislation

3.4As an employer, a public authority must monitor by racial group, the number of staff who:

  • Receive training
  • Benefit or suffer from performance appraisals
  • Are involved in grievances or disciplinary action
  • End their service with the authority

3.5The legislation required public authorities to publish RES by 31st May 2002 and to review them and the action plans every three years. The deadline for the three year review is 31st May 2005.

4.BOROUGH OF POOLE’S RACE EQUALITY SCHEME

4.1The Borough of Poole’s original RES was approved by the Executive Committee on 11th March 2003 and progress updates were presented by Service Units to the relevant Overview Groups in early 2004.

4.2The reviewed RES builds on and progresses the existing scheme by:

  • Strengthening the links between the RES and the Council’s Corporate Strategy – Striving for Excellence, the Council’s core values and priorities, other corporate strategies such as: the Council’s People Strategy; the Corporate Access and Service Strategy and the Procurement Strategy
  • Outlining the Councils aims in relation to Race Equality and clarifies responsibilities for roles of the Council as a community leader, as a service provider and as and employer at each level of the organisation
  • Describing the issues of race equality in a Poole and national context
  • Providing an update on progress since the original scheme
  • Updating information on processes for achieving the aims and extends the Borough’s commitment to enable the Council to meet its full obligations under the RR(A)A 2000

5.DEVELOPMENT OF THE REVISED RES

5.1The strategy element of the revised RES has involved following consultation with:

  • The Management Team and Service Units
  • Representatives of the Managing Diversity Working Group
  • The Member Champion for Equalities
  • The Black Workers Support Group
  • Unison
  • Dorset Police
  • Dorset Race Equality Council
  • Community representatives on Poole’s Action Group for Homophobic and Racist Incidents.

5.2The lack of an existing local black and minority ethnic (BME) community infrastructure from which to draw a pool of people to consult with means that it has not been possible to undertake consultation on the RES strategy with Poole’s BME community. However, the Council’s Communications unit is leading the development of a BME consultation panel and it is proposed to engage this panel in the development of the schemes corporate action plan.

6.RES ACTION PLAN

6.1The final RES will be made up of two component parts – the strategy and an action plan. Members are being presented with the initial strategy (Appendix A) for approval with this report and Portfolio Holders are being asked to engage with Service Units in the development of a corporate action plan.

6.2Service Units are currently screening their policies/functions using a process called Equality Impact Assessments(EQIA). The EQIAs are required both by the race relations legislation and to enable the Council to achieve Level 2 of the Equality Standard which is monitored by the statutory Best Value Performance Indicator, BV 2a.

6.3The tool will help Service Units determine how effectively current service delivery meets the needs of all members of the community and highlight any areas which may be inadvertently discriminating against minority groups of residents in the Borough. Service Units have been asked to undertake EQIAs of all their service areas by September 2005 and it is the output of these assessments that will enable the Council to develop the corporate action plan for the RES.

6.4It is intended that the full RES – including the action plan – be brought back to Cabinet for approval in the Autumn 2005.

7.PUBLICATION OF THE SCHEME

7.1The strategy element of the RES will be published on boroughofpoole.com and updated with the action plan in the Autumn.

7.2A summary version, in the form of a leaflet, will be prepared for distribution to the public which will be designed to offer information about the Council’s full RES and to advise and encourage members of Poole’s BME community to can take part in future consultation events.

BERNIE TOPHAM, POLICY DIRECTOR

SUE NEWELL, IMPROVEMENT AND POLICY OFFICER

Contact Officer: Bernie Topham, Policy Director Tel No: 01202 633201

Background Papers

The Race Relations (Amended) Act 2000 and its attendant Code of Practice

Equalities Loop3 Portal

5th May 2005

1.0 THE BOROUGH OF POOLE’S RACE EQUALITY SCHEME

The Race Equality Scheme (RES) 2005-2008 outlines Borough of Poole’s (BoP’s) visionfor positively promoting racial equality in service delivery and employment practices over the coming three years. The RES supports the organisation’s values set out in Striving for Excellence - our Corporate Strategy and Business Plan 2004-2007.

This document is for:

-The Community

-Users of council services

-Councillors

-Council employees

-Partners of the Council, including statutory agencies, private and voluntary sectors.

It includes a strategy and a timetabled action plan(to be developed as a result of Equality Impact Assessment process which will be completed in September 2005), set within the context of national and local issues faced in Poole.

2.0WHY IS THE RACE EQUALITY SCHEME IMPORTANT

BoP recognises that some groups and individuals in society continue to be discriminated against. We, therefore, acknowledge our responsibilities to the three elements of the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000 (RR(A) 2000):

-To eliminate unlawful discrimination

-To promote equality of opportunity

-To promote good relations between the different communities in Poole.

BoP seeks to ensure that it recognises and continues to offer equality of opportunity to all in its role as community leader, in its service provision and in its employment practice.

3.0HOW WAS THE RACE EQUALITY SCHEME PREPARED

This is the Council’s second Race Equality Scheme and has been developed through:

-Consultation with Councillors, Policy Directors, Service Units, employees and other partners working with BoP on race issues

-Reviewing progress against BoP’s original RES

-Action planning through BoP’s Equality Impact Assessment processes

BoP recognises the absence of the black and minority ethnic[1] peoples’ voices in the preparation of this document but will address this through future consultation processes.

4.0FOREWARD BYCOUNCILLOR WRETHAM,

PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR HOUSING AND SOCIAL INCLUSION

Equality is one of Borough of Poole’s core values. The Council is committed to achieving equality of opportunity as a service provider and for its employees. Consideration of race equality issues, as part of day-to-day service delivery and business planning, can help the Council achieve its priorities.

In my role as Portfolio Holder for Housing and Social Inclusion, I listen to and champion the different voices of the community, making sure the issues our Constituents raise feed back into the Council’s decision-making. By providing leadership, Councillors can encourage a long-lasting culture so that equality issues are addressed throughout our organisation.

Since the introduction of the first Race Equality Scheme in 2003, BoP has been working towards a better understanding of how race equality affects our community and how to best tackle some of the issues for black and minority ethnic people in Poole. The reviewed Race Equality Scheme sets out some achievements to date, as well as why and how race equality will be reflected in our Council for the coming three years.

Councillor Wretham

Portfolio Holder for Housing and Social Inclusion
5.0THE STRATEGIC AIMS OF THE RACE EQUALITY SCHEME

As a Community Leader:

-To lead by example in tackling discrimination in Poole and work in partnership with others, where effective to do so

-To build confidence of black and minority ethnic people in BoP’s ability to respond to their needs

-To facilitate the participation of the black and minority ethnic community in BoP’s decision-making processes

-To celebrate diversity and promote the contribution made by black and minority ethnic people to the economic and cultural life of Poole

-To build trust, understanding and respect between different racial groups

As a Provider of Public Services:

-To make genuine equality of opportunity, beyond the scope of current legislation, an integral part of the Council’s service delivery policies and practices

-To fully comply with the general and specific duties of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000

-To work to recognise discrimination and barriers to equal opportunities that people face and take action to reduce and prevent them

-To give due consideration in policy making to the impact on black and minority ethnic people

-To enable black and minority ethnic people to have a voice in the decision-making processes of the Council

-To make sure that black and minority ethnic residents have access to services and information about these services, and that these services assess and meet their needs appropriately

-To assess whether the policies and practices of contractors and partners meet BoP’s expected standards on equality issues

As an Employer:

-To further promote BoP’s strong commitment to equality of opportunity for existing and potential employees so that it is an employer of choice for all sections of the community

-To seek to ensure the authority is representative of the people it serves

-To assist in recruiting and retaining high calibre employees consistent with BoP’s ‘People Strategy’

-To harness the diverse backgrounds, talent and potential of all employees to develop a productive and supportive environment in which organisational goals are met efficiently and effectively

-To minimise bullying and harassment in the workplace and to effectively support those who experience it

6.0THE POOLE CONTEXT

Of the 138,288 people who live in Poole, over 5500[2] define themselves as from a black and minority ethnic background (Source: Census 2001).

Key Facts:

-The minority ethnic population of Poole is generally younger than the population as a whole

-A higher proportion of people with Indian and Pakistani heritage are in professional, associated professional and technical occupations than in Poole’s total population

-The Bangladeshi community has a higher proportion of unemployment or people in elementary occupations than the general population.

-A significant population of Gypsies and Travellers have settled in Poole[3]

-Poole’s Irish community have a higher proportion of people with long-term illness.

The black and minority ethnic make up of Poole is dynamic. In addition to the resident population, each year there is seasonal influx of foreign tourists and language students. Current local skills shortages in industries, such as healthcare and construction, are also attracting peoplefrom overseas to live and work in Poole.

The relatively small numbers of black and minority ethnic people compared to the overall population may lead us to think that race equality is not an issue in Poole. Consultation with minority ethnic people locally and other research[4] shows that there are issues that need addressing, including:

-An absence of relevant community groups or other support

-Racists abuse and attacks

-Isolation and lack of understanding in the workplace

-Lack of understanding about the needs of minority ethnic groups in service delivery

-Isolation from decision-making processes

The Home Office report ‘Race Equality in Public Services for 2005’ continues to show inequalities faced by black and minority ethnic people nationally across six key areas:

-Employment

-Education

-Housing

-Criminal Justice System

-Perceptions of inequalities and community cohesion

Recognising what the issues are means BoP can begin to prioritise and address them in its services and employment practice.

7.0PROGRESS AGAINST THE ORIGINAL RACE EQUALITY SCHEME

BoP’s first RES was approved by the ‘Executive Committee’ in March 2003. Updates were provided to relevant Elected Member committees in early 2004. Since then the Council has been working to raise awareness of the importance of equality issues for the organisation. The focus has been on providing training, as well as undertaking an external review of diversity training; implementing monitoring systems and other processes; and developing action groups.

Key Progress against Action Plan 2003
Service Delivery / Social Services are talking to black and minority ethnic people about how information is provided on services and what can be done better.
Children and Families Social Services work with young asylum seekers to help them maintain their own cultural identity, whilst coping with unfamiliar circumstances away from their home and families.
Social workers have been working with carers and schools to raise awareness about the cultural heritage and specific needs of minority ethnic children in care in Poole.
All schools have adopted a Race Equality Policy, which has improved their understanding of the issues and how to deal with racist incidents.
OFSTED inspections have commented favourably on how well pupils from all backgrounds are enabled to succeed in Poole’s schools. The LEA works with Development Education in Dorset to develop opportunities for children to learn about different cultures.
Adult Learning provides courses tailored to the Chinese community where English is taught alongside a skill such as IT, carpentry and hairdressing.
BoP has introduced a range of translation facilities to make it easier for people who do not speak English to access information about Council services. These include language identification cards at Council receptions, access to a 24 hour telephone translation service, translation software on BoP’s website and translation statements on printed materials.
Better racist incident reporting procedures and confidence of the community has lead to an increase of reports to the Council from 12 incidents a year in 2001/02 to 22 in 2004/05. BoP followed up 100% of incidents reported in 2004/5 and resolution has included fixed terms school exclusions, official police warnings to the perpetrators, mediation and apologies, consideration of legal action and re-housing.
By BoP providing a grant to Dorset Race Equality Council over 40 families and individuals from Poole from the black and minority ethnic community have been provided with advice and support when facing problems locally.
Employment Practice / BoP monitors the ethnic background of its employees to ensure its workforce reflects the ethnic make-up of Poole. When BoP first began monitoring it only knew the ethnicity of 69% of all employees, now it knows 91.4%.
BoP held its first event for Black and Asian staff to be able to raise concerns and issues and suggest possible ways forward to the Council.
BoP has liaised regularly with the Black Workers Support Group on employee issues and continues to commit to the Group’s development.
‘Mutual Respect’ training to 69 Councillors and officers raised awareness and understanding of diversity issues for working in the community.

8.0ACHIEVING THE COUNCIL’S PRIORITIES

The Council’s Corporate Strategy and Business Plan 2004 – 2007 Strivingfor Excellence sets out the corporate priorities and the commitment to equality of opportunity for all. Considering the needs of different minority ethnic groups through routine business planning processes could support achievement of the priorities as shown below:

Council Priorities / How the RES could support the priorities
Supporting young people / -Promote cultural awareness in schools, libraries and youth activities
-Tackle racism and bullying with young people
Vibrant economy / -Encourage local business forums to represent all business in Poole
-To ensure that the racial and cultural diversity of the local population is reflected in the Council
-Promote Poole as a welcoming place for all
Clean, green & safe / -Work with partners and the community to increase racist incident reporting
-Improve the support to victims of racist incidents
Strong sense of community / -Celebrate cultural diversity through local events
-Provide useful information about the area to new residents in a way that is accessible to all
-Ensure race equality issues are integral to BoP’s partnerships
Health &
well-being / -Provide women-only sports sessions to encourage minority ethnic women to keep fit and active
-Monitor take up of mental health services from minority ethnic people

9.0WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IT IS

The Council recognises that at every level of the organisation employees and Elected Members have a role in delivering race equality. The table below sets out these responsibilities:

Position in Council

/

Responsibility

Cabinet / -To approve the Race Equality Scheme (RES) and action plan
-To assess and agree the impact of new policy on race equality
Overview Groups / -To support the implementation of the RES
Scrutiny Committees / -To support, monitor and review the implementation of the RES
Elected Members / -To work towards fair representation and consideration of all ethnic groups in Council policy and practice
Corporate Management Team / -To support Service Units in the implementation of race equality
-To monitor performance against the race equality indicators and the RES
-To encourage effective partnership working on local race equality issues
-To seek to ensure new policy is supported by Equality Impact Assessments
Heads of Service Units / -To integrate race equality into business and service planning and delivery
-To monitor and implement the Service Unit’s RES action plan
-To develop new policy using Equality Impact Assessment Guidance
-To monitor employees adherence of employment policy and practice
Head of Personnel & Training / -To integrate race equality into employee policy and practice
-To seek to ensure recruitment and selection processes meet BoP’s commitment to equality of opportunity policy
-To monitor and analyse employee ethnicity with regard to employment
-To develop, deliver, monitor and evaluate training and development to support organisational policy
Head of Communications & Tourism / -To promote Poole as a welcoming place for all and encourage opportunities for celebrating diversity in the town
-To provide organisational guidance and support to consultation and communication internally and with the BME community
Head of Finance / -To develop the Council’s procurement strategy to reflect the requirements of the RR(A)A 2000
-To consider Service Unit’s impact assessments in routine internal audits
Head of Legal & Democratic Services / -To support the Council to meets its legal obligations under the RR(A)A 2000
-To support Elected Members in their obligations under the Act
Community Safety Manager / -To develop effective racist incident reporting mechanisms and supporting training to employees
-To provide advice and guidance to Service Units on specific racist incidents
-To work with other agencies to improve processes and information sharing on racist incidents
-To consider the needs of the minority ethnic community in the community development strategy
Managing Diversity Working Group / -To shape and share the Council’s equalities policy and practice
-To scrutinise the implementation of equalities policy and practice
People Strategy Group / -To shape and share employment practice which supports the People Strategy and Managing Diversity Policy and Working Group
Corporate Performance Team / -To collate and monitor performance data on equality issues
-To update and provide the organisation with guidance and information on the equality agenda
All Employees / -To reflect the commitment to equality of opportunity in their role
10.0ACHIEVING THE AIMS OF THE SCHEME
As part of ongoing business planning, service delivery and improvement reviews BoP will:

-Assess compliance with the general and specific duties of the RR(A)A 2000