Equality and Diversity
Race Equality Scheme Implementation
Progress Report
 The full Race Equality Scheme Progress Report can be downloaded here (93KB, PDF file).
Introduction
The Race Relations Act (Amendment) 2000 places a General Duty on all local authorities, along with other public bodies, to promote race equality. Under the General Duty local authorities must take steps to:
- Eliminate unlawful racial discrimination;
- Promote equality of opportunities; and
- Promote good relations between people of different racial groups.
The General Duty applies to all functions carried out by the local authority, both in terms of service delivery and employment. To assist with the implementation of the General Duty the Government asked local authorities to produce an action plan, called the Race Equality Scheme, to show how the Council intended to promote race equality. The Race Equality Scheme is a three-year programme of service reviews to ensure none of the Council services have an adverse impact on black and minority ethnic communities in the Borough. In the event of any adverse impact found, which is not justifiable, the Council must take steps to address it.
London Borough of Bexley Race Equality Scheme
The Council produced its Race Equality Scheme by the deadline of 31 May 2002. The timetable for service reviews for the Equality Impact Assessments consists of a range of services from all Directorates. Some of these reviews were part of the Best Value regime and others were to be stand alone reviews. The Council set itself an ambitious timetable considering that training to support this initiative was needed and detailed guidance for managers had to be produced to ensure they had the right knowledge and skills to carry out this work.
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Progress To Date
The following reviews have been conducted so far:
1. Physical Disability Services
The Best Value Review of Physical Disability Services incorporated the requirement of the Race Relations Act 2000 and looked at how these services and the related policies impact on the black and minority ethnic communities. The key findings of the review are highlighted below.
- Assessing service needs of black and minority ethnic communities, e.g. need for better equipment and adaptation
- Services provided closer to home, and with better access to services
- Improving information and communications
- Better transport for black and minority ethnic communities
- More support for carers
2. Carers' Breaks Services - Social Services
This was a specific Equality Impact Assessment review to meet the requirements of the Race Relations Act 2000. The initial findings from an analysis of data, questionnaires to voluntary sector providers and discussions with staff were consulted with a focus group of carers from black and ethnic minority communities, and with the Equalities Forum.
The key findings are as follows:
- Although 5% of carers' breaks were provided to carers from black and minority
ethnic communities, Vietnamese, Chinese and Black African people were under represented
- Some black and minority ethnic communities were not aware of the scheme
- There were difficulties in commissioning carers' breaks that met the cultural
needs of different communities, due to a lack of agencies or organisations that
provided such care
These issues have been incorporated in to an action plan, which will be implemented
and monitored by Carers' Partnership Group.
3. Property Management (Corporate)
This was again a Best Value Review that incorporated race equality issues to meet the requirements on race legislation. The review has highlighted matters around:
- Improving access to better accommodation for black and minority ethnic and other equality target groups
- Providing better information about vacant properties in the borough.
- Improving assessment of property needs of black and minority ethnic groups.
4. Engineering Services
Carried out as part of the Best Value Review, the equalities issues raised in this review mainly related to access and personal safety. These are listed as follows:
- Improving access for all on the highways and street
- Helping to improve personal security on the street through improved street lighting.
5. Street Cleansing and Refuse
Also under-taken as part of the Best Value Review, the race equality issues raised in this review are stated below:
- Putting more demanding requirements in contracts for equality issues and monitoring
contractors' performance against them
- Better information in minority languages about these services
6. Professional Development and Support
This was undertaken specifically as a stand alone Equality Impact Assessment review to meet the requirements of the Race Relations Act 2000. Some of the key issues raised are listed below.
- Putting equalities on the agenda in all service areas
- Review EDP action plan to make specific action to address equality issues
- Better representation of black and minority ethnic groups as Associate Trainers
- Ensure external providers take on board equalities issues in their work with the Council and Education establishments.
7. School Admissions
This was again a specific Equality Impact Assessment review meeting the requirements of the Race Relations Act 2000. The issue raised under this is about ensuring that:
- Admissions monitoring is made more transparent.
The outcomes of these reviews are being incorporated into a Corporate Equality Action Plan. The plan is at an early stage of development with an initial draft being circulated to Directors and Assistant Directors for their comments.
Work is underway on a number of other reviews, e.g. Carers Services, Learning disability etc. All the remaining years 1 and 2 reviews are scheduled for completion by May 2004.
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Equality Standard for Local Government
In order to embrace the wider equalities agenda, the Council has made a commitment to the Equality Standard for Local Government. The Council has taken steps to translate that commitment into practical initiatives to implement the requirements of the Equality Standard. There are five levels of progression and the Council has to show measurable outcomes at each level. At the initial levels the Council must put in place a comprehensive equality policy and a corporate equality action plan. The aim is to achieve level 3 of the Standard by 2005.
1) The Policy
The Council is committed to having in place a comprehensive equality policy,
which sets out our vision and how we will achieve it. In order to support the
Council's Managing Diversity policy, the Council has developed, as an interim
measure, a Statement of Commitment to Equality. This briefly explains the Council's
vision and commitment and how the Council intends to deliver this commitment.
The Statement is attached (appendix 2).
2) The Corporate Equality Action Plan
In order to assist managers with clear equalities targets to achieve the Council's
commitment on equalities, a draft Corporate Equality Action Plan has been developed.
The Plan sets out clear tasks for managers to implement with measurable outcomes
and set target dates. As indicated earlier, the Plan would take on board issues
arising from the Equality Impact Assessment review, which require action to be
taken to address specific concerns.
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Other Equality Initiatives
In addition to the specific service reviews timetabled in the Race Equality Scheme to assess the impact of policies and services on black and minority ethnic communities, the Council has taken steps to develop other initiatives to promote equality of opportunity in its service delivery and employment. The local education authority is working with schools to introduce a revised framework for Racial Equality Assurance. This provides for a positive model for schools to follow to integrate race equality into all aspects of school life. The framework also provides schools with updated guidelines and procedures for dealing with racist incidents, along with incident reporting forms for schools to use.
In addition to the above, Bexley Adult College is developing a Race Equality Policy which is due to be launched in the new term. The policy will cover all aspects of college life, from employment to provision of subjects relevant to black and minority ethnic students.
Bexley's Community Strategy places heavy emphasis on social inclusion, community
cohesion and equalities - indeed this is placed at the very heart of the Partnership
for Bexley's approach. The Strategy and action plan sets out a range of targets
and actions to promote equality and community cohesion in the Borough.
Bexlearn, the Council's training service, are revising and strengthening diversity
training delivered to staff. As well as delivering an introduction to diversity
and equality as part of the induction programme for all staff, Bexlearn are developing
a comprehensive rolling programme of cultural awareness and diversity training
for staff, starting initially with an overview of the context, and moving, over
time, into helping staff to understand the specific cultural and religious needs
of members of the diverse community they serve. This is being supported with a
"Valuing Diversity Handbook" - which is currently in the process of
development.
Since the publication of the Race Equality Scheme, the work of the Live Well
and Safely Project in Belvedere Ward has been more closely co-ordinated with the
objectives of the Scheme. The service, established several years ago to better
enable Asian residents of Belvedere to access mainstream education, community
safety and health care services in an appropriate way, has, over the past 18 months,
sought to refresh its approach. To date, whilst continuing its health, education
and community safety objectives, the service has also hosted a recruitment fair
targeted at the BME communities, delivered at the Belvedere Community Centre,
in the heart of an area populated by BME residents, has established an Asian Youth
Forum to ensure that the Council takes account of the views and needs of Asian
young people in the borough, in partnership with the Forum has run a Youth Dub
Day and a Bhangra night to bring young people from different communities together
to share in each others musical tastes and to learn more about each others cultures
and is currently working with the Forum to support them to deliver an "Asians
in Britain" event in the borough - to share young Asian people's experiences
of growing up in Britain and celebrating their origins, cultures and faiths.
As part of the Council's approach to better engaging with the BME communities,
and assisting communities to develop their own responses to problems in their
neighbourhoods, the Council successfully bid to the Government Office for London
(GOL) for the funding to run a Community Leader training programme for up to 20
local people - open to all communities but targeted at the BME and disaffected
white communities. The course successfully attracted individuals from a cross
section of the diverse community, with 37% of students coming from a black or
minority ethnic background, against an 8.2% borough population. Graduates of the
course are already making tremendous progress in the community, having joined
the Equalities Forum, local Community Forums, Sure Start and Connexions Boards,
setting up projects in the north of the borough, securing employment and successfully
applying for external funding for their activities. A bid for funding to the Learning
and Skills Council to run the course for a second period was also successful.
The ongoing development of emerging BME voluntary and community groups continues to be supported through a capacity building project being delivered by the Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations (CEMVO), who have been commissioned by the Council to deliver one to one community development and capacity building work to emerging BME groups.
The GOL funding also enabled the Council to commission external consultants
to carry out research into quality of life for the different communities resident
in the more deprived areas in the north of the borough - where many residents
from the BME communities reside. This identified the key concerns for the wider
communities in these areas and the BME communities specifically. A plan to respond
to the research findings through an area based approach is being developed for
the Borough as a whole by the Local Strategic Partnership and for the Council's
contribution specifically by the Social Inclusion Scrutiny Project Sub Group.
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Consultation
The Council, under the Shaping Bexley initiative, has engaged in consultation exercises with customers from all community backgrounds. Specific consultations with the Equalities Forum have been undertaken in order to ensure that the needs of the black and minority ethnic community were taken into account in the development of the proposals under this initiative. The various views have been incorporated in the final plans.
The role of the Black Workers Group has been reviewed and it has been decided that the group should become a representative body for all black and minority ethnic staff across the Council. Work is in hand to re-launch the group and publicise it to all black and minority ethnic staff in the near future.
The Joint Consultative Committee has reviewed its constitution to ensure that equalities matters are considered in its regular business.
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Equality Training for staff
A considerable amount effort has gone into providing targeted training for key officers to equip them with the basic knowledge and skills on equalities issues. A detailed breakdown of the training delivered is set out below.
1) Training delivered through BexLearn
- Equality Impact Assessment training for 13 managers by an external trainer
- Seven half-day training sessions delivered on valuing diversity since June 2002 and 7 special training sessions on the Race Equality Scheme. A total of 300 people have received equalities training.
- 328 staff went through Corporate Induction, which includes an introduction to Equality and Diversity.
2) Training delivered by the Equalities Officer
Equality Impact Assessment and equalities training provided to the following Management Teams and officers groups
- Borough Secretary's Management Team
- Team Leaders - Development and Public Protection
- Adult Services DMT
- Adult Services Managers Group
- EDU
- Capita and Benefits Staff Group
- Education Managers Group
3) In October 2002, the Council organised a large-scale conference, entitled
'Exploring Diversity at Bexley'. The conference was aimed at senior managers and
explored a wide range of diversity issues. Around 70 managers attended.
4) Department training
Social Services delivered training on the Race Equality Scheme to 109 staff following the publication of the Scheme.
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Recruitment Initiatives
The Council has taken a range of steps to increase the number of applicants for jobs from black and minority ethnic and disabled communities. It has also conducted promotional campaigns to improve the image of the Council so that people see it as a good place to work. Some of these initiatives are listed below:
- A recruitment display in the main reception in the Civic Offices
- Participation at events and festivals, e.g. Respect Festival, Youth Dub day, Job Fairs etc
- Promotional advertisements in various publications, e.g. Ethnic Britain, Radar Diary, Eastern Eye, the Voice, Jobseekers Map etc
- Black and Minority Ethnic Recruitment fair
- Promotional leaflets in the Council Tax bills
These initiatives have produced positive outcomes and the Council's new recruitment
figures indicate a much better response rate from black and minority ethnic communities.
The latest figures show that approximately 13% of new recruits to the Council
are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
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Employment
Current monitoring figures for employment show that around 5.5% of the Council's
employees are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. This figure is based
on around 60% response to the Council's survey. Plans are in hand to introduce
a new employee survey, which will ensure a 100% return and thus give a comprehensive
figure for Council employees from all backgrounds. It will also include information
on other equality areas.
The Council has made good progress in putting equalities issues on the agenda. It needs to continue its efforts to integrate these issues into its everyday work. |
