PAPER C

 

 

                                                                                                               Purpose: For Decision

                        REPORT TO THE EXECUTIVE

 

Date:               23 APRIL 2003

 

Title:                RACE EQUALITY SCHEME; APPROVAL SUBJECT TO CONSULTATION

                       

REPORT OF THE PORTFOLIO HOLDER FOR RESOURCES

 

IMPLEMENTATION DATE:  6 May2003

 


SUMMARY/PURPOSE

 

1.                  To approve the Race Equality Scheme (RES), subject to consultation.

 

The RES has been drafted and has had initial comment from the Directors Group and a working group of officers at senior level.  These comments have been formulated into the document now set before you.

 

2.         This report appeared on the forward plan for 21st May 2003.  The drafting work and initial internal consultation has been completed ahead of schedule.  There is sufficient urgency to justify taking the decision, under Rule 15 Access to Information Rules, as the Council is in breach of it’s obligation to adopt a scheme and should be seen to be acting swiftly.

 

BACKGROUND

 

3.                  On April 2nd 2001, the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 placed a duty on  public authorities to eliminate unlawful discrimination, promote equality of opportunity, and promote good relations between people of different racial groups.  The duty included developing a Race Equality Scheme

 

A draft RES has now been prepared (attached as annexe 1) and the Community Partnership Team would commend this to the Executive and seek formal approval for the draft scheme to be the subject of an extensive internal and external consultation exercise prior to presentation/adoption of the final scheme. 

Implications:

Adoption of the RES will have a number of implications:

§         Service Planning:  the Service Planning process will need to be revised to take into account the monitoring requirements of the RES

§         Resources:  Implementation of the RES will have resource implications.  It is anticipated that additional funding will be required to support awareness raising and officer and member training.  These implications will be determined and submitted together with the final scheme.

 

Benefits of this approval would include:

§         Allowing synergy between the current GAGS initiative and the equalities agenda

§         Be locally and possibly nationally, a novel and ground breaking approach to delivering the e.government and equalities agenda

§         Compliance with the Commission for Race Equality Standards.

 

The Equality Standard for Local Government and RES

The Council’s Equalities and Diversity Policy has set a target for achieving Level 5 of the Equality Standard for Local Government by 2009.  The RES whilst being a discrete piece of work in its own right, also feeds into the wider equalities agenda and is a key component of the Council achieving its target level 5 of the Standard.

 

STRATEGIC CONTEXT

 

4.         The Race Equality Scheme is an essential element of the Equality and Diversity Strategy adopted by the Council in 2002.  It compliments and enhances that strategic policy and features in the CPA Improvement Plan, which aims to improve the services and functions the Isle of Wight Council delivers across the Island and ensure that we move forward from the CPA score of a fair to high performing. Within the Corporate Plan equalities has an important role to play with regard to the Council’s commitment to:

 

§               Improving our community focus

 

The Council is committed to the pursuit of equality of opportunity and meeting the needs of excluded groups in our community.  In the process of developing a customer-centred culture across the Council we will promote implementation of our Equality and Diversity Policy of which the RES forms an integral part.

 

The progress of the RES will be monitored in the annual service planning process and reported to the public on an annual basis.

 

CONSULTATION

 

5.                  At the present time the draft RES has had informal consultation with the Directors Group and managers at senior level.  The purpose of this report is to seek approval from the Executive Committee for an extensive internal and external consultation exercise prior to final approval of the scheme.

 

6.                  The consultation will take place with the following groups:

Vectis Equality project (formerly Integration In our Island – ethnic minority group)

Town and Parish Councils

Isle of Wight Council departments

Voluntary Sector

Isle of Wight Councillors

Media – IW County Press, IW Radio, Solent TV, Wight Insight

Local Strategic Partnership

Government Office

District Audit

Trade Unions

Crown Prosecution Service

Internet / Intranet

 

The draft scheme is presented as a discrete initiative.  It is suggested that it is best seen as an integral part of the agenda of improving access to services, of which GAGS is the current flagship.

 

FINANCIAL/BUDGET IMPLICATIONS

 

7.                  Directors and Heads of service believe that the implementation and adoption of the RES will be met from existing resources.  The developing HR Strategy will take account of identified training budget implications. 

 

The cost of this initiative and any other additional costs will have to be dealt with through the Council’s resource prioritisation framework.  Any future cost will need to be subject to the usual budget processes of the Council but will need to be given some degree of priority if the Council is to respond to the criticisms following the CPA inspection.

 

LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

 

8.                  There is a legal duty for all Councils following the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 to have in place a RES during 2002.  Adoption of a scheme as a matter of priority was a recommendation of the CPA.  The council’s duties in relation to human rights and crime and disorder are consistent with the adoption of the scheme, subject to consultation.

 

OPTIONS

 

9.                  i.          To approve the Draft RES without further consultation

ii.                  To approve the consultation draft and specifically delegate the Portfolio Holder for Resources to make amendments to the scheme following consultation, where those changes do not substantially alter the meaning or resource implications of the draft scheme.

iii.                To approve the draft for consultation and receive a further report on that consultation and a revised draft for approval at meeting of the Executive in June 2003.

 

EVALUATION/RISK MANAGEMENT

 

10.             The Council is subject to formal inspection with regard to Race Equality.  A RES is required by law if not developed and in place will have an adverse effect on the Council’s aim of improving its score of fair following the CPA inspection. 

 

11.             To minimise the risk, individual responsibility has been assigned to the Head of Corporate Policy and Communications and the Chief Fire Officer.  Progress will be regularly discussed with the Directorate Group, Heads of Service and the relevant Portfolio holder.  Reports will be produced for the Executive and Select Committees as required.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS

 

12.             Option (ii) - To approve the consultation draft and specifically delegate the Portfolio Holder for Resources to make amendments to the scheme following consultation, where those changes do not substantially alter the meaning or resource implications of the draft scheme

 

 

BACKGROUND PAPERS

 

13.             Draft Race Equality Scheme

 

Contact Point:            John Bentley, Head of Corporate Policy and Communications

Tel: 01983 823346, email [email protected]

 

R HARDS

Chief fire Officer

R R BARRRY

Portfolio Holder for Resources