90 likes | 196 Views
North West Equality & Diversity Group (NW E&DG). Warren Escadale Policy & Research Manager VSNW. About NW E&DG (1). One of 9 English Regional Equalities Networks (EREN) Only cross-sector regional network Originally fed into GONW, NHS NW and NWDA work
E N D
North West Equality & Diversity Group (NW E&DG) Warren Escadale Policy & Research Manager VSNW
About NW E&DG (1) • One of 9 English Regional Equalities Networks (EREN) • Only cross-sector regional network • Originally fed into GONW, NHS NW and NWDA work • Co-Chaired by Louise Barry (Merseyside Disability Federation) and Paul Martin (Lesbian and Gay Foundation) • From Summer 2010 secretariat responsibility moved to VSNW, currently subcontracted to Merseyside Disability Federation. Contract managed by me. • One of several VSNW-supported third sector networks: environment, volunteering, C&YP, employment learning and skills, health & social care (incl PROMiSE), third sector Infrastructure Partnership (NWIP), BME network (1NW), Five Counties Partnership, older people.
About NW E&DG (2) • 70+ groups on email contact list: includes regional third sector contacts for older people, younger people, race, faith, women, transgender, sexuality, disability, rural, refugee. • 200 + members on LinkedIn • Core group attends quarterly meetings • Forum to engage and network • Campaigning and lobbying role when possible
Recent activity: health & social care • NHS NW’s Five Year Equality Strategy (2009 - 2013?): Narrowing the Gaps (plus Landscape of the Region) available: www.help.northwest.nhs.uk • Representing equalities issues in new Health Structures (DoH): key roles of HealthWatch, Health & Wellbeing Boards, and NHS NW’s Equality Performance and Improvement Toolkit (EPIT)*: Where VCS equalities voices? • Work with General Medical Council: ‘Good Medical Practice’ consultation event; potential follow up around ‘revalidation’ (raise issue of equalities in light of possible commissioning functions: first steps approach) • NW Transition Alliance: • Local HealthWatch in the NW (Consumer Champions ) • Health and Wellbeing Boards and Children and Young People (series of prompt questions, useful for thinking about other groups too) • Feeding into EHRC consultations, recently: The Disability Harassment Inquiry and Home Care Inquiry (“invaluable support”) • Link to VSNW’s role, through Regional Voices, as a DoH strategic partner
Recent activity: points of info • NW Community Learning Grants Programme • Equality Act 2010 (latest from EHRC) • LGF’s Sexual Orientation Monitoring project • Tameside Race Equality Framework
Recent activity: Equality research (1) • Aim • 8 month project • Who involved • research team • steering group • equalities networks • places
Recent activity: Equality research (2) Findings of ‘Open for All? The Changing Nature of Big Society and Localism’: • Reforms have come at a cost • New forms of representation are weak and exclude equalities groups • Spending cuts are damaging voluntary sector capacity to deliver big society • The new policy framework is liable to reinstate old patterns of exclusion and discrimination • Implementation is disproportionately harming the most excluded • The capacity of equalities groups to participate and hold public bodies to account is heading towards a point of critical failure.
Recent activity: Equality research (3) Next steps: • Informal feedback from DCLG • Recommendations for moving forward: Responsible Reform: Open Public Services for All • London launch next week (23rd Feb) • Series of pieces in New Start Magazine beginning today • One proposal: Joint Equality Needs Assessments
Key links • Attendance from this network at NW E&DG (Next meeting: 10.30m–1.00pm, 19th March, Manchester; Bernie asked to speak about this network) • To join NW E&DG: • Email Rosina Ndukwe (rosina@merseydisability.org.uk) and ask to be added to the distribution list; and/or • When signed into LinkedIn, request to join the LinkedIn network group ‘North West Equality & Diversity Group (NW E&DG)’: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=3311663 • Open for All? research report: http://www.vsnw.org.uk/publications/reports • To subscribe to VSNW’s bulletin email policy@vsnw.org.uk with the subject line “Subscribe to VSNW Bulletin” • To contact me: warren.escadale@vsnw.org.uk or 0161 276 9307/07950 162815