1 / 26

Warwickshire County Council

Warwickshire County Council. Public Sector Equality Duty Briefings Corporate Equality & Diversity Team September – November 2011. Warwickshire County Council. Warwickshire County Council. Aim of session provide information about the Duty help you understand how it relates to

xiu
Download Presentation

Warwickshire County Council

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Warwickshire County Council Public Sector Equality Duty Briefings Corporate Equality & Diversity Team September – November 2011

  2. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • Aim of session • provide information about the Duty • help you understand how it relates to your work, and • what you need to do to meet this legal Duty

  3. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • Areas to be covered in the session • Key dates • Protected characteristics/ groups • Benefits of the equality duty • General equality duty • The specific duties • Compliance with equality duty • Key Messages for Warwickshire County Council

  4. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • Key dates for Equality Duty • 5 April 2011 general duty came into force • 10 September 2011 specific duties came into force • 31 January 2012 (except schools) to publish equality information • 6 April 2012 schools to publish equality information • 6 April 2012 listed bodies (including schools) to publish equality objectives

  5. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • What are the ‘protected characteristics/ groups? • age • disability • gender reassignment • pregnancy and maternity • race • religion or belief • sex • sexual orientation • marriage & civil partnership (only applies to the first aim of the duty)

  6. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • Benefits of Equality Duty • Help public authorities avoid discriminatory practices and integrate equality into their core business. • Ensure services are appropriate for customers, are efficient and cost-effective and improve public satisfaction. • Build a supportive working environment to increase productivity. More representative organisations can draw on a broader range of talent. • Using up to date equality information can lead to better decision-making and policy development.

  7. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • Public sector Equality Duty - 1 • General equality duty – 3 Aims • Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act. • Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. • Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

  8. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • Public sector Equality Duty - 2 • Specific duties- imposed by secondary legislation to help comply with general duty • Publish Information • Prepare and publish equality objectives

  9. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council Compliance with Equality Duty assessing relevance collecting and publishing equality information engagement equality analysis equality objectives commissioning and procurement business planning and reporting monitoring and enforcement

  10. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • 1. Assessing relevance • this is the first step in helping WCC prioritise its efforts to comply with the Duty – not an end in itself • identify which functions are more relevant to the 3 aims of the Duty • the Duty continues to apply even if the services have been contracted out or thinking of contracting out • Duty applies irrespective to the size/ numbers of people with a protected characteristic

  11. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • 2.Collecting and publishing equality information (1) • understand the communities we serve • understand our workforce • embed equalities into policy & decision making • identify key priority equality issues for WCC • help set the most appropriate objectives & measurements

  12. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • 2.Collecting and publishing equality information (2) • demonstrate to the public how WCC is performing & what it has achieved. • collecting information is not an end in itself – should be used to interpret, analyse & advance equality & good relations • helps identify barriers & discrepancies, so can plan any remedial action • links to analysis, engagement, objective setting

  13. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • 3. Engagement (1) • requirement to have adequate evidence base for decision making • requirement to publish engagement activity undertaken • helps identify the relevance of functions to equality • helps identify particular needs, any disadvantage • help to understand reasons for disadvantage • helps identify opportunities to promote equality & foster good relations

  14. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • 3. Engagement (2) – is successful when: • it is inclusive, open, transparent and influential • leadership commitment • integrated with decision making • early and ongoing • clearly structured and proportionate • accessible • done in partnership

  15. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • 4. Equality analysis • change in terminology – from ‘impact assessment’ to ‘analysis of the effects’ • requirement to analyse the effects of policies & practices on meeting the 3 equality aims • linkages to information, engagement & objective setting • helps with effective/ efficient use of resources • helps identify if further engagement is required

  16. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • 5. Equality Objectives • requirement to prepare & publish by 6th April 2012 • strengthens our performance of the general duty • encourages an outcome focused approach • demonstrates commitment to the community, service users and staff • supports the business planning processes • helps us to focus on our priorities

  17. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • 6. Commissioning and procurement • requirement to embed equality considerations • applies to external organisations who are carrying out a public function • ensure robust monitoring processes are in place to assess compliance • applies to all procurement, irrespective of value • leads to appropriate, responsive and value for money services

  18. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • 7. Business planning and reporting • requirement to review and revise • integrate the Duty into the business planning processes • ensure included in Annual Reports

  19. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • 8. Monitoring and enforcement • Equality & Human Rights Commission • compliance notes • judicial review • section 31 assessments • section 23 agreements • legal interventions • individuals can apply for judicial review • Civil society/ public accountability • Inspectorates

  20. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • Key Messages for Warwickshire County Council • clear leadership is crucial • build on work we are already doing • ensure decisions are made with full information • ensure the Duty is integrated

  21. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • WCC drivers • Corporate Business Plan 2011-13 • Strategic Commissioning Programme • Consultation & Engagement guidance • Tender documents – especially Pre-Qualification Questionnaires and monitoring requirements

  22. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • IN SUMMARY • covers all protected characteristics • requirement to have due regard to the 3 general duty aims • requirement to publish equality information • requirement to have adequate evidence base • requirement to prepare & publish equality objectives • change in terminology from ‘impact assessment’ to analysis of the effects’ • covers commissioning & procurement (including contracted out services)

  23. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • GROUP EXERCISE • How are you going to put what you have learnt today in practice in your respective areas of work? • What challenges do you envisage when trying to implement this?

  24. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council Any Questions ?

  25. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council • FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT • Corporate Equalities and Diversity Team • Tejay de Kretser 01926 412497 • David Fagg 01926 418017 • Sarah Hay-Jahans 01926 418199 • Suranjana Lall 01926 414106 • Minakshee Patel 01926 412659 • Shearon Williams 01926 742358 • Email: equalities@warwickshire.gov.uk

  26. Warwickshire County Council Warwickshire County Council FOR FURTHER INFORMATION Useful web pages: WCC Intranet: Helping you Work – Equality & Diversity Our Council – Vision & Values Have your Say – Consultation & Engagement Guidance Warwickshire Direct website Observatory page External websites Home Office – Equalities Equality & Human Rights Commission

More Related