Agenda item

(Acting Chief Executive) to consider the attached report.

The Acting Chief Executive introduced the report on the Equalities Act (2010), replacing the previous anti-discrimination legislation. The Equality Act consisted of a ‘general equality duty’, and a new Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), which requires public authorities to at all times have due regard to the need to:

·                 eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation;

·                 advance equality of opportunity between different groups; and

·                 foster good relations between different groups.

The setting of specific equality objectives was intended to help public authorities to better perform the general equality duty, focusing on outcomes to be achieved. 

In order to meet the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) the Council must:

(a)          annually publish sufficient information to demonstrate that it has complied with the general equality duty, including:

·                information on the effect that policies and practices have had on employees and people from the protected groups;

·                evidence of the analysis undertaken to establish whether policies and practices will (or have) furthered the three equality aims in the general equality duty, and details of the information used in that analysis; and

·                details of engagement undertaken;

(b)          publish information about the engagement it has undertaken, including that used in the development of equality objectives;

(c)          analyse and publish the effect of its policies and practices on equality, and evidence of equality analysis and details of information considered when carrying out analysis; and

(d)          prepare and publish appropriate equality objectives by 6 April 2012, and at least every four years thereafter.

Of the five objectives identified, the fifth one on procurement had not been written as yet, this would be brought forward in the near future as part of a review of the objectives.

Councillor Stallan asked that the procurement objective reflect the council’s position on making payments in certain timescales; that is, within 20 days for local suppliers and 28 days for other suppliers. This was agreed and would be added to the objective on procurement.

Councillor Mrs Whitehouse noted that objective 3 had one of the protected groups as ‘age’. Was there a specific age group this covered? She was told that a specific age had not been specified as it would depend on what services the person was accessing.

Councillor Mrs Whitehouse said that there was nothing in the report about practical ways the council could help people in need, such as the use of brail or sign language. She also noted that the report said that Epping Forest had the second highest number of Black and Multi Ethnic (BME) residents in Essex. But, she was told at a recent meeting that we had the highest number of BME residents. Which was right? She was told that it would be looked into and clarified. Also, she was right that the Council had various things in place to help people in need and they would be referenced in the report.

Councillor Smith asked if this Equality Scheme was the same as the council’s own equality policy. She was told that it captured the council’s current equality commitments in it. These were available on the intranet as separate documents.

            RESOLVED:

That, subject to the comments made above and the concurrence of the Cabinet, the Council’s Equality Scheme and Equality Objectives for 2012/13 to 2015/16, be agreed.