Issue - meetings

This report sets out progress on improving the Council’s fairness and inclusion policy and practice and seeks approval for a refreshed corporate Fairness and Inclusion Strategy and Single Corporate Equality Scheme for the period 2009-12.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the Corporate Fairness and Inclusion Strategy and Single Corporate and Equality Scheme 2009-12 be approved.

                        (ii)        That Officers be requested to review the scheme to ensure that faster progress is made and that this be included in the report to Executive with the April 2010 review of outcomes from the Strategy, with an indication of the prioritisation of activities.

                        (iii)       That progress be reported at least twice per year to the Decision Session of the Executive Member for Leisure, Culture and Social Inclusion, with outcomes that improve local life for all of York’s residents.

                        (iv)       That Officers be requested to review the collation of data and details provided to the Executive, the policies behind the questions included in surveys issued by the Council and how the information so gathered is used to review Council policy.

REASON:      To meet statutory requirements, to realise the strategic vision of ensuring that, as the City changes and continues to prosper, everyone is included and no-one is left behind, and to ensure that progress on the Strategy is properly monitored.

Members considered a report which outlined progress towards improving the Council’s fairness and inclusion policy and practice and sought approval for a refreshed corporate Fairness and Inclusion Strategy and Single Corporate Equality Scheme for the period 2009-12.

The refreshed Strategy document, attached as Annex 1 to the report and summarised in Annex 2, had been drafted after extensive consultation with the relevant communities, the Social Inclusion Working Group, partners and staff.  Details of consultation were provided in Annex 3.  The Strategy set out the corporate framework to be used by each Directorate to put in place Directorate Fairness and Inclusion (equality) single schemes and plans.  It addressed the areas for further improvement identified by the self-assessment against the Equality Framework for Local Government (EFLG) carried out in April 2009, at which time the Council had reached the first level -‘Developing’ - of the three-level Framework.  The aim was to achieve the third level – ‘Achieving’ – by April 2011.

Progress on the Strategy and Scheme would be reported annually each summer, with further refreshes if necessary.  There would be a major review in May 2012, by which time the Single Equality Act and associated Codes of Practice were expected to be in place.

RESOLVED: (i)         That the Corporate Fairness and Inclusion Strategy and Single Corporate and Equality Scheme 2009-12 be approved.¹

                        (ii)        That Officers be requested to review the scheme to ensure that faster progress is made and that this be included in the report to Executive with the April 2010 review of outcomes from the Strategy, with an indication of the prioritisation of activities. ²

                        (iii)       That progress be reported at least twice per year to the Decision Session of the Executive Member for Leisure, Culture and Social Inclusion, with outcomes that improve local life for all of York’s residents. ³

                        (iv)       That Officers be requested to review the collation of data and details provided to the Executive, the policies behind the questions included in surveys issued by the Council and how the information so gathered is used to review Council policy. ⁴

REASON:      To meet statutory requirements, to realise the strategic vision of ensuring that, as the City changes and continues to prosper, everyone is included and no-one is left behind, and to ensure that progress on the Strategy is properly monitored.