Agenda and minutes

At this point Members are asked to declare any personal or prejudicial interests they may have in the business on this agenda.

Members were invited to declare at this point in the meeting any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda.

No interests were declared.

Introductions were carried out and the new expert witnesses were welcomed to the meeting.  It was noted that Jack Archer would no longer be a representative of York Older People’s Assembly on SIWG and that YOPA had nominated Larry Hotchkiss as his replacement.

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered their wish to speak regarding an item on the agenda or an issue within the Groups remit can do so. Anyone who wishes to register or requires further information is requested to contact the Democracy Officer on the contact details listed at the foot of this agenda. The deadline for registering is Tuesday 13 January 2009 at 5.00 pm.

There was one registration to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Lynn Jeffries updated the Group on the setting up of a Disabled People’s Forum. The first open meeting of the Forum would take place on Thursday 12 February 2009 at 12 noon at the York Racial Equality Network (YREN) offices. It was intended that, at the meeting, two representatives would be sought to serve on SIWG.  Thanks were expressed to YREN for facilitating the meeting and to those who had given their support in the setting up of the Forum.

To approve and sign the minutes of the last meeting of the Group held on 19 November 2008.  An “easy read” version of these minutes is also attached for members’ consideration.

It was noted that, at the meeting, approval had been given for both representatives of an equality strand to be of the same gender should it not otherwise be possible to fill a vacancy.  The Group confirmed that this arrangement should be on a temporary basis only and that the principle remained that there should be one male and one female representative to ensure gender balance.

RESOLVED:That the minutes of the meeting of the Group, held on 19 November 2008, be approved and signed by the Chair as a correct record.

Taxi Licensing matters:  volunteers, needed to help draw-up an accreditation scheme for taxi drivers, will be invited to put their names forward at the meeting.

Volunteers were sought to assist the Council’s Head of Licensing and Regulatory in drawing-up an accreditation scheme for taxi drivers.

RESOLVED:            That Jim Doherty and Geoff Henman (subject to his approval)

be nominated to assist in the drawing-up of an accreditation scheme for taxi drivers¹.

The Chair will give an Easy Read PowerPoint Presentation regarding SIWG activity in 2008.

The Chair gave a PowerPoint presentation on Social Inclusion Working Group activity during 2008 (copy attached at Annex 1 of these minutes).

The Group agreed that the “Help us Get it Right” day had been extremely useful and that this type of event was an excellent model for consulting and engaging with community groups.   Copies of the feedback report were tabled (copy attached at Annex 2 of these minutes).

Clarification was sought as to whether student volunteers were still involved in the work of the Group.  Officers explained that the students had completed the report that they had been preparing and, as a number of the students had subsequently graduated or been involved in preparations for their examinations, no further projects were planned at present.

RESOLVED:            That the Chair’s Report be received.

This report follows on from a report entitled “Project proposals for SIWG budgets 2008/9” considered at the meeting of 19 November 2008.  It asks members to offer their support to the outline project proposals expected to be funded from the SIWG projects support budget 2008/9 for work to be done in 2009/10. 

Members received an updated report on project proposals following on from the paper that had been considered at the meeting on 19 November 2008.  Members were asked to offer their support to the outline project proposals expected to be funded from the SIWG projects support budget 2008/9 for work to be carried out in 2009/10.   

The following options were put to the Group for consideration:

• To support the projects outlined in Annex 1 of the report.
• Not to support any of the projects in Annex 1 and to seek new project ideas.
• To support some of the projects in Annex 1.

Clarification was sought as to whether funding could be allocated to a group that had no formal connection with SIWG.  Officers confirmed that this was possible and that funding for a project had previously been allocated to the Citizens’ Advice Bureau.

RESOLVED:(i)         That the following outline project proposals, as detailed in

                                    Annex 1 of the report, be supported:

·        SIWG Diversity Mobile Exhibition £1,940

·        SIWG Diversity Day £1,500

·        Supporting CANDI  (Children and Inclusion)

Parents to offer Disability Training£500

·        YREN/Young People’s Collaboration

Regarding BME youth inclusion£500

(ii)               That the Group recommended that the remaining funding of £660 be retained for contingencies.

(iii)             That the project to develop a diversity mobile exhibition be led by YREN.

(iv)              That the Diversity Day project be led by the York Older People’s Assembly (YOPA) and, in view of their expertise in arranging events, the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Forum be asked if they were willing to jointly lead the project.

REASON:      To ensure that project budgets promote equality and inclusion.

This report asks members to consider the representation of the disability strand on the Group, following the resignation of the single co-opted non-voting individual who had been representing disability issues whilst a Disabled People’s Forum was being formed.

Members received a report asking them to consider the representation of the disability strand on the Group, following the resignation of the single co-opted non-voting individual who had been representing disability issues whilst a Disabled People’s Forum was being formed.

It was noted that the Council’s Housing and Adult Social Services Directorate and York Council for Voluntary Services were currently working together to facilitate the setting up of a Centre for Independent Living (CIL) in York.  In line with government recommendations, the CIL should be managed by disabled people to provide services and support for disabled people.  Once the Centre was in place and a managing board had been constituted, there would be the opportunity to seek two co-opted non-voting representatives from amongst disabled people members of the CIL management board to serve on SIWG. 

The Group also considered the comments made under the public participation item on the agenda regarding the progress in establishing a Disabled People’s Forum.  

Discussion took place as to the implications of having one equality strand with four co-opted representatives on the Group whilst the other strands would have only two.  It was noted that the proposal to recommend that four representatives be appointed would ensure that each of the disability equality sub-strands was represented.  

The following options were presented to the Group:

• To invite the community groups listed in paragraph 9 of the report to provide one co-opted non-voting representative each (i.e. four representatives in total) to serve on SIWG until such time as a CIL management board had been put in place.

• Not to appoint disability community co-opted non-voting representatives on SIWG until the CIL management board was in place, drawing on the advice of current disabled expert witnesses in the meantime.

• To seek two co-opted non-voting representatives from amongst the 45 disability community groups currently listed in the York Citizens’ Guide.

Discussion took place as to whether it would be appropriate to defer making a recommendation regarding the membership of the Group at this time in view of forthcoming developments regarding a Disabled People’s Forum and the establishing of the Centre for Independent Living.  It was, however, agreed that it was important that this issue was addressed as soon as possible. The Group could, in the future, review its composition and make further recommendations to Council as appropriate.

RESOLVED:(i)         That it be recommended to the Executive that the

following community groups, be invited to nominate co-opted non-voting representatives to serve on SIWG until such time as an umbrella group was in place to represent the views of disabled people¹:

·        Access Group (physical and sensory disabilities)

·        York People First  (learning disabilities)

·        Valuing People Partnership (learning disabilities)

·        York Mental Health Forum (mental health)

(ii)               That it be requested that efforts be made by the Council to support the swift establishment of a Disabled People’s Forum.

REASON:      To ensure that there is appropriate disability community representation on SIWG.

This report outlines the approach to the Council’s Equality and Inclusion Strategy and Single Equality Scheme 2009-12 that follow on and update:

• Pride In Our Communities, the Equality strategy and schemes 2005-8, and
• The Single Corporate Equality Scheme for the period July 2008 to July 2009.

The report also outlines past and future consultation to offer the opportunity to people from the equality strands to influence the contents of the strategy and scheme 2009-12.

Members received a report outlining the approach to the Council’s Equality and Inclusion Strategy and Single Equality Scheme 2009-12 that followed on and updated:

• Pride in Our Communities, the Equality Strategy and Schemes 2005-8 and
• The Single Corporate Equality Scheme for the period July 2008 to July 2009

The report also outlined past and future consultation to offer the opportunity to people from the equality strands to influence the contents of the strategy and scheme 2009-12.

The first draft of the strategy and single equality scheme 2009-12 would be brought to SIWG for consideration and comments in Spring 2009, before being submitted to the appropriate Council decision making meeting for approval by Summer 2009.

Discussion took place as to ways in which young people were represented on SIWG.  It was noted that the Group included expert witnesses from the Young People’s Service and Higher York.  It was agreed that it was also important that every effort was made to include young people when consultation and engagement events were held.

Concerns were expressed that the recent Cycle Survey had not included equalities data.  The Chair informed the Group that he continued to raise the issue of the collecting of equalities data as it was imperative that this information was requested as a matter of routine when surveys were carried out.

RESOLVED:            That the report be noted.

REASON:      To inform members about the development of the equality and inclusion strategy and schemes 2009-12.

The Group is asked to form small groups to consider the discussion paper attached as Annex 1-Engaging the equality communities in the Social Inclusion Working Group.  The paper describes how people from the equality communities are engaged in SIWG at present, and asks questions about this process.  Feedback from the groups will be used to draft an Engagement Strategy 2009-12 for SIWG, which is expected to be finalised at the SIWG Development Day.

Members received a report outlining how people from the equality communities were currently engaged with SIWG. Small groups were formed to consider the discussion paper attached as Annex 1 to the report.  The written feedback from the groups was forwarded to the Equalities and Inclusion Officer and would be discussed further at the Group’s Development Day in February 2009.  Information gathered from this meeting and the Development Day would be used to draft an Engagement Strategy for SIWG.

RESOLVED:That the issues raised in the group discussions regarding the following issues be considered when the Engagement Strategy 2009-12 was being drafted¹:

·        Co-opted non-voting representatives

·        Expert witnesses

·        Community participation and engagement events

REASON:      To ensure that SIWG includes as many people from the equality strands as possible in its work.

The Group were updated on forthcoming events:

• International Women’s Week would take place from 7-14 March 2009.  Further information was available from www.yorkwomen.org.uk
• York Older People would be holding an event on Monday 19 January 2009 at 2.00 pm at St Saviour Gate.  Speakers would include representatives from Yorkshire Housing (new handyperson service) and the Fire Service (fire safety in the home).
• Real People Theatre production of “Holding the Granny” would take place on Thursday 12 March 2009.