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.

The Chair invited Members to declare at this point any personal or prejudicial interests they might have in the business on the agenda, in addition to the standing declarations made below:

Cllr King – as a Member of the Access Group

Cllr Potter – as Older People’s Champion

Cllr Scott – as Young People’s Champion

No further interests were declared.

To approve and sign the minutes of the meeting held on 26 July 2006.  An “easy read” version of these minutes, as discussed at the last meeting, is also attached for Members’ consideration.

RESOLVED:             That the minutes of the Social Inclusion Working Group held on 26 July 2006 be signed as a correct record and the “easy read” version be noted.

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 Panel’s 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, 19 September at 10:00 am.

It was reported that there were no registrations to speak under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

To receive a presentation from York People First on the provision of adult changing places and to consider a report which asks Members to consider what steps could be taken to support the development of places in York.

Gavin Harding, a representative from York People First made a presentation to the Working Group on the provision of adult changing places in addition, Members of the Working Group considered a report on taking steps to support the development of places in York.

The presentation from York People First advocated the need in York for public toilet facilities for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities.  The presentation made reference to the Changing Places Campaign which is working for the installation of Changing Places toilets in all city centres, arts venues, shopping centres, hospitals, motorway service stations, large railway stations and airports.  Members of the campaign include Mencap, PAMIS, Nottingham City Council and the Scottish Executive.

York People First proposed the view that Changing places toilets, which specifically cater for the needs of people with learning difficulties and their carers, ought to be provided in addition to the standard accessible toilets.  Significantly, the Changing Places toilet differs from more standard accessible toilets by providing height adjustable changing benches and hoist systems amongst other things.

[as amended at the Social Inclusion Working Group meeting on 22 November 2006]

Members of the Working Group were also presented with a copy of a ‘Changing Places, Changing Lives’ leaflet and were directed to the website www.changing-places.org. 

RESOLVED:             That the concept of providing adult changing places in York be approved in principle and that Officers prepare a report back to the Social Inclusion Working Group after consultation with Officers in Planning, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Nottingham City Council and Officers dealing with accommodation reviews, for consideration of using Section 106 contributions.

REASON:                  To send a positive message about the facilities and to have greater information to inform the next steps of the Social Inclusion Working Group.

To consider a report on the diversity of the City of York Council’s workforce and to consider suggestions made at the informal discussion/brainstorming session held prior to the meeting.

Members considered a report on the Diversity of the City of York Council’s workforce and reflected on the discussion/brainstorming session that had been held prior to the meeting. 

Members discussed the issues of collecting information on age, sexual orientation and faith/religious belief in the context of the importance of confidentiality.  Members were advised that whilst some equal opportunities data is collected at the point of application, the most recent anonymous annual staff survey had included questions about sexual orientation and faith/religion.

The feedback from the sub working groups was as detailed below:

Group 1

1. Look at best practice in other companies and authorities
2. Use job advertising to challenge stereotypes and perceptions.
3. Accessibility – consult with disabled employees and use them in the completion of access audits.
4. Targeted training for managers especially in connection with short-listing and interviewing.

Group 2

1. Review JD’s to ensure that they provide flexible criteria to encourage applications and the development of a protocol to ensure job adverts target underrepresented groups.
2. Train staff to encourage progression and offer opportunities for staff development which is tailored to meet individual needs and is non discriminatory.
3. Talking to staff in underrepresented groups to explore barriers.
4. Encourage the sharing of good practice between directorates and Championed by Senior Management Teams.

Group 3

1. Adapt training to local needs.
2. Ensure that the workforce is confident enough to recognise disabilities.
3. Learning from successes in directorates.
4. Recruit jointly with other key partners such as the NHS.
5. Flexibility around places of work.

RESOLVED:             That;

i)                    Social Inclusion Working Group is presented with the equality monitoring data received as a routine agenda item with analysis of trends.

ii)                  The feedback from the group work be fed into Equality Impact Plans.

iii)                That the Equality Impact Plans be brought to a future meeting of the Social Inclusion Working Group and then on a yearly cycle.

REASON: To enable the Social Inclusion Working Group to analyse trends and influence improvements in equality monitoring and to highlight these issues, by way of the minutes, to the Executive.

To collate ideas for business for future meetings.

Members collated ideas for business for future meetings.

RESOLVED:             That the Social Inclusion Working Group,

i)                    consider the new legislation and the new council policies and procedures in relation to the age of the existing staff profile.

ii)                  Receive input from the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Forum (LGBT) on the most appropriate ways of collecting data about sexuality.

iii)                To request that the forums that feed into the Social Inclusion Working Groups provide a report for the next meeting on what their key issues are.

REASON:                  To focus the future work of the Social Inclusion Working Group.