Agenda item

The Committee is asked to consider a report on the Council’s new governance arrangements for equalities and agree how Overview & Scrutiny Committees can help strengthen the Council’s equalities performance through their scrutiny work and address the need for improvement in Members understanding of equalities issues by considering options for appropriate Member training.

Consideration was given to a report which provided the Committee with an update on the Council’s new governance arrangements for equalities. It also provided details of the Council’s ambition and progress towards ‘Excellent’ under the Equalities Framework for Local Government (EFLG).

To enable progress to be made governance arrangements for equalities had been refreshed. With the following new board and group appointed and a new remit for the Equalities Advisory Group (EAG) and refocus of the Staff Equalities Reference Group (SERG):

·        Fairness and Equalities Board

·        Fairness and Leadership Group (FLAG)

It was confirmed that in order to strengthen scrutiny arrangements reports would be brought to CSMC every six months. With the Committee also being involved in EFLG self assessment. The Committee were asked to consider how scrutiny could help to strengthen the Council’s equalities performance through their work and assist in the improvement of Members understanding of equalities issues through appropriate training.

Further details in each of the self assessment categories areas, setting out the areas of concern and any proposed action was set out at paragraphs 17 to 104 of the report.

Officers confirmed that the recent Peer Review had confirmed the need to engage scrutiny more effectively and to hold Cabinet to account, as had the evidence from other peer authorities. Information gathered across the Council had informed this update report and Members were now asked to identify any further briefings required and consider how equalities could be built into scrutiny.

Members went on to raise a number of issues in general and specifically in relation to the Fairness and Equalities Board terms of reference annexed to the report, including the “influencing” role of the Board and its composition.

Additionally Members were particularly concerned about the continuing use of the term “disabled people” that disabled people continued to be termed “people with disabilities” despite the agreed advice to adopt consistency in terminology in line with the “social model of disability”. Officers agreed to refer this issue to the Officer Leadership Group for attention.

In light of their debate, Members went on to discuss what value scrutiny could add to this ongoing journey and:

RESOLVED:   i)  That the details of the Council’s progress towards ‘Excellent’ under the Equalities Framework for Local Government be received and noted.

ii) That, in order to strengthen the Council’s performance in equalities and to ensure consideration of equalities is built into both scrutiny and Council activity:

a.   CSMC to receive a six-monthly progress report against the Equalities Framework.

b.   All overview and scrutiny committees to address equalities implications in future scrutiny reviews.

c.   CSMC to receive a further briefing on 9 September 2013 examining our performance against the framework and involving a representative from another authority classed as “Excellent” under the framework, with a view to identifying some specific key outcomes for this Committee to address in improving the Council’s position.

REASON:           To progress the work of the Committee in line with scrutiny procedures and protocol.

[As amended at the CSMC meeting held on 9 September  2013]