Agenda item

This report provides highlights on progress of the Single Equality Scheme which was launched December 2012 and identifies recurring and emerging priorities for inclusion in the refresh of the scheme to be completed October 2014.

Consideration was given to a report which highlighted progress of the Single Equality Scheme, launched in December 2012, and identified recurring and emerging priorities for inclusion in the refresh of the scheme to be completed in October 2014.

Further detailed information in relation to achievements and emerging priorities were reported at Appendix 1 of the report. Since the report had been published Officers highlighted a number of updates to information provided at Appendix 1, detailed in the revised Appendix attached to the minutes.

Members made a number of points in relation to the report including:

·        The Safer York website referred to 4 hate crime reporting centres whereas there were currently 14 centres. Officers agreed to update the report.

·        The references in the report to ‘people with disabilities’ should be revised to ‘disabled people’. Officers confirmed that they were working to the social model of disability and would amend the report references.

·        There were a large number of key areas of focus listed for the Scheme, these required prioritisation. It was acknowledged that this was a long list and that the reference to ‘key’ areas would be removed. 

·        As there were a number of common themes in the recurring and emerging priorities it was suggested these could be merged.

·        Detailed information in relation to the achievements and emerging priorities should be provided online only with future update reports

In answer to Members questions, Officers confirmed that the list of recurring and emerging priorities could be grouped in line with the remit’s of the individual Overview and Scrutiny Committees, and presented to them for consideration with a view to including updates on the actions to address those priorities in the performance reports for future monitoring and review.

Following further discussion it was

Resolved:    (i)    That progress in relation to the Single Equality Scheme to date be received and noted.   

(ii)    That the Assistant Director (Communities, Culture and Public Realm) in conjunction with the Scrutiny Officers re-group the listed recurring and emerging priorities for presentation to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s at their next round of meetings .

(iii)     That a progress report from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s be brought back to the Corporate and Scrutiny Management Committee in November 2014.

Reason:              To help ensure that relevant equality issues are reflected in the revised Equality Scheme.