Progress on Equality Scheme commitments and action plans/measures

Section 2: 
Progress on Equality Scheme commitments and action plans/measures 
Arrangements for assessing compliance (Model Equality Scheme Chapter 2)

4
Were the Section 75 statutory duties integrated within job descriptions during the 2019-20 reporting period? (tick one box only)

   ☒   Yes, organisation wide

   ☐    Yes, some departments/jobs

   ☐     No, this is not an Equality Scheme commitment

   ☐     No, this is scheduled for later in the Equality Scheme, or has already
           been done

​   ☐    Not applicable
 

Please provide any details and examples:
All Council job descriptions contain a clear obligation placed on staff to comply with and actively promote the Council’s policies and procedures relating to equality and diversity.

5
Were the Section 75 statutory duties integrated within performance plans during the 2019-20 reporting period? (tick one box only)

    ☐  Yes, organisation wide

    ☐  Yes, some departments/jobs

    ☒  No, this is not an Equality Scheme commitment

    ☐  No, this is scheduled for later in the Equality Scheme, or has already been
          done

    ☐  Not applicable

Please provide any details and examples:

6 
In the 2019-20 reporting period were objectives/ targets/ performance measures relating to the Section 75 statutory duties integrated into corporate plans, strategic planning and/or operational business plans? (tick all that apply)

     ☒     Yes, through the work to prepare or develop the new corporate plan 

     ☒     Yes, through  organisation wide annual business planning

     ☐     Yes, in some departments/jobs

     ☐     No, these are already mainstreamed through the organisation’s ongoing
             corporate plan

     ☐     No, the organisation’s planning cycle does not coincide with this
             2019-20 report

     ☐     Not applicable

Please provide any details and examples:
Action Plans from the Every Customer Counts assessment were incorporated into annual business improvement planning.

Equality action plans/measures 

7 
Within the 2019-20 reporting period, please indicate the number of:

Actions completed: 6        Actions ongoing: 20        Actions to commence:      0

Please provide any details and examples (in addition to question 2):
Examples of actions which are on-going include:

• Inclusion of S75 groups in the consultation process for plans and policies.
• Implementation of the Council’s Disability Action Plan.
• On-going programme of equality and good relations training.
• Development of additional methods of capturing equality monitoring information.
• Review of procurement policy to ensure continued compliance with equality and diversity requirements
• Prepare corporate guidelines to improve customer engagement and consultation arrangements.
• Ensure website accessibility is in line with new website accessibility legislation.
• Continuous equality and diversity communication programme for staff.

8 
Please give details of changes or amendments made to the equality action plan/measures during the 2019-20 reporting period (points not identified in an appended plan):

An Audit of Inequalities was undertaken, the outcomes of which informed a revised Equality Action Plan.
The Equality Scheme was reviewed with no major changes made.

9 
In reviewing progress on the equality action plan/action measures during the 2019-20 reporting period, the following have been identified: (tick all that apply)

     ☒     Continuing action(s), to progress the next stage addressing the known
             inequality

     ☐     Action(s) to address the known inequality in a different way

     ☐     Action(s) to address newly identified inequalities/recently prioritised
             inequalities

     ☐     Measures to address a prioritised inequality have been completed

Arrangements for consulting (Model Equality Scheme Chapter 3)    
 

10
Following the initial notification of consultations, a targeted approach was taken – and consultation with those for whom the issue was of particular relevance: (tick one box only)

All the time    ☐           Sometimes     ☒           Never     ☐

• Production of an Easy Read version of the Delivery Plan for Causeway Coast and Glens Community Plan. 
• On-line survey of users regarding the accessibility of Leisure Facilities.
• Scoping exercises were used by the Capital Projects Team to investigate options to improve accessibility and to link the Disability Hub to footpaths at Riverside Park Ballymoney.
• Let’s Talk youth engagement lead by the Mayor. 

12
In the 2019-20 reporting period, given the consultation methods offered, which consultation methods were most frequently used by consultees: (tick all that apply)

     ☒     Face to face meetings

     ☒     Focus groups

     ☒     Written documents with the opportunity to comment in writing

     ☒     Questionnaires

     ☒     Information/notification by email with an opportunity to opt in/out of the
             consultation

     ☐     Internet discussions

     ☐     Telephone consultations

     ☐     Other (please specify): 
    

Please provide any details or examples of the uptake of these methods of consultation in relation to the consultees’ membership of particular Section 75 categories:

The consultations undertaken were open to all S75 categories.  No monitoring information was gathered in relation to uptake by particular S75 categories.

13
Were any awareness-raising activities for consultees undertaken, on the commitments in the Equality Scheme, during the 2019-20 reporting period? (tick one box only)

     ☐     Yes               ☒     No               ☐     Not applicable 

Please provide any details and examples:

14
Was the consultation list reviewed during the 2019-20reporting period? (tick one box only)

     ☐     Yes              ☐     No            ☒       Not applicable – no commitment to review

Arrangements for assessing and consulting on the likely impact of policies (Model Equality Scheme Chapter 4)
Equality, Diversity and the Disability Duties - Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council

15
Please provide the number of policies screened during the year (as recorded in screening reports):       17

16
Please provide the number of assessments that were consulted upon during 2019-20:

• Consultation on the Disability Hub project with service users and disability groups.
   
• Open consultation regarding Council’s proposed parking strategy – tariffs and seasonal charging in August 2019.
   
• Community Development Plan - 8 workshops were held in the initial stages of strategy development along with an online survey of community and voluntary groups.

18
Were any screening decisions (or equivalent initial assessments of relevance) reviewed following concerns raised by consultees? (tick one box only)

     ☐     Yes 
     ☒     No concerns were raised 
     ☐     No 
     ☐     Not applicable 

Please provide any details and examples:

Arrangements for publishing the results of assessments (Model Equality Scheme Chapter 4)

19
Following decisions on a policy, were the results of any EQIAs published during the 2019-20 reporting period? (tick one box only)

     ☐     Yes
     ☐     No
     ☒     Not applicable

Please provide any details and examples:

Arrangements for monitoring and publishing the results of monitoring (Model Equality Scheme Chapter 4)

20
From the Equality Scheme monitoring arrangements, was there an audit of existing information systems during the 2019-20 reporting period? (tick one box only)

     ☐     Yes 

     ☐     No, already taken place 

     ☐     No, scheduled to take place at a later date 

     ☒     Not applicable 

Please provide any details:

21
In analysing monitoring information gathered, was any action taken to change/review any policies? (tick one box only)

     ☐     Yes                ☒     No               ☐     Not applicable 

Please provide any details and examples:

22
Please provide any details or examples of where the monitoring of policies, during the 2019-20 reporting period, has shown changes to differential/adverse impacts previously assessed:

Not applicable.

23
Please provide any details or examples of monitoring that has contributed to the availability of  equality and good relations information/data for service delivery planning or policy development:

Monitoring of participants at “Quiet Events” organised by Council has helped Council officers plan the delivery of this service going forward.

Monitoring of staff absence reasons has supported the development of a new Sickness Absence Management Policy & Procedure (for example this policy now includes support for menopausal women).

Staff Training (Model Equality Scheme Chapter 5)

24
Please report on the activities from the training plan/programme (section 5.4 of the Model Equality Scheme) undertaken during 2019-20, and the extent to which they met the training objectives in the Equality Scheme.

Quarterly induction training sessions all include a section on the provision of S75, general Equality and Diversity issues and Good Relations.

Provision of information and guidance on S75 Screening assessments has also been provided.

These training sessions have met the following training objectives contained in the Council’s Equality Scheme:

• to raise awareness of the provisions of Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, our equality scheme commitments and the particular issues likely to affect people across the range of Section 75 categories, to ensure that our staff and elected members fully understand their role in implementing the scheme.
• to provide those staff involved in the assessment of policies (screening and EQIA) with the necessary skills and knowledge to do this work effectively.
• to provide those staff involved in consultation processes with the necessary skills and knowledge to do this work effectively.
• to provide those staff involved in the implementation and monitoring of the effective implementation of the Council’s equality scheme with the necessary skills and knowledge to do this work effectively.

25
Please provide any examples of relevant training shown to have worked well, in that participants have achieved the necessary skills and knowledge to achieve the stated objectives:

Induction training for Council staff has ensured that new employees are aware of the legislative requirements relating to equality and good relations and that they have the basic skills and knowledge on which to build their awareness of equality and good relations issues.

Public Access to Information and Services (Model Equality Scheme Chapter 6)

26
Please list any examples of where monitoring during 2019-20, across all functions, has resulted in action and improvement in relation to access to information and services:

Council agreed to implement the “Every Customer Counts” initiative in 2018 and work has been undertaken to subject Council facilities to audit on a rolling basis.  Associated Action Plans have been developed from the results of these audits to ensure Council facilities and services are as accessible as possible.

• This complaint related to the reinstatement of a religious verse painted on the sea wall at Portstewart.  Councillors gave permission at a Council meeting for this script to be reinstated by an individual who had requested permission to do so. 

Another individual then complained following completion of the work that this “graffiti was not compatible with Council’s statutory duty under S75”, particularly with regard to the desirability of promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group.  

The complaint was considered under Council’s complaint policy and went to Stage 3 of the policy process, ie consideration by the Chief Executive.  In his response to the complainant, the Chief Executive indicated that the Council would undertake a screening exercise in relation to the reinstatement of the script on the sea wall at Portstewart.