Person responsible for managing the assessment

Democratic Services Team Leader

Name and brief description of the service / policy to be assessed

Democratic Services

Objectives of the service/policy to be assessed

To provide politically neutral support to the members of the Council, including supporting and servicing meetings, carrying out research and generally providing assistance.

Baseline/monitoring data 2006/07

38 Council Members

Approximately 70 Member level public meetings per year

Service/policy outcome evaluation

Addressed via:

• Internal liaison
• Member satisfaction surveys
• Complaints monitoring/action
• Compliance with legislation

List of main stakeholders/beneficiaries

• Members
• Officers
• Residents
• Businesses
• Community Groups
• LSP
• Partners (other Local Authorities/Police etc)
• Visitors

How representative is the ‘stakeholder’ list above?

It encompasses everyone

Who benefits from the service/policy?

• Residents
• Members
• Officers (project initiators)
• Partners
• Visitors

In what area are there concerns that the policy could have a differential impact

Race √

Disability √

Gender

Age

Religious beliefs √

Sexual Orientation

Please explain for each of the target equality groups, but in particular race, disability and gender:

Race: Communication of decision making in different languages and enabling input from all corners of the community

Disability: Access to meetings and meeting documents e.g. large print agendas, physical access to Civic Offices, audio and visual aids at meetings. All public areas of the Civic Offices are accessible to less able people.

Gender: None

Age: None

Religious Belief: Holding meetings on dates or times inconvenient to all sections of the community

N.B. Dem Svs team raised social inclusion, ie. some residents cannot afford transport to bring them to meetings etc

Areas of concern that the service/policy could have a differential impact  

Disability access to building/hearing loops etc. All public areas of the Civic Offices are accessible to less able people.

Differential impact

• Lack of publicity in native language of right to complain etc (awareness of UK law).
• Excluded from decision making

Reasons for any differential impact

• Poor communication/not realising a meeting is being held
• Not able to attend meetings

Are there any barriers to opportunities or access for some groups?

·       Language (helped by language line)

·       Expectations of type of outcome due to culture

Complaints data

None received on equality issues.

Are there disadvantages caused by discrimination?

Reduced access to and participation in, local democracy

Are there opportunities to better promote service/policy inclusion?

Serving You and current mediums of community notice boards, local press, residents associations etc. Website, Community Boards, Youth Council, Citizenship Classes in Schools. Subject to costs and availability of web access in peoples homes, meetings to be broadcast over the internet.

Have you undertaken any consultation?

As part of Best Value in 2001 and the recent service reviews. Included Members, officers and the public.

Consultation outcomes

None directly affecting equalities.

Assessment conclusion

• Publicity of service provision could be increased

• Encourage residents to further participate more actively in local decision making

• Customer satisfaction surveys must include references to equalities.

Monitoring timetable

the Equalities project team are looking at ways of adding references to Equalities so that services have a standardised reference that they can add to any surveys they may undertake.

HBC learning plan states that all service partners, staff and Members will have completed Equalities training by March 08

Please ensure that you have provided as much evidence as possible to support the responses you have given.

Additional Comments

Democratic Services has historically been a reactive service mainly concerned with internal customers (Member and report authors). This ideal has gradually changed over the last decade or so to be more proactive and engaging with the local community, making sure that anyone who wishes their voice to be heard, is heard.

Further work in this area needs to progress in future with user satisfaction being monitored. Equalities will play a major part in this work and shape certain outcomes.

Signed:  Democratic Services Team Leader                                            (Completing Officer)

Signed:  Head of Customer and Support Services                          (Head of Service)

Date: 26 September 2007