|
Equality Scheme for
the Eastern Health and Social Services Council
Northern
Ireland Act 1998
Section 75
Statutory Equality Obligation
May
2001
Contents
Foreword
Under
Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 the Council must have due
regard to the need to promote equality of opportunity:
- between
persons of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group,
age, marital status or sexual orientation;
- between
men and women generally;
- between
persons with a disability and persons without; and
- between
persons with dependants and persons without.
In addition, the Council must also have regard to the desirability of
promoting good relations between persons of different religious belief,
political opinion or racial group. As part of this obligation we must
prepare a draft equality scheme, issue it for consultation, revise it
and send it to the Equality Commission by 30 June 2000. The process of
consultation that we undertook is listed in appendix 1.
At the Eastern Health and Social Services Council we want to promote equal
opportunities for all our region's residents. This equality scheme gives
us an opportunity to review our policies and procedures and to integrate
equal opportunities into all Council and staff plans of work. This will
become part of all Council functions, powers and duties relating to Northern
Ireland.
We
will meet the commitments set out in this scheme and will make available
the necessary resources in terms of people, time and money. We are fully
committed to the effective discharge of the new equality obligations and
we, along with all staff will give leadership to achieve this. We will
put in place the internal arrangements to ensure that the duties are effectively
complied with and for monitoring and reviewing progress. We are also fully
committed to the development and delivery of a planned programme of communication
and training and will ensure that the Equality Scheme can be drawn up
and implemented effectively and on time.
When
the scheme has been approved we will issue it to everyone who was consulted.
The Council believes that this is the start of an ongoing process of consultation
and active participation regarding all aspects of the scheme.
The scheme will be formally reviewed in five years but in the interim
we intend to treat it as a "live document" which we will keep under review.
BRIAN
COULTER
Chairman |
JANE
GRAHAM
Chief Officer |
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Equality
Scheme for the Eastern Health and Social Services Council
1
Introduction
| a
|
On
1 January 2000 Section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 placed
a new legal obligation on the public sector (state-owned bodies).
The new obligation is that by 30 June 2000 all government departments
including all non-departmental public bodies, must send an equality
scheme to the new Equality Commission for approval. This document
sets out how we at the Eastern Health and Social Services Council
propose to meet the new obligation. |
2
Our role
| a |
We
were established in 1991 as an independent consumer organisation.
We have a duty to represent the public's views and interests, to review
the work of health and social services (the services) and to recommend
any improvements needed. We are one of four Health and Social Services
Councils in Northern Ireland. |
| b |
We have a legal
right to:
- be consulted
by the Eastern Health and Social Services Board (the board) on
any major development in or changes to the services;
- receive information
from the board, about the planning and running of the services;
and
- visit health
and social service facilities in the public sector.
|
| c |
Our main activities
are described below.
- To represent
the public's views when decisions are being made about the services.
- To influence
the board's activities which relate to introducing services.
- To respond
to proposals or plans put forward by the board.
- To offer
support and guidance to patients or members of the public who
want to complain about any part of the services.
- To carry
out research into how patients view the services and their experiences
of them.
- To monitor
the performance of particular services against the standards set
out in their charters.
- To give the
public a range of information about the services.
- To visit
health and social service facilities run by the board or a health
and social services trust.
|
| d |
We
also have a role as an employer and procurer of goods and services.
|
3
Our structure
| a |
We have 30 members
who are appointed by the Department of Health, Social Services and
Public Safety (DHSSPS). Twelve of our members are representatives
from the six local authorities covering the Eastern Board's area.
There are six representatives from Belfast City Council, two from
Lisburn Borough Council and one from each of the other authorities
(North Down, Ards, Castlereagh and South Down).
The remaining
18 representatives come from voluntary organisations with an interest
in the services in our area or are independent representatives with
an interest in health and social care.
Our membership
12 (40%) local authority representatives
9 (30%) voluntary sector representatives
9 (30%) independent representatives
|
| b |
Representatives,
except those from local authorities, are appointed under the Nolan
principles. Representatives are usually appointed for four years,
but this can be extended to eight years. |
| c |
We
have seven full-time staff and our Chief Officer is the senior full-time
official. |
| d |
We
are funded by the DHSSPS. The board manage the funding for us. For
this tax year we have a total budget of £273,000 (about 40p for each
of the 660,000 people living in the board's area). Any increase in
our budget must be negotiated with the DHSSPS. |
| e |
Our
offices are in the centre of Belfast. The building has access for
wheelchairs and car parking for persons with disabilities is available
at the front and side of the building. We encourage people to contact
us for advice, information or support on the services. We also have
a library of information which organisations, groups or individuals
interested in the services can ask for. |
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4
Our responsibility to the public
| a |
Every
month (except July) we hold a public meeting. The meetings are normally
held on the third Thursday of the month, in the afternoon or evening
at locations that are on public transport routes and have access for
people with disabilities. We give the details of coming meetings in
local newspapers. |
| b |
At
each meeting members of the public have the opportunity to make a
contribution. We can make arrangements for people with sight or hearing
problems if we are asked to do so and given enough notice. |
| c |
By
law we must publish and distribute an annual report that gives details
of our performance during the previous year. Copies of our annual
report are issued to the voluntary and public sectors, and to community
organisations. Copies are available from public libraries and can
be provided in large print, on disk and on audiotape. |
| d |
We
must keep to the HSS Executive's Code of Practice on Openness in the
HPSS (issued in October 1996). Our members must also keep to the HSS
Executive's Code of Conduct for Health and Social Services Council
Members (issued December 1996). This code covers matters such as impartiality,
financial accountability, confidentiality, discrimination, casual
gifts, hospitality and declaring interests. We keep an up-to-date
list of our members' interests and the public may inspect that list.
|
| e |
We
have a procedure which allows members of the public to complain about
us. A copy of our leaflet "How to make a Complaint about the Eastern
Health and Social Services Council" is attached (appendix 6). The
Chief Officer is the named person who deals with complaints and details
of how to make contact are included in the leaflet. The point of contact
is listed in 5c. |
5
Our obligation under section 75
| a |
Under
section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act (the act), when we are carrying
out our duties we must promote equal opportunities to all regardless
of age, sex, disability, religious belief, political opinion, racial
group, age, marital status, sexuality, or any other personal or social
circumstance. |
| b |
When carrying
out our duties we will also promote good relations between people
with different religious beliefs, political opinions or from different
racial groups if this seems appropriate. We are committed to the
principles of community relations and respect people of diverse
backgrounds, both within the organisation and with our customers.
|
| c |
We are committed
to meeting our obligation under section 75 of the act. Our members
will be responsible for deciding how we will achieve this. Statutory
responsibility for the effective implementation of this scheme lies
with the Council and the Chairman. However, the Chief Officer will
be responsible for introducing arrangements for making sure we meet
our obligation and will be accountable to the Council for ensuring
that we comply with Section 75 duties. The Chief Officer is also
the point of contact for the Equality Commission and for those affected
by the duty. The point of contact for this Equality Scheme is Mrs
Jane Graham Eastern Health and Social Services Council 19 Bedford
Street Belfast BT2 7EJ Telephone (028) 9032 1230 Fax: (028) 9032
1750
|
| d |
The
Council is fully committed to the development and delivery of a planned
programme of communication and training on the Equality Scheme to
promote Section 75. |
| e |
Senior
managers and the Research Officer will be personally responsible for
implementing the Equality Scheme within their areas of responsibility
and for providing assurance to the Chief Officer that they are complying
with the Section 75 obligations as laid down in the scheme. An organisational
chart is included in appendix 11. |
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6
Arrangements for making sure we meet our obligation
| a |
In order to
make sure we meet our obligation under section 75 the Chief Officer
will keep us informed of our progress in promoting equal opportunities
and maintaining good community relations, by making our obligations
a clear and vital part of our annual programme of work, and giving
us a report every three months. Objectives and targets relating
to the statutory obligations will be integrated into the work programme
and will be specified as individual staff objectives. These will
be subject to appraisal in annual performance reviews. Progress
on meeting the objectives will be reported quarterly to Council.
|
| b |
We recognise
that the impact of policies can vary depending on the demographics
of a particular area, but to provide a fair and consistent approach
in Northern Ireland we and the other three health and social services
councils in Northern Ireland have agreed to set up a Section 75
Scrutiny Committee. This committee will be made up of the chairmen
and chief officers of the four health and social services councils
and will meet every two months. It will be a subcommittee of the
Executive Committee of the Northern Ireland Association of Health
and Social Services Councils. It will be responsible for:
- making sure
that all health and social services councils meet their obligation
under section 75 in a fair and consistent way;
- developing,
sharing and highlighting best practice;
- reviewing
progress in meeting the obligations under section 75;
- considering
policies which need assessing; and
- working with
the Equality Commission.
|
| c |
The
chairmen of the health and social services councils will take it in
turn to be chairperson and the Chief Officer of each Council will
provide a report on the implementation of the scheme on a two monthly
basis. |
| d |
We
will set up a focus group or consumer panel with membership from the
nine groups referred to in the legislation to assist us in the processes
of screening, impact assessments and consultation. |
7
Carrying out our duties
| a |
When carrying
out our duties we must do the following.
- Constantly
review the work of the services in our area and recommend any
improvements that are needed.
- Work with
the board to draw up an annual programme of work.
- Give the
DHSSPS an annual report on the performance of our work and publicise
the report.
- Inspect any
premises controlled by the board or trust except where paragraph
19 (a) and (b) of the regulations apply.
|
| b |
For us to carry
out our duties the board must do the following
- Comment publicly
on our annual report and explain the steps they have taken to
deal with issues we raised.
- Make sure
they have proper arrangements in place for consulting us on any
major development in or changes to services. Any restrictions
to this duty are set out in regulation 17, paragraphs (2) (3)
(4).
- Give us any
information we may reasonably need to carry out our duties.
- Have a meeting
with us at least once a year to discuss areas of interest and
concern.
|
| c |
For us to carry
out our duties the DHSSPS must do the following.
- Consult us
in the way set out in regulation 17, paragraph (4).
- Ask the board
to consult us further if appropriate.
- Act as an
arbitrator between the board and us to settle any dispute over
the release of information.
|
| d |
We
follow policies set by external organisations including the DHSSPS,
the board and, sometimes, health and personal social service organisations.
We will screen existing and all new policies that affect our work,
to see if they have an impact on the (statutory duties) affected groups.
|
| e |
We
will assess all policies arising from the way we carry out our duties.
The criteria we will assess the policies against are set out in 9b
on page 7. The policies that we will assess in this way are listed
in appendix 7. No existing policies have been excluded from this list
and will be added to as policies are identified or are developed.
In any decision with respect to an adopted or proposed policy, account
will be taken of the impact assessment and consultation. |
| f |
We
will develop a policy for good relations which will be linked to the
functions of the Council. This policy will apply equally throughout
the organisation and will be part of training and monitoring of the
policy. |
| g |
In
carrying out our work we will manage diversity constructively and
productively and will respect and value differences. |
| h |
The
promotion of relationships, trust and respect will be fostered so
that there is the freedom to discuss issues in a non-threatening manner.
|
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8
Arrangements for assessing our performance
| a |
Over
a three-year period we will assess how each of our policies contributes
to the promotion of equal opportunities and good relations. We will
do this by following a process known as "impact assessment". Details
of the methods we will use are set out in 11 and 12a on pages 8 and
9. We will keep to the timetable in appendix 8 as far as is possible
and we will consult at least all of the organisations set out in appendix
10. |
| b |
We
will conduct an internal audit to determine the state of relations
within the organisation and an external audit of the community to
see how the Council is perceived. We will act on the outcome of these
audits to introduce policies and procedures to support positive areas
and redress deficiencies. |
| c |
We
will conduct an annual review of progress made during the year to
promote equal opportunities and good relations. This review will be
a central part of our annual report. This will include a detailed
report of the screening exercise. We will send our annual statement
to the Equality Commission to help them to produce their own annual
report. This annual review will assist in the compilation of the five-year
review, which will be made available to the public. |
| d |
We
will consult the Equality Commission and the Community Relations Council
on issues relevant to meeting our obligation under section 75. If
those organisations propose improvements we will respond to those
proposals in a positive way. |
| e |
We
will also ensure that our staff appraisal system for all senior staff
includes a section on compliance with Section 75 of the act. All job
descriptions for senior staff will be amended to reflect the importance
of and the need for a commitment to equality of opportunity and good
relations. |
| f |
We
will make our complaint procedure accessible and will investigate
all complaints that we have not met our legal obligation and will
try to settle the complaint at a local level. Any support required
by the complainant to make a complaint will be arranged. Complaints
should be directed to Mrs Jane Graham, Chief Officer, Eastern Health
and Social Services Council, 1st Floor, Lesley House, 25-27 Wellington
Place, Belfast, BT1 6GQ. Telephone (028) 9032 1230. We will acknowledge
all complaints within two working days and give a full response within
10 working days in the format preferred by the complainant. Everyone
who complains will receive a copy of our complaints procedures and
written details of how to bring a complaint to the attention of the
Equality Commission and the timescales involved. Details of all complaints
will be included in the annual report. |
| g |
We
will review our equality scheme within five years of sending it to
the Equality Commission. The review will assess our performance in
meeting our legal obligation under section 75 and consult all the
organisations listed in appendix 10. This review will be sent to the
Equality Commission. |
9
Assessing our policies
| a |
We
will consider all current and proposed policies to see whether any
of them need an impact assessment. Our policies may sometimes be considered
by the Northern Health and Social Services Council, the Western Health
and Social Services Council and the Southern Health and Social Services
Council. This will make sure there is a fair and consistent approach
across Northern Ireland. This will be assisted by the focus group/consumer
panel specified in 6d and will be completed within three months of
the scheme being approved. |
| b |
We will consider
each policy against the following criteria.
- Is there
any evidence of higher or lower use of services by different groups?
- Is there
any evidence that different groups have different needs, experiences,
issues and priorities in relation to the policy?
- Could equal
opportunities or community relations by promoted more effectively
by altering the policy or working with others in government or
in the wider community?
- Have consultations
with relevant groups, organisations or people indicated that certain
policies create problems for them?
|
| c |
We will consider
policies in the following order.
- Those which
target health and social needs.
- Those which
promote "social inclusion" (that is, policies which aim to give
everyone equal access to services).
- Those which
affect people's lives.
- Those which
affect people's human rights, for example, their dignity, privacy,
rights and access to services.
We will review
and add to this list.
|
| d |
We
have not screened out any policies but have decided that all existing
policies will require an impact assessment. All written and verbal
comments and concerns expressed during the initial consultation period
have been taken into account and we will work collaboratively with
all other organisations in health and social services to take this
process forward. |
| e |
The
initial consultation paper will identify the Council's policies and
seek views on issues such as whether all policies have been identified,
how they affect the relevant groups in terms of equality of opportunity
and the priority which should be given to the impact assessments that
are considered necessary. The aim of the consultation would be to
engage fully with the relevant groups in explaining, discussing and
eliciting views. Council will consult those with a legitimate interest
in the matter, whether or not they have a direct economic or personal
interest. |
| f |
The
second stage of the process would involve consultation on the conclusions
reached by the Council, taking into account the comments, views and
wishes of the representative organisations obtained at the first stage
of the process. This paper would set out the Council's conclusions
on the equality implications of each policy against the four screening
criteria, the rationale for conclusions on policies that we do not
propose for impact assessment and an impact assessment timetable.
|
| g |
Both
consultation stages would require eight weeks consultation periods
and four week periods to consider the result of the consultation and
prepare further documents. |
| h |
The
report submitted to the Equality Commission in June 2001 will include
the impact assessment timetable arrived at after consultation and
a detailed report of the outcome of the screening exercise will be
included in the annual report. |
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10
Timetable for setting priorities
|
After consulting
on and considering all our policies we will decide which need a
full impact assessment. This decision may be made with the other
three health and social services councils. Our proposed timetable
for carrying out impact assessments is shown in appendix 8. We may
change the timetable after consultation or as a result of policy
changes brought about by other organisations, for example, the board
or the DHSSPS.
|
11
Methods of carrying out impact assessments
|
In identifying
policies which will be subject to equality impact assessment, the
Council has considered existing policies, both written and unwritten,
and looked forward to new policies which will be proposed during
the term of the scheme. We have considered the impact of each policy
on equality of opportunity in terms of the nine categories listed
in Section 75 of the Act. We will conduct equality impact assessments
in accordance with Annex 1 of the Equality Commission's Guide to
Statutory Duties. We will also do the following when carrying out
impact assessment.
- We will examine
the information we currently collect to make sure we have enough
accurate information to make decisions. If more data is required
we will consult the groups affected by the duty to assist us in
this process.
- We will examine
any similar information that is available from elsewhere in the
UK, the Republic of Ireland or the EC. We will approach organisations
which provide similar services.
- We will consult
the organisations listed in appendix 10 and make any relevant
documents available.
- We will ask
the following questions about each particular policy.
~ Is there direct discrimination?
~ Does the policy have a negative effect on people's rights, resources,
access or values?
~ If the policy is not unlawful, is any unfairness justified?
~ Are there equal opportunities?
- We will consider
whether any alternative policies are available.
- We will consider
how we could justify any negative effect and promote equal opportunities.
- We will state
how we intend to monitor negative effects which may arise in the
future.
- We will publish
the results of all impact assessments.
These steps
may alter or be added to over time.
|
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12
Future Consultation
| a |
In
consulting on any matter to which this scheme relates, the Council
will work with representative groups and individuals of the Section
75 categories in order to identify how best to obtain their views.
This may involve face - to - face meetings, advisory groups, surveys,
consultative panels, internet discussions and other innovative ways
of consulting. There will be different means of consultation for different
groups and it will be important to establish the basis for dialogue
and engagement during the life of the scheme. |
| b |
In
addition to the points listed in Section 15 of this scheme we will
ensure that barriers to proper consultation will be removed by ensuring
that language is as clear as possible. In addition the scheme will
be available on request in large print, in Braille, audio cassette,
in Irish and Chinese. Presentations on this scheme, if requested,
will be made in an appropriate format to representatives of people
with learning disabilities, minority community language speakers,
those whose hearing is impaired, young people and Travellers. The
Council will draw on the outcome of a number of conferences to give
specific attention to and look for innovate models for engaging young
people and people with learning disabilities. |
| c |
We
will consult the public, consumer organisations, charities and the
voluntary and community sectors on all screening exercises and impact
assessments. This consultation will be timely, open and inclusive
and in accordance with the Equality Commission's Guiding Principles.
Resources will be made available for individuals and groups to ensure
that they can take an active part in any consultation exercises. In
addition we will give consideration to time of day, accessibility
of venues, use of language and interpreters and need for childcare
and transport. |
| d |
A
list of those to be included in consultation on matters relevant to
the Council's equality duties is listed in Appendix 10. The list is
not exhaustive and may be amended in the light of experience, but
will include the Equality Commission, the Community Relations Council,
voluntary, community and trade union groups and organisations representing
the various categories included in Section 75 and those with a legitimate
interest in the matter, whether or not they have a direct economic
or personal interest. This approach will apply in respect of all consultations.
|
| e |
We
will allow three months for consultation and will begin consultation
as early as possible. However, there may be times when this is not
possible because the public authority responsible for changing or
introducing a policy has restricted its consultation period. The Council
will monitor and keep under review such conditions and report on them
in its annual review report, which will be provided to the Equality
Commission. |
| f |
Information
will be made available to ensure meaningful consultation. This will
include quantitative and qualitative data, which the Council holds
or has collated, and other documents such as consultants' reports.
|
| g |
Specific
training will be arranged for Council staff engaged in consultation
exercises to ensure that those facilitating consultation have the
necessary skills to communicate effectively. Training will be developed
in consultation with the affected groups. |
| h |
The
Council will draw, in particular, on the outcome of the conference
organised by OFMDFM on practical issues in carrying out future consultations
in the context of Section 75 obligations. This included inputs from
representatives of groups, which have traditionally been marginalised.
It also addressed the special difficulties in consulting children
on policy issues in which they have an interest. In developing new
approaches in this area, the Council will also draw on advice from
the Equality Commission and lessons from other jurisdictions. |
| i |
In
organising consultation meetings the Council will aim to ensure full
participation taking account of the needs and customs of different
groups. In particular, the Council will consider the time of day,
the appropriateness of the venue, whether it can be accessed by those
with disabilities, how the meeting is run, the use of appropriate
language, whether a signer is necessary and the provision of childcare.
|
13
Monitoring the effect of our policies and publishing negative effects
| a |
We will put in place a system to ensure that every year we will
monitor the effect our policies have on the people section 75 applies
to. We will publicise the results of our monitoring and assessments
by sending out press releases. The results will also be widely circulated
via our annual report and the yearly report we give to the Equality
Commission. The published information will include: - the aims of
the policy - details of measures to mitigate any adverse impact
- consideration of alternative policies
|
| b |
We
recognise that the baseline data we collect is currently not accurate
enough to begin the process of monitoring. We will take steps to ensure
that this data is more robust and consult with relevant groups to
assist us in this process. |
| c |
We
will tell all the organisations listed in appendix 10 what information
we have available. All our information will be available to the public
free of charge. Members of the public can ask for information by contacting
our offices at: Eastern Health and Social Services Council 19 Bedford
Street Belfast BT9 7EJ. Phone: 028 9032 1230 E mail: ecouncil@ehssc.n-i.nhs.uk
Minicom: 028 9032 1285 Website: www.ehssb.n-i.nhs.uk |
| d |
If
our monitoring and assessment shows that one of our policies or services
has a greater negative effect on any particular group, or if we could
do more to promote equal opportunities, we will make sure that the
policy is revised immediately. |
| e |
In
some cases an equality impact assessment may identify an anticipated
differential adverse impact on particular groups within the Section75
categories. Assuming that no alternative policy is feasible, steps
will be taken, wherever possible, to mitigate such anticipated adverse
impact. The Council may in these circumstances commission special
monitoring and analysis to confirm the extent of the adverse impact
and/or the success of any mitigating measures. Information collected
in this special monitoring would be taken into account in any future
review of the policy. |
| f |
The
Council will make publicly available the outcome of any equality impact
assessment and any monitoring undertaken in relation to adverse impacts.
The material will be accessible on the Council's website and will
also be available in printed form and accessible formats in accordance
with the Equality Commission's guidelines. |
| g |
We
will also inform the general public about the availability of this
material through press releases and press publications. We will also
place information in specialist publications associated with Section
75 categories. In particular we will take steps to ensure that young
people and people with learning disabilities are adequately informed
|
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14
Training
| a |
The
Council has an existing training and development policy which recognises
equality of opportunity for all staff. |
| b |
The
Council will allocate the necessary resources (in terms of people,
time and money) to ensure that the statutory duties are complied with
and that its Equality Scheme is drawn up and implemented effectively,
and on time. A programme has already been initiated to communicate
to, and train staff and members about the requirements of the statutory
obligations and how the equality agenda can be actively promoted.
|
| c |
The Council
will draw up a detailed training plan for all its staff and members
over the five year period to which this Scheme refers, which will
aim to achieve the following objectives:
- to raise
awareness of current anti- discrimination legislation, including
the provisions of Section 75, Schedule 9 and Section 76 of the
Northern Ireland Act 1998. This will include an explanation of
the duties and their implications for all employees;
- to provide
those employees involved in the screening of policies with the
necessary skills and knowledge to do this work effectively;
- to provide
those employees involved in the equality impact assessment of
policies with the necessary skills and knowledge to do this work
effectively;
- to provide
those employee who deal with complaints in relation to the implementation
of the Council's Scheme with the necessary skills and knowledge
to investigate and monitor complaints effectively;
- to provide
those employees involved in the consultation processes with the
necessary skills and knowledge to do this work effectively;
- to provide
employees involved in the implementation and monitoring if the
effective implementation of the Council's Equality Scheme to do
this work effectively;
- to evaluate
the extent to which all participants in this training programme
have acquired the necessary skills and knowledge to achieve each
of the above objectives.
|
| d |
Within
one year of the approval of this Scheme, all staff and members will
be trained. All new staff and members will be trained on the requirements
of Section 75 and this Equality Scheme at induction stage. |
| e |
The
Councils will also assess the need for specialised training in communicating
with, and understanding the needs of traditionally marginalised groups.
Such training would include input from appropriate external specialists.
|
| f |
The
Council will develop its training plan in consultation with representative
of the Section 75 groups and will include input from appropriate external
specialists. |
| g |
Copies
of this scheme will be available to all our staff and members. |
15
Public access to information and services
| a |
We
are committed to communicating with the public in a timely, clear
and effective way. We realise that sections of the population do not
have equal access to information we provide. For this reason we will
publish information in other languages, large print and on audiotape.
We will monitor access to information to ensure equality of opportunity.
|
| b |
Information
will be made available in consultation with the affected groups, to
ensure the highest level of inclusivity in any policy decision making.
The accessibility of the language and the format of the information
will be considered to ensure that there are no barriers to the consultation
process. |
| c |
The
Council will assess its arrangement for providing information and
will report on proposed changes before they are introduced. The Council
will consult with representative groups as it carries out this assessment
and will consult on the findings and recommendation of the assessment
prior to implementation. |
| d |
The
Council has given consideration to how best to communicate information
to young people and those with learning disabilities and will use
methods that are appropriate. |
| e |
The
Council considers it particularly important that sufficient timely
and appropriate information is provided to enable all affected groups
and individuals consider the full implications of proposals, and it
will take steps to ensure this. |
| f |
When
we give information to the local and regional press we will make sure
that all our press statements, articles and advertisements continue
to be made available to all newspapers and journals. We will also
target specific publications for the people section 75 applies to.
In disseminating information through the local press, the Council
will ensure that public advertisements are carried by all three Belfast
daily newspapers. |
| g |
Our
offices are open to the public each day from 8.45 am to 5.00 pm Monday
to Thursday, and from 8.45 am to 4.30 pm on Fridays. We keep to all
relevant parts of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. (See paragraph
3e for access details.) |
16
Publishing our equality scheme
| a |
We
will make sure that our equality scheme is widely publicised in a
way which will give everyone access to it. The final scheme document
will be written in plain English and we hope it will gain Plain English
Campaign's Crystal Mark for clarity. |
| b |
The
final scheme will include the list of suggestions sent by organisations.
This will provide a mechanism for ensuring that all suggestions have
been included. c |
| c |
The
equality scheme will be made available to any group, organisation
or person free of charge. We will provide different formats including
the following: " on audio tape; " by E mail; " in large print; " in
other languages (for example, Irish, Chinese, Urdu); " on disk; and
" in Braille. |
| d |
Specific
consideration and assistance from groups, who have the required expertise,
will be obtained to ensure that we communicate with children and people
with a learning disability. |
| e |
We
will advertise the availability of the scheme in local newspapers,
make it available on our website and distribute it to the groups representing
the categories in section 75. It will also be made available to Council
staff and members and all those listed in Appendix 10. |
J
Graham
May 2001
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