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- Full Disability Equality Scheme
- DES section 3: Wiltshire County Council and the Current Situation on Disability Equality
- DES section4: Involving Disabled Employees
- DES section 6: Involving Disabled People in the Community (including Appendix 3)
- DES section 7: Action Plan & 9: Consultation and Information Gathering, Monitoring, Evaluating and Reviewing Actions (including Appendix 5) (pdf 194Kb)
- Appendices (pdf 135Kb)
Section 5: Involving the County Council Service Providers
November 2006
Contents
5 Involving the County Council ‘Service Providers'
5.1 Functions and Policies Assessments
5.2 Equality Impact Assessments
5.3 Equality Statements and Recommended Actions
5. Involving the County Council ‘Service Providers’
* Wiltshire County Council recognises that the term ‘disabled people’ is the preferred terminology compatible with the social model of disability. We have therefore used this term throughout this document. This is not to exclude people, however, who are covered by the Disability Discrimination Act but prefer not to be referred to as a disabled person.
As a part of our commitment to equality and diversity, the County Council is at present ensuring that all Departments are undertaking the Assessment of Functions and Policies for Relevance to Equalities.
5.1. Functions and Policies Assessments
For every ‘Function, Service or Policy’ within a Department, an assessment of relevance to promoting equality, on a rating of ‘no relevance’ to ‘high relevance’, has been made. For those assessed as ‘high’ there is a requirement for an immediate Equality Impact Assessment to identify the necessary changes to be made. An Equality Statement is then written. Each statement is supported by a strategy to implement change. These strategies are monitored and evaluated, therefore require clear aims and objectives, and targets or milestones which are timed so that it will be possible to demonstrate what has been achieved, within set timeframes.
5.2. Equality Impact Assessments
We must assess our policies to see if they have a more adverse impact on certain group(s) than other groups both in employment and in service delivery. These groups of people, which are usually referred to as the 6 Equality Strands cannot be discriminated against by:
- Race
- Gender
- Disability
- Religion
- Sexual Orientation
- Age
Once evidence exists that there is adverse impact affecting one group more than the others, we must remove or (at the very least) minimise the adverse impact. If the adverse impact cannot be minimised, we need to show why and how this is the case.
Equality Impact Assessments will be carried out during the first year of this Scheme on all those policies and functions that have been identified as being ‘high priority’. A template for Equality Impact Assessments has been developed and has been shared with managers throughout the organisation. Training courses have been made available for managers to ensure the reasons and methods for implementing impact assessments are fully understood.
As a matter of routine, Equality Impact Assessments will be carried out on all new and proposed policies thus continually monitoring our policies for any adverse impact on the promotion of disability equality.
Publishing the results of our assessments and monitoring
The results of our Equality Impact Assessments and other research and consultation relevant to disability equality will be summarised on our website: www.wiltshire.gov.uk and in corporate publications. Full details will be made available on request.
Ensuring public access to information and services which we provide
We will endeavour to make all our information and services accessible to the people who need them. This may involve providing information in different formats, or offering interpreters. It may also involve reviewing services to ensure that they are appropriate and accessible to all.
5.3. Equality Statements and Recommended Actions
Equality Statements and Strategies have been written by each department setting out plans for making changes to the way we provide our services. These statements provide the evidence and form the basis of the Disability Equality Scheme 3 year action plan.
This exercise has highlighted good practice already in place in many areas of service delivery in terms of disability equality. These areas need to be publicized, used as examples of good practice and built on.
Contact Details
By Post
Equalities Team
Development Services
Wiltshire
County Council
County Hall
Bythesea Road
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14
8JN
By Email
By Telephone
01225 713000
By Fax
01225 713145
