www.wiltshire.gov.uk
Equality Impact Assessment - The People’s Voice Citizens Panel
Part 1 – Initial Assessment (Screening)
1a. Is this a policy or function?
The People’s Voice Citizen Panel is both a policy and function.
b. What is the name of the policy or function?
“The People’s Voice” – a representative sample of 4,000 Wiltshire residents.
c. Is this a new or an existing policy or function?
Existing – started 1998.
2a. What are the aims and objectives of the policy or function?
To recruit and maintain a representative sample of adult Wiltshire residents so as to mirror as far as possible the make up of the counties population so that it can be used as a sounding board to allow managers to consult with the Wiltshire public on an ongoing basis.
b. How do they relate to the Department’s objective in the Service Plan?
This relates to a key objective within the Corporate Plan to consult with residents on a regular basis.
c. Whose needs is the policy or function designed to meet?
The need for the County Council to consult with and act on concerns raised by the public about its services, and the general quality of life in Wiltshire.
d. What are the current priorities of the policy or function?
To test the publics reactions to services, service charges, developments and impacts over the Wiltshire area.
3. What are the profiles of the:
a. Users of the service that the policy or function relate to?
- Racial/Ethnic Groups
- Gender
- Disability
- Sexual Orientation
- Religion/Belief
- Age
All groups are represented during recruitment excepting religious belief which has not been asked and sexual orientation which is also unknown.
b. WCC and departmental staff profile?
WCC
- Racial/Ethnic Groups
- Gender
- Disability Not applicable – this is a residents panel.
- Sexual Orientation
- Religion/Belief
- Age
Department
- Racial/Ethnic Groups
- Gender
- Disability See above not applicable
- Sexual Orientation
- Religion/Belief
- Age
4. What information exists that the policy or function affects groups differently? (Consider all the six equality strands i.e. Race, Gender, Disability, Sexual Orientation, Religion/Belief, Age)
a. Access to the services provided under the policy or function?
The panel is organised using postal surveys. Large print versions are available for hard of sight. Versions are in English only.
b. Complaints on the grounds of discrimination or any other grounds?
No complaints have been received. There have been no requests for versions in languages other than English although this is not to say that different language versions might benefit some “panellists”.
c. Concerns from staff?
Concerns relate mainly to the fact that the proportion of panellists who come from a minority ethnic group are so small that no meaningful conclusions can be made from the data! Therefore there is seen to be a need to extend coverage of these groups using a booster panel targeted to these groups.
d. Local or national research suggesting that there could be a problem?
Yes – many citizens’ panels do not and are not capable of “speaking” for minority groups.
e. Additional groups who may be experiencing adverse of disproportionate impact? (Consider carers, low income earners, lone parents, ex-prisoners etc.).
The panel is free and has no social etc. barriers excepting language issues. Recruitment is random using the electoral register which may exclude travellers, transient populations etc.
5. What are your conclusions in relation to whether the policy or function has equalities implications?
The equality implication is that at present the citizen’s panel does not adequately explore the view of ethnic minorities and has no ability to distinguish individuals views based on religion and sexual orientation although it is accepted that a “panel” of this type may not be the best medium/method to engage these sensitive areas.
6a. Name and role of person(s) completing the assessment
Corporate Research Adviser
b. Date assessment completed:
3rd October 2006
c. Senior Manager approval:
Assistant Director Development Services
Part 2 – Partial Assessment
1. What information exists that the policy or function affects groups differently in an adverse or disproportionate way? (Consider all the six equality strands i.e. Race, Gender, Disability, Sexual Orientation, Religion/Belief, Age)
a. Access to the services provided under the policy or function?
No direct evidence that the “panel” system is in itself treating people differently although obviously recruitment of those whose own language is not English could have an effect on who joins.
b. Complaints on the grounds of discrimination or any other grounds?
None have been received.
c. Concerns from Staff?
Concern that a detailed picture or view of the Wiltshire population and views of district groups is not being captured at present.
d. Local research suggesting that there could be a problem?
A report called “Hidden Voices” undertaken with focus groups among the BME population showed that in Wiltshire the BME population can be dispersed and links itself to larger ethnic groupings in major cities and remains in Wiltshire largely “hidden” and therefore ignored.
e. Additional groups who may be experiencing adverse or disproportionate impact? (Consider carers, low income earners, lone parents, ex-prisoners etc.)
Transient residents, those who can’t read or write, the blind, homeless – all these groups can’t be covered yet by our panel.
2a. List the groups (experts, interested groups, partner agencies etc) you have consulted with as part of the policy or function development.
District Councils, PCT’s, Police, Fire. All involved in the panel as partners. Some contact with Council for Racial Equality in Hidden Voices work.
b. What were the method(s) and the period(s) of consultation(s)?
Postal – 4 x a year – by questionnaire.
Periodic focus groups individually recruited from List of Panellists willing to be used in this way.
c. List the results of the consultation(s).
50 Surveys, 1000 questions, 2000 – 2006 all contained in a searchable database available to managers, staff and public on Council Councils website.
d. Have the results of the consultation(s) been published, if so, where?
All reports are published and freely available on the “Wiltshire and Swindon Intelligence Network” on the County Council and District Council websites.
3. What are the management and delivery arrangements for the service that the policy or function relate to?
Panel managed by County Council Researchers who are workers of the Market Research Society and abide by their Code of Conduct for Research, members of the Social Research Institute, Local Authority Research and Information Association. Manager is a Board Member of the South West Observatory – a regional organisation dealing with research.
4. What are your conclusions in relation to the adverse or disproportionate impact of the policy or function?
The panel does not adequately provide a robust mechanism to survey and understand the needs, opinions of an important minority group of the population of Wiltshire in the context of the following:
- Sexual orientation
- Religion
- Ethnicity
In terms of age, disability, gender the panel is a true reflection of the population.
The panel may not appeal to or be designed at present to be easily accessible to some minorities particularly those whose mother language is not English and this includes an increasing number of recent migrant workers particularly from the ex Easter block countries.
5a. Name and role of person(s) completing the assessment
Phil Morgan, Corporate Research Adviser
b. Date assessment completed:
3rd October 2006
Part 3 – Full Assessment
1. If you have found that evidence of adverse or disproportionate impact:
a. How can these be removed or reduced?
Attempt to recruit booster panels to cater for individual groups so that their views and opinion can be accurately recorded.
b. If No to (a) above, how can the non removal or reduction be justified?
There is a limit to how far smaller groups can be accommodated based purely on grounds of cost, budget, time etc. An attempt to recruit panellists by advertising in “gay” publications cost £2,000 and yielded no recruits!
c. Will further research and/or consultation be required? If yes, what and when?
Yes, a report outlining the situation and suggesting a way forward should be available for consultation in November 2006.
2. How will this policy or function be monitored in the future?
By Central Research Team and Senior Managers – where the voice of such groups be recognised, recorded and acted on. The Research Team has begun recruitment of a Specialist BME/Minority groups officer to take this agenda forward.
Contact Details
By Post
Equality & Diversity Team
Development Services
Wiltshire County Council
County Hall
Bythesea Road
Trowbridge
Wiltshire
BA14 8JN
By Email
By Telephone
01225 713510
By Hand
County Hall, Trowbridge
Opening Hours
Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm
