Part One - Introduction

Commitment to Equality

Our Corporate Equality Policy states:

This is our first Corporate Equality Policy. It builds on our Equal Opportunities Policy and our commitment to identify and meet different needs fairly, as expressed in our Corporate Plan.

It complements our race equality and disability discrimination schemes and our (internal) "people" policy.

We have prepared this in line with the requirements of the Equality Standards for Local Government [1]. It will be supported by a corporate equality plan, which will explain how we will implement and monitor our commitments.

We want to do all we can to promote equality through the services we provide, the influence we have as community leader and as a good local employer. 

 

We will:

• appreciate the diverse people, communities and interests that make Chester District
• engage effectively with them to understand their needs and expectations of the council
• ensure that we do not unfairly discriminate
• do all we can to meet or help others meet the key needs of different groups
• promote good equality practice within the council and with our partners

 

To support these commitments within the council we will:

• promote positive attitudes towards equality
• ensure equality is central to our corporate management and service delivery
• treat the people who work for the council fairly and adopt fair recruitment and selection procedures
• ensure that members and council employees know their responsibilities for equality and give them the necessary skills to support our equality commitments
• set and regularly review equality targets

The Equality Standard for Local Government

The Equality Standard for Local Government provides a generic framework for equality and is the national public sector benchmark.

Progressing race equality issues is an important aspect of the equality standards assessment.

By March 2005 the Council achieved level two. We aim to achieve level three by March 2006 and would like to see annual progression to level five by March 2008.

Roles and Responsibilities

Working together is also a key element of the equality standard. Everyone has a responsibility to gain a basic understanding of equality and our commitments to fairness, and to lead by example.

We have identified certain specific responsibilities and these are summarised below:

Councillors will

• consider and apply equality principles and practice in the work of the area committees and all they do as elected representatives of the community
• lead by example by adopting and applying the principles of this scheme

 

The Review Committees will

• consider and review this scheme against the objectives of the council and performance against targets and to advise Cabinet
• be consulted and comment on future diversity and equality policy proposals
• scrutinise equality targets and performance
• initiate action and develop policy
• lead by example by adopting and applying the principles of this scheme

 

The Portfolio Holder for Health and Well Being will

• be the executive member responsible for equality issues
• lead by example by adopting and applying the principles of this scheme

 

The Cabinet (portfolio holders individually and collectively) will

• have overall responsibility to agree the Race Equality Scheme and associated plans and to ensure the council meets its statutory obligations and policy objectives
• monitor performance regularly and consider issues arising
• provide leadership to the community, partners and within the organisation
• lead by example by adopting and applying the principles of this scheme

 

The Chief Executive and Management Team will

• have collective responsibility, advising the members and ensuring effective engagement throughout the organisation

 

The Deputy Chief Executive will

• be a champion for equality issues and chair the Diversity and Equality Group
• lead by example by adopting and applying the principles of this scheme

 

Service Managers

• ensure that equality is fully assessed in the preparation of all service plans and actions and where relevant equality targets are included to measure and monitor performance
• lead by example by adopting and applying the principles of this scheme

 

Corporate Policy Manager and Team will

• have overall responsibility for advice to members and officers on equality issues
• reporting on performance against equality best value performance indicators
• produce a regular district profile on diversity
• lead by example by adopting and applying the principles of this scheme

 

The Diversity and Equality Group will

• give collective consideration of equality issues on behalf of the council and monitoring progress against the corporate equality plan and relevant service plans and actions

 

Best Value Performance Indicators

There are a number of Best Value Performance Indicators that measure the council's performance on race issues:

• BV2a  - The level (if any) of the Equality Standard for Local Government to which the authority conforms
• BV2b - The duty to promote race equality. Compliance against set criteria
• BV11b - The percentage of black and minority ethnic staff in senior management
• BV17 - The percentage of employees from black and minority ethnic communities compared with the percentage of the economically active black and minority ethnic population in the authority area
• BV174 - The number of racial incidents recorded by the authority per 100,000 population
• BV175 - The percentage of racial incidents that resulted in further action

 

Agencies responsible for auditing and inspecting public authorities, for example the Audit Commission, are expected to include compliance with the general duty as one of the matters they will examine.

The council recognises that the best value process is a significant way to promote equality of opportunity.

[1] The Equality Standard provides a framework for levels of achievement in delivering equality for employment and service delivery