Issue - meetings

(1)       Members received a report that sought their views on the County Council’s Equality Strategy.  The Equality Strategy sets out how the County Council will promote equality and community cohesion and tackle unfair discrimination in Kent.  An accompanying covering report highlighted in particular, the role of the Strategy in delivering the agenda of the Environment and Regeneration Directorate.

(2)       The Equality Strategy brought the three strands; gender, disability and race equality schemes together to make the County Council’s work consistent across the County.

(3)       The Committee were given the opportunity to raise comments and ask questions on the covering report and Strategy.  They were as follows:-

·                    There are excellent Statement of Values in the Strategy

·                    In the past it had been difficult getting the highways services to take on board the issues of disabled access on local roads and the provision of bus service, which relied on staff attitudes

·                    The strategy needed more recognition of mental health related disabilities

·                    Do services contracted out adhere to this Strategy?  (Dr L Davies agreed to look into this)

·                    The Ghurkha community was becoming a large community in Kent and should be recognised as such in the Strategy (Mrs K Chantler to feed back for Corporate Lead responsible for Strategy)

·                    Concerns were raised on the issue of facilities provided for disabled that were not used, particularly in relation to education and social services

·                    The social differences of the population across Kent were raised, in particular the disparities between East and West Kent and the effect Medway had on the data included within the Strategy

·                    One Member reported they had received positive feedback that styles were being replaced with “kissing gates” which were easier for disabled, elderly and dog walkers to use

(4)       Dr Davies advised that the attitude of staff was important and the Equality Strategy needed to be embedded.  The Directorate was currently working towards Level 3 of the Equality Standard for Local Government which would help to embed this work.  The Directorate action plan would be updated 2008 identifying what the directorate would do with the results of the impact assessment and where the greatest impact would be.

(5)       RESOLVED that:-

(a)       the comments made in paragraph (3) above be noted by the drafting officer; and

(b)       the report be noted.