Agenda item

Kent County Council Equality Policy Statement and Objectives

Minutes:

(Item 7 – Report by the Cabinet Member for Customer and Communities, Mr Mike Hill and the Corporate Director for Customer and Communities, Mrs Amanda Honey)

 

Cabinet received a report of the above named Cabinet Member and officer, the purpose of which was to seek agreement of the new Equality Statement and Policy Objectives for Kent County Council produced in response to the implementation of the Equality Act 2010.  Mr Hill introduced the report to Cabinet and in particular referred to the following details contained within it:

 

  • That Kent County Council must adhere fully to the Equality Act in order to provide the right services for residents and in order to protect the council from legal challenge and possible costs.
  • That an essential part of this work would be to ensure that all reports received by Cabinet contained an Equality Impact Assessment in order that decisions could be taken with full knowledge of the potential impacts for all residents of Kent.  Furthermore decisions taken without evidence of Equality Impact assessments having been conducted could be open to Judicial Review and costly delays.

 

The Leader of the County Council, Mr Paul Carter, asked the Director of Communications and Engagement, Mr Matt Burrows to comment further.  He echoed Mr Hill’s comments regarding the imperative to produce Equality Impact Assessments for all decisions and in addition he highlighted the need, detailed further in the report, for the council’s decisions and resulting actions to have clear and measurable objectives.  Six objectives had been devised and recommended and detailed within the appendix of the report for consideration. 

 

In conclusion he drew to the attention of Cabinet to the positive internal and external consultation that had taken place in the production of the recommendations before it today, and the more general improvements in this area which continued to further engage members of the public in the decision making process at Kent.

 

The Leader of the County Council, Mr Paul Carter, welcomed the intention of the Equality Impact Assessments but proposed that they be named locally as Customer Impact Assessments.  Following advice for the Director of Legal and Governance, Mr Geoff Wild, that this would not put the council at risk so long as the ‘Customer Impact Assessments’ met the requirements of the Equality Act 2010, Mr Carter agreed to take the decision away for discussion between members and officers, whereby proposals would follow should it be decided that this would better reflect the intention of the council in producing these documents.

 

RECORD OF DECISION

 

CABINET DECISIONS on

Kent County Council Equality Policy Statement and Objectives

17 September 2012

1.

That the Equality Policy Statement and Objectives, be agreed.

 

2.

That a timeframe of four years, from October 2012 to September 2016 for the objectives agreed at 1. be agreed.

 

3.

That the receipt of a report detailing the objectives agreed at 1. by all committees of the council, be agreed

4.

That a requirement to include actions intended to meet the objectives within each departmental annual business plan and priorities, be agreed.

5.

That continued consideration of the Annual Performance Report by Cabinet, be agreed.

REASON

1.

In order to fulfil the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and further improve services for all residents of Kent.

2.

In order that objectives can be reviewed at the end of an agreed fixed period to ensure that they remain relevant to the residents of Kent and the objectives of the Council.

3.

In order that there is a defined path for the information and requirements within the report to be disseminated to all directorates.  This is intended to ensure that all directorates work with the correct equality performance indicators.

4.

In order that all directorates fully consider and disclose in a uniform fashion the work that they are undertaking to meet the requirements set out in the Policy statement and agreed objectives.

5.

In order that Cabinet continue to be fully informed about the progress of the council in meeting the requirements of the act and the needs of the residents of Kent and maintain an overarching view of departmental work in this area.

 

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

None.

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

None.

DISPENSATIONS GRANTED

None.

 

 

Supporting documents: