Joint Equality Scheme
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Document Development
Document name:
Joint Equality Scheme
Draft/Final* - Consultation period
Document status:
* Delete as appropriate
Author:
Goss Associates & Human Resources
Person responsible for document:
Committee responsible for sign-off:
Employee Relations Committee
Sign-off date:
Review History
Version
1
Status
Draft/Final*
2
Draft/Final*
3
Draft/Final*
4
Draft/Final*
Date of review
Reviewed by
Sections reviewed
Reason for review
Approval History
Version
1
2
3
4
Approval date Approved by
Comments
Date of next review
1 year / 2 years / 3 years*
1 year / 2 years / 3 years*
1 year / 2 years / 3 years*
1 year / 2 years / 3 years*
For comments relating to this document, please contact: Thelma Aye on 01539 792639 or email [email protected]
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Index
Document Development
2
Review History
2
Approval History
2
Index
3
Executive Summary
4
Overview of the Lake District National Park Authority
4
Encouraging Diversity and Promoting Equality
9
The Legal Framework
10
Accountability, Monitoring and Reporting
11
Governance
11
Awareness of the Equality Scheme and its Associated Schemes
11
Assessing Impact on Equality
11
Training
12
Interim Approach
12
Assessment of Service Plans
12
Assessment of New Policies
12
EIA Process and Project Management
13
Reporting on positive and negative impact
13
Publication of the Equality Impact Assessments
13
Annex 1 Age Equality Scheme
14
Annex 2 Disability Equality Scheme
16
Annex 3 Gender Equality Scheme
18
Annex 4 Sexual Orientation Equality Scheme
21
Annex 5 Race Equality Scheme
23
Annex 6 Religion & Belief Equality Scheme
25
Annex 7 Rural & Social Deprivation Equality Scheme
26
Annex 8 Strategic Action Plan
28
Annex 9 Diversity Strands
30
Annex 10 Embedding EIA into Project Management
31
Glossary
32
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Executive Summary
This is the Lake District National Park Authority’s (LDNPA) first Joint Equality Scheme.
It outlines our very real commitment to equality and diversity in the way we employ people
and deliver services.
The document sets outs our aims and objectives for promoting equality and diversity and
the actions we plan to take to achieve them. The LDNPA has always been committed to
equality and diversity but the scheme is a further step to ensure that consideration for both
is embedded into everything we do.
A key aspect of our approach is partnership working and to increase our engagement
activity with diverse groups. We recognise that we need to identify further opportunities for
dialogue with diverse groups and to ensure their influence on the way we achieve equality
and promote diversity to overcome barriers to inclusion.
We will monitor and report progress against the action plans annually and review the
scheme in 2010.
Introduction from Chief Executive
As Chief Executive of the Lake District National Park Authority I am pleased to actively
support and promote diversity and equal opportunity throughout the Authority. Part of our
responsibilities is to promote access for everyone to one of the most beautiful places in
England, the Lake District National Park.
This document explains that we recognise and value diversity. By giving a commitment to
actively address any issues we want to build an organisation based upon mutual respect,
fairness and social inclusion for all. Our Joint Equality Scheme will help us achieve this
goal.
We are very interested in your feedback and if you have any comments about this
publication please contact Thelma Aye 01539 792639 or email to [email protected]
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Overview of the Lake District National Park Authority
The Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA) is an independent local authority and
part of local government in the Lake District. It does some, but not all, of the work that is
done by the County and District Councils outside the National Park. These other councils
also have an important role to play inside the National Park.
The Authority is made up of:
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Chair of the Authority - leads the members
Twenty two Members - represent the public interest.
Chief Executive - leads the staff
Staff - local government employees who advise members
Volunteers - including Voluntary Rangers and general Volunteers
Funding
Britain’s national parks are funded directly by Government grants via Defra and receive no
funding from council tax or other local taxes. The LDNPA receives an annual grant from
Defra of £6.6 million.
About a third of our income comes from trading activities such as car parking, planning
application fees and sales at Information Centres.
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Our Vision is:
The Lake District National Park will be an inspirational example of sustainable
development in action.
Working together for a prosperous economy, vibrant communities and world class visitor
experiences - and all sustaining the spectacular landscape.
We recognise that local people, visitors, and the organisations working in and with the
National Park have a contribution to make to it and must be united in achieving this.
Our Key Outcomes
To achieve our vision the following key outcomes have been identified for the 2006 – 2009
Business Plan:
A prosperous economy – Businesses will locate in the National Park because they value
the quality of opportunity, environment and lifestyle it offers – many will draw on a strong
connection to the landscape. Entrepreneurial spirit will be nurtured across all sectors and
traditional industries maintained to ensure a diverse economy.
World class visitor experiences – High quality and unique experiences for visitors within a
stunning and globally significant landscape; experiences that compete with the best in the
international market.
Vibrant communities – People successfully living, working and relaxing within upland,
valley and lakeside places where distinctive local character is maintained and celebrated.
A spectacular landscape - A landscape that provides an irreplaceable source of
inspiration, whose benefits to people and wildlife are valued and improved. A landscape
whose natural and cultural resources are assets, to be managed and used wisely, for
future generations.
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Our Members
Our members represent the public interest, and are appointed by various public bodies.
12 are elected councillors appointed by either the County Council or the District and
Borough Councils.
The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs appoints 10:
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Four of those 10 are drawn from Parish Councillors representing Allerdale,
Copeland, Eden and South Lakeland districts within the National Park.
On 8 May 2007 the LDNPA reduced its membership from 26 to 22.
Recruitment of Members
Secretary of State vacancies are advertised by Natural England (NE) in national and local
papers. Defra and NE work jointly on selections. The appointments are initially for four
years but can be extended. Parish Councillors are selected by the Cumbrian Association
of Local Councils, and the names put to the Secretary of State for ratification. The County
Council and District Councils nominate their candidates although they do not represent the
council they come from.
Role of Members
It is the responsibility of the members to:
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champion the Vision for the Lake District National Park Authority
determine the strategic direction and policy of the Lake District National Park
Authority
influence the Authority to help it come to informed and balanced decisions
ensure that all equality and diversity policies are reviewed by Members of the
Employee Relations Committee whose job is then to make recommendations to
the Authority
work with the other members to apply the principle of sustainable development
and the founding principles of the National Parks to all decision-making
champion the National Park as an effective mechanism for promoting
conservation of the area’s natural beauty, increasing public understanding and
enjoyment of its special qualities, and maintaining the social and economic well
being of local communities.
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Our Values
In delivering our priorities and meeting the LDNPA’s aspiration to become an excellent
organisation, our overarching values are:
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communicating and engaging with people and maintaining strong relationships
developing and managing effective partnerships
providing efficient and high quality customer focused services
valuing ours members, staff and volunteers
promoting and enabling sustainability
working within a framework of accountability and transparency
being innovative and solution orientated
encouraging diversity and promoting equality
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Encouraging Diversity and Promoting Equality
Our approach to encouraging diversity and promoting equality follows a three-strand
strategy for ensuring equality for all remains a key driver for all of our work and the
principle criteria for our success. The three strands of the approach are:
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mainstreaming equality and diversity goals with our business objectives
change through engagement with strategic partners and relevant stakeholders
championing equality by example, as an employer and service provider
Mainstreaming - Our intention is that there will be an explicit focus on promoting equality
and inclusion in everything we do. We are further ahead in mainstreaming in some areas
than in others. The strategic action plan attached at Annex 8 shows the actions we are
taking to further embed equality and diversity in our service areas.
Change through engagement - In promoting inclusion and equality within the Lake
District, and in delivering on our Action Plan, we recognise the importance of our key
partnerships. The Lake District National Park Partnership (LDNPP) consists of 18
stakeholder organisations including local and national government bodies, voluntary
organisations, environment agencies and private sector organisations. In addition to these
we are committed to engaging and involving other relevant stakeholders in the way our
Equality Scheme is devised, developed and implemented.
Championing equality as an employer and service provider - We are determined to
champion excellence as an employer. We recognise that our workforce does not currently
reflect the population we serve. We will develop a strategy to ensure we can maximise our
ability to recruit, retain and develop staff from diverse backgrounds. Our action plan in this
area will ensure we have a robust ‘road map’ for achieving equality confidence and this will
be measured via effective data gathering.
Equality Scheme Objectives
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The Lake District National Park Equality Scheme sets out how we intend to
manage, monitor and measure our effectiveness in encouraging diversity and
promoting equality.
As a minimum the scheme intends to fulfil our statutory obligations under the
relevant legislation and, wherever possible, seeks to promote and apply best
practice.
The Strategic Action Plan details actions that the Authority will undertake in the
next 12 months as key priority areas.
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The Legal Framework
The main equality legislation, which relates to the Lake District National Park Authority
includes:
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Sex Discrimination Act 1975 - This legislation outlaws discrimination on the
grounds of sex or marital status in employment, training, education, the provision
of goods and services and the management and dispersal of premises. The Act
outlaws direct discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
Race Relations Act 1976 and Amendment - This legislation outlaws
discrimination on the grounds of ethnicity, nationality and colour in employment
and the provision of goods and services.
Disability Discrimination Act 1995 - This legislation defines disability as a
"physical or mental impairment that has a long term adverse impact on the ability
to carry out normal day to day duties" and outlaws discrimination on the grounds
of disability in employment, education, the provision of goods and services. The
2005 amendments to the Act also placed the Authority under a General and
Specific duty to promote disability equality.
Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 - These
regulations outlaw discrimination in employment and vocational training on the
grounds of real or perceived belief. They outlaw direct and indirect discrimination,
harassment and victimisation.
Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 - These
regulations outlaw discrimination in employment and vocational training on the
grounds of real or perceived orientation. They outlaw direct and indirect
discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
Gender Recognition Act 2004 - This legislation gives a transsexual person the
right to their acquired gender and to be legally recognised.
Civil Partnership Act 2004 - This Act establishes a legal relationship when
formed by two people of the same sex.
Employment Equality (Age) Regulations – These regulations came into force
on 1 October 2006 and make it an offence for an employer to discriminate on
grounds of age.
Gender Equality Duty 2007 - This places a legal obligation on all public bodies
to eliminate unlawful sex discrimination and harassment, and to promote equality
of opportunity between women and men.
Race Equality Duty 2006 - This places a legal obligation on all public bodies to
pay 'due regard' to the promotion of eliminating unlawful discrimination; equality
of opportunity and good race relations
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Accountability, Monitoring and Reporting
The Lake District National Park Authority acknowledges the importance of strong
leadership and commitment, in promoting diversity and equality, across the Authority and
its need to clarify roles and responsibilities in this area.
The following organisational structure will be used to effectively manage and monitor
equality and diversity across the Authority.
Governance
The Authority will approve the scheme and have final sign off and accountability for it.
The Achieving Excellence Working Group will monitor progress against the strategic
action plan. This will form part of our normal performance reporting processes to this
group. With the key actions in the strategic action plan treated like Business Plan actions
and reported to the Group.
Progress will be reported to the Achieving Excellence Working Group by the Equality
Lead. This will include an account of the number of Equality Impact Assessments (EIA’s)
completed; a summary of positive and negative outcomes identified; details of remedial
action taken and any amendments required to the Equality Impact Assessment Toolkit
(EIAT) or associated activity.
The Internal Equalities Reference Group is a group of volunteers from different service
areas and will be constituted to include the Director of Corporate Services as Chair, a
Champion from each Directorate, a Member, a Volunteer, a Trade Union and Staff
Representative. Its role is envisaged to be one of monitoring and scrutiny for action plans,
equality schemes and a selection of documents that have been signed off at various
stages of the EIA process, sharing best practice and promoting equality and diversity
issues internally.
All Committees and Groups will have clear Terms of Reference and reporting schedules.
Awareness of the Equality Scheme and its Associated Schemes
A priority area for the Authority is to review and revise the information it provides on
equality and diversity. In doing so it will ensure that the Equality Scheme and its
Associated Schemes will be published to ensure both internal and external
stakeholders are aware of our strategic direction and agreed actions relating to equality
and diversity.
Assessing Impact on Equality
We are currently developing and embedding a generic Equality Impact Assessment Toolkit
(EIAT). This will be closely aligned to the methodology being used by other Councils,
National Parks, our regional strategic partner Cumbria County Council and Cumbria
Constabulary. The toolkit will cover the seven equality strands (gender, disability, race,
religion and belief, sexual orientation, age and social and rural deprivation). It will provide
clear criteria for carrying out an initial screening process that may trigger a full impact
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assessment on any function, document or procedure. The trigger level is dependent upon
the likelihood of something going wrong and the impact level of any one incident. This is
detailed further in the EIA Guidance.
Training
The Authority has commissioned a programme of Equality Impact Assessment training to
be rolled out to all relevant members, volunteers and staff, including managers and
specialists by the end of 2007.
Interim approach
Whilst the EIAT is being piloted, embedded into the Authority’s project management
approach, at both a strategic and organisational level, and trained out, we have carried out
an initial functional disability impact assessment and joint equality impact assessment that
has resulted in action plans being drawn up to prioritise areas for change. We are also
carrying out more detailed assessments on areas of HR policy, that were identified
following an external audit of HR, as of higher priority. Substantial policies are being
produced. We intend to use these to pilot the full impact assessment methodology. The
policies identified include a Volunteering Policy, a No Smoking Policy and a Vulnerable
People Policy.
Assessment of Service Plans
In the first year a full sweep to show where Full Impact Assessments need to be done will
be carried out on all Service Plans. Following on from this work we intend to publish a
prioritised list of functions, documents and procedures to be impact assessed by Summer
2008. We will pay particular attention to the Service Strategies and Corporate Priorities
sections of the service plan since these have a direct bearing on service delivery. If
significant impacts are identified then Full Impact Assessments will be carried out and
Action Plans created to be addressed over the life span of the Business Plan. In
subsequent years assessments will be made on any changes to our Service Plans and on
any activity that has not been covered by the initial sweep.
Assessment of New Policies
All new policies will be screened for relevance to the appropriate equality scheme. Full
Impact Assessments will be carried out if:
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the policy is a major one in terms of scale or significance for our activities.
or there is a clear indication that, although the policy is minor, it is likely to have a
major impact upon a diverse group in terms either of numbers affected or the
seriousness of the likely impact, or both
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EIA Process and Project Management
The Equality Impact Assessment Toolkit consists of a document made up of 4 parts.
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Part 1 describes screening process
Part 2 describes the Full Equality Impact Assessment process based on the
results of Part 1
Part 3 is the Action Plan taken directly from the negative and positive impact
section of Part 2
Part 4 is the Equality Lead sign off
The EIA methodology will be built into the project management process and will form an
essential part of the project start up, initialisation and sign off stages (Annex 3). An initial
screening process will be undertaken by completing part 1 of the EIA form, at the project
start up stage. The appropriate team leader or Head of Service, depending upon the size
of the project, will sign off this screening. If a full Equality Impact Assessment is needed, it
will be completed by the relevant project manager/area specialist, and signed off by the
project board. The full EIA document consists of Part 2 of the EIAT. The Equality Lead will
carry out a final review of the assessment, part 4 of the EIAT. This will be done during the
project closure stage. At all stages of the project the EIA will be reviewed as needed.
Annex 3 shows the interface between the EIA and the project management cycle.
Reporting on positive and negative impact
Information on how the Equality Scheme and associated schemes will be managed and
monitored is detailed in the Governance section.
Publication of the Equality Impact Assessments
Results of Equality Impact Assessments on major policies will be made available to the
public on request. We will, within the first six months of publishing our Equality Framework
and JES, put in place a process for ensuring that this is done in a transparent and
consistent manner.
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Annex 1
Age Equality Scheme
From 1 October 2006 the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations make it unlawful to
discriminate against workers, employees, job seekers and trainees because of their age.
People of all age groups have rights against discrimination at work. The regulations cover:
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mandatory retirement.
dismissal and redundancy.
statutory sick pay and maternity.
harassment in the workplace.
Our Commitment
We are committed to eliminating age discrimination against workers, employees, job
seekers and trainees because of their age.
Specifically we will:
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place recruitment adverts in a cross-section of media
not ask for unnecessary employment history
train managers to avoid stereotypes
ensure training opportunities are open to all
ensure our bullying and harassment policy covers age
consider flexible working for older workers
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Demographics
It is difficult to source the age demographics of the National Park area. The following
represent the age demographics of South Lakes only.
Population by Age
12000
10000
Population
8000
Male
6000
Female
Male & Female
4000
2000
0
18-24
25-34
35-49
55-63
Age
Useful Contacts:
Age Concern
Phone: 0800 00 9966
Website: www.ageconcern.org.uk
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Annex 2
Disability Equality Scheme
The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 as amended by the Disability Discrimination Act
2005 places a duty on all public authorities to promote equality of opportunity between
people with disabilities and non-disabled people across all of its policies, procedures and
functions.
The Disability Equality duty has two parts to it, the ‘general duty’ and the ‘specific duty’.
The General Duty requires us to:
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promote equality of opportunity between disabled and other persons
eliminate unlawful discrimination
eliminate harassment of disabled people
promote positive attitudes to disabled people
encourage participation by disabled people in public life
take into account a disabled person’s disability even if it means treating the disabled
person more favourably
The Specific Duty requires us to:
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develop and publish a Disability Equality Scheme demonstrating how we intend to
fulfil the general and specific duties
involve disabled people in the development of the scheme
Our Commitment
We are committed to the social model of disability in the way we promote disability
equality, as described in the Statutory Code of Practice:
‘The poverty, disadvantage and social exclusion experienced by many disabled people is
not the inevitable result of their impairment or medical condition but rather stems from
attitudinal and environmental barriers’.
Specifically we will:
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continue to be an accredited user of the ‘Positive About Disability’ Two –Tick
Symbol
continue to work with the ‘Better Access for All’ working group
train employees to understand disability equality
challenge inappropriate behaviours
promote equality of opportunity
continue to assess the impact of our policies and activities
involve disabled people in the planning and delivery of our services
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Demographics
The 2001 census showed that out of 209,027 households, 76,365 had someone with a
long term limiting condition. This means that 36.5% of Cumbrian households had someone
with a condition that would be recognised under the Disability Discrimination Act.
In 2006 the Quality of Life Survey asked the Cumbrian public about their level of
satisfaction with their community and services in the county. Of the respondents 22 % said
they had a long-term illness or disability that restricted their daily activities.
The findings from the Quality of Life Survey highlighted the following issues for disabled
people:
Safety
 Nearly a third of people with a long-term illness or disability said they felt unsafe
outdoors at night (29%) compared with a fifth of all respondents (21%).
Employment and voluntary work
 19% of people with a long-term illness or disability said they were in full-time
employment compared with a county-wide average of 40%.
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44% of people with a long-term illness or disability said they had done two to five
hours of voluntary work during the past year compared with 36% for the countywide
average.
Housing
 Fewer people with a long-term illness or disability own their own home (69 %)
compared with the survey average 76%.
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17% of people with long-term illness or disability said they rent their home from a
social housing provider compared with the county-wide average as reported in the
survey of 9%.
Education
 18% for people with a long-term illness or disability had a formal qualification
compared with the survey average of 32%
Useful Contacts:
Cumbria Disability Network
Phone: 08707 664125
E-mail [email protected]
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Annex 3
Gender Equality Scheme
The Equality Act 2006 received royal assent on the 16 February 2006 and came into force
on the 5 April 2007 and created the Gender Equality Duty for the public sector.
The Gender Equality Duty has two parts to it, the ‘general duty’ and the ‘specific duty’.
The General Duty requires us to:
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to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment
to promote equality of opportunity between men and women
The Specific Duty requires us to:
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take steps to address equal pay between men and women in our organisation
collect information on gender around service delivery and employment.
consult with stakeholders on priorities for gender equality
identify priority areas for gender equality
The Gender Equality Act applies to transsexual people. Many transsexuals undergo
hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery (sex change operations) to align their
physical appearance to their gender identity. Trans or transgender is a generic term used
to cover those people who do not conform to the existing social and cultural classifications
of men and women. It embraces transsexuals, cross dressers, inter-sexuals and others
whose gender is not easily defined.
Our Commitment
We aim positively to promote diversity and equality of opportunity for women and
men, including those who are transgender, recognising that women and men are
themselves diverse.
Specifically we will:
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work towards the elimination of discrimination against women and men, including
those who are transsexual
promote equality of opportunity for men and women, including those who are
transsexual; and
keep the sex discrimination and equal pay legislation under review
challenge inappropriate behaviours.
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Our Priorities for Gender Equality
1. Employment – increasing representation, improving diversity and flexible working
The Authority feels it has a responsibility towards breaking down the barriers which stop
boys and girls/men and women entering into non-traditional occupations.
The Authority will:
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promote positive gender role models such as female rangers and male
administrative staff
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work closely with schools and colleges to promote the idea that girls and boys can
do jobs traditionally dominated by the opposite sex; for example by our Human
Resources team attending interviews skills events
The Authority is committed to increasing part-time working opportunities for employees at
all levels and to make this happen it will, wherever possible:
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Actively welcome and support job share, part time and flexible working opportunities
throughout the organisation
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Open up more job share and part-time opportunities at senior levels
We will ensure that all our Members, staff, volunteers and those applying for vacancies
with us, are treated fairly and lawfully. We have policies in place that ensure our
recruitment processes are fair and transparent.
2. Family Friendly Policies and Working Practices
The right work-life balance is very important and encourages recruitment and retention,
increases staff morale and promotes the Authority as a good employer. All staff both male
and female may apply to work flexibly and our flexible working arrangements go beyond
the minimum employment law requirement. The Authority’s policy allows any member of
staff with caring responsibilities for a dependent of any age to apply for flexible working. A
consistent approach is made with regard to the agreement or rejection of all applications
based on business grounds and applies equally to both men and women.
Posts are recruited to on the assumption that they can be filled on a flexible basis such as
part-time or job share unless a specific business case has been put forward by the line
manager that demonstrates this is not feasible.
Maternity, paternity and adoption leave are within our policies and again apply to all staff
subject to statutory criteria being met. The policies also cover parental and dependants
leave as well as leave granted for urgent domestic reasons.
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3. Equal Pay
The Authority is committed to ensuring that equality of pay is achieved for jobs of the same
worth regardless of the diversity profile of the post-holder.
Honoraria payments are monitored centrally by the Human Resources team to ensure
consistency and fairness across the Authority.
We are committed to undertake regular equal pay reviews to assess whether any equal
pay issues exist. The Trade Union will be involved with the review. And progress will be
reported to the Executive Board and the relevant Committee which deals with staffing,
diversity and equality matters.
To fulfil our commitment to carrying out the gender equality review we will:
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Set out a standard approach for conducting an equal pay audit every three years
concentrating on gender equality, but also taking account the other diversity strands
to ensure monitoring of these areas is also taken into account.
4. Occupational Health Services
The occupational health service provider used by the Authority provides a fully confidential
service, and all medical information are confidential under the Data Protection Act. Any
individual can request access to their files. Our main focus is to provide a professional and
expert service in relation to relevant health issues.
We offer access to confidential counselling, with a mix of male and female counsellors.
Demographics
According to the last census completed in 2001 the population of Cumbria was 487,612
which has been broken down into gender; 237,918 men and 249,694 women. The
majority of men and women aged over 50.
The Authority is made up of 22 members, of which 82 per cent are male and 18 per cent
are female. And supported by 208 staff, broken down this consists of 157 full-time staff (of
which 55 per cent are men and 45 per cent are female), 51 part-time staff (of which 20 per
cent are men and 80 per cent are women).
And on a national level women are severely under-represented at the higher levels of local
government, despite women making up over 70 per cent of the local government
workforce, only 13 per cent of local authority Chief Executives are women.
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Annex 4
Sexual Orientation Equality Scheme
The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003, came into force on the 1
December 2003 preventing discrimination against workers because of sexual orientation.
Under the law no one should be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation
or ‘perceived’ sexual orientation, including orientation towards someone of the same sex
(lesbian/gay), opposite sex (heterosexual) or both sexes (bisexual). Sexual orientation
does not apply to sexual practices.
In very limited circumstances it will be lawful to treat people differently if it is a genuine
occupational requirement (GOR) that the post holder must be of a particular sexual
orientation.
The regulations also permit differences of treatment on grounds of sexual orientation
where the employment is for purposes of an organised religion, such as the leader of a
faith or of an establishment such as a temple.
.Our
Commitment
We aim to positively promote diversity and equality of opportunity for women and
men, including those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual.
Specifically we will:
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work towards the elimination of discrimination against women and men, including
those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual
take positive measures if we feel persons of a particular sexual orientation are
under-represented in the workforce
make it clear that social events involving partners and children are equally open to
same sex partners and their children
address inappropriate comments and/or behaviors.
Our Specific priorities for Sexual Orientation
1. Employment – positive action
Selection must be on merit, irrespective of sexual orientation. But where we feel persons
of a particular sexual orientation are under-represented in the workforce we will consider:
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placing advertisements which encourage applications from people of a particular
sexual orientation while making it clear that selection will be based on merit not
sexual orientation
2. Training
When delivering equality training we will:
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ensure the impact of inappropriate language is explored
strive to eliminate homophobic comments and jokes which may be felt as
degrading or distressing
ensure staff and members understand that they could be personally liable and may
have to pay compensation themselves if found to be harassing colleagues because
of their actual or perceived sexual orientation.
Demographics
Lesbians, gay men and bisexuals comprise around 6 per cent of the UK population,
according to government estimates. That’s roughly 3.5 million people.
The North West Regional Equality & Diversity Strategy also suggests that approximately 6
per cent of the population of the North West will be lesbian, gay or bi-sexual.
In Cumbria, a region of approximately 487,612 residents, this means that, based on 6 per
cent, approximately 29,256 citizens of Cumbria are likely to be lesbians, gay men and
bisexuals.
Useful contacts:
Stonewall
Phone: 020 7881 9440
Minicom: 020 7881 9996
E-mail: [email protected]
www.stonewall.org.uk
LAGER (Lesbian & Gay
Employment Rights)
Phone: 020 7704 2205
E-mail: [email protected]
www.lager.dircon.co.uk
Page 22 of 32
Annex 5
Race Equality Scheme
The Race Relations Act 1976 as amended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000
makes it unlawful to discriminate against anyone on the grounds of race, colour, nationality
or ethnic or national origin. And it is unlawful for us to discriminate while carrying out any
of our functions.
The Race Equality Duty has two parts to it, the ‘general duty’ and the ‘specific duty’.
The General Duty requires us:
 to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination
 to promote equal opportunities
The Specific Duty requires us:
 to publish a Race Equality Scheme
 to promote good relations between people of different racial groups
Our Commitment
We aim to positively promote diversity and equality of opportunity for all black, ethnic and
minority groups.
We will:



monitoring existing functions
train employees to understand race equality
carrying out employee ethnic monitoring on:
o applicants for posts
o employees in post
o training
o grievances and disciplinaries
o employees who leave the organisation
Demographics
In the 2001 census the Black and Minority Ethnic population of Cumbria consisted of:
 0.7% Black ethnic minority groups.
 1.3% White minority ethnic groups (this included Irish people and Gypsy Travellers)
 Total BME population in 2001 2%
Page 23 of 32
National Insurance data since 2002 indicates a steady growth in the diversity of Cumbria’s
working population. The table below gives the breakdown of the numbers of non-British
nationals with a National Insurance number:
Year
Number of
nationalities
Main
nationality
2002-3
20
2003-4
32
2004-5
33
2005-6
30
South African
(90 people)
South African
(140 people)
Polish
(460 people)
Polish
(1,200 people)
Total non-British
nationals and
% increase on previous
year
790
1,050
+33%
1,730
+65%
2,970
+71%
Total increase since 2002:
+276%
Useful contacts:
Race Equality Foundation
Phone: 020-7619 6220
Fax: 020-7619 6230
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.reu.org.uk
Cumbria Multi Cultural Service
Phone: 01229 894401
E-mail: [email protected]
Page 24 of 32
Annex 6
Religion and Belief Equality Scheme
Unlike ethnicity, disability and gender there is not a General and Specific Duty for public
services to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of a person’s religion or deeply held
beliefs.
The Employment Equality (Religious or Belief) Regulations (2003), gave people of all
religions, religious beliefs or similar philosophical beliefs the rights against discrimination in
the workplace. This does not include political beliefs, but does include agnostics or
atheists.
Part 2 of the Equality Act 2006 prohibits discrimination in relation to goods, facilities and
services on grounds of faith and belief.
Our Commitment
Specifically we will:
 produce an employment guidance document on religion and belief
 include religion and belief as part of our employment equality monitoring
process
 to engage where appropriate the faith community in consultations and
activities around partnership working and policy development

we will strive to eliminate discrimination on the grounds of a person’s religion or
deeply held beliefs.
Demographics
Based on the Census data 2001 it is clear that over 79% of respondents have a faith or
belief. The predominant religion is Christian with 79% of respondents stating they are
Christian. A further 20% of people either stated that they have no religion or they have not
responded to the question and less than 1% are either Buddhist (0.36%), Other (0.24%),
Hindu (0.04%), Jewish (0.07%), Muslim (0.07%) or Sikh (0.01%).
Calendar of Festivals
We have access to a Calendar of Festivals for workers to display on their walls and within
other areas of the organisation.
Consultation
The Cumbria Multi-Cultural Service will support individuals from Black and Minority Ethnic
communities who have experienced religious discrimination.
Page 25 of 32
Useful Contacts:
Cumbria Multi Cultural Service
Phone: 01229 894404
E-mail: [email protected]
Page 26 of 32
Annex 7
Rural and Social Deprivation Equality Scheme
The socially and economically diverse nature of rural populations means that pockets of
significant deprivation exist within Cumbria.
Our Commitment
We aim to positively promote diversity and equality of opportunity for those at risk of exclusion
due to their social and economic background.
Specifically we will:


monitor existing functions
train employees to understand rural deprivation and how it contributes to peoples ability
to
access our services
contribute to our work and get involved
Demographics
Sparsity - A substantial proportion of Cumbria’s population (115,000 people) lives in sparsely
populated rural areas. Small communities located remotely from key service centres face
particular challenges in terms of the cost of accessing services and in the limited capacity of
rural communities to address and resolve their challenges without external support
Housing Affordability - Poor economic performance, low paid work and market stimulation
resulting from in-migration makes housing affordability among the most challenging in the UK.
deprivation exist that current methodologies fail to properly recognise
Access – public transport services in rural Cumbria are generally poor or non-existent. This
adds to the cost that rural residents experience in accessing increasingly centralised services
and contributes to the exclusion experienced by those residents who do not have use of a
private car, the young, young parents and the elderly.
Ageing Population – In-migration of older people, and the out-migration of Cumbria’s young
results in a skewed population profile relative to regional and national structures. This has
substantial implications for the rural economy, service delivery and increasing rural deprivation
Low Value Added - Cumbria’s rural economy shows low rates of unemployment but extreme
low levels of Gross Value Added due to a preponderance of jobs in low-waged sectors such as
agriculture, tourism and services
Economic Growth - The Cumbrian economy has the lowest rate of growth in England (or is it
UK). This is substantially influenced by the very low growth rate of rural East Cumbria
Useful contacts:
Cumbria Rural Forum
Phone: 01768 840827
E-mail: [email protected]
Page 27 of 32
Annex 8 – Strategic Action Plan Year 1
Service Delivery 2008 -2009
Required Action
Embed Equality and Diversity in Service Planning
Completion Date
January 2008
Lead Officer
Debbie Moore
Publish a prioritised list of functions, documents and procedures
to be impact assessed
June 2008
Debbie Moore
Develop new Local PI’s for service plans
March 2009
Debbie Moore
Embed the EIA process within the project management
methodology
January 2008
Mick Donn
Through the Lake District National Park Partnership address
diversity issues in consultation, action planning and decision making
in the IDEA Action Plan
March 2008
Steve Ratcliffe
Set up an Internal Diversity Reference Group
March 2008
Angela Hayhurst
Include reference to diversity impact on all new policies going to
Committee
January 2008
Angela Hayhurst
Work in partnership with an External Diversity Reference Group
January 2008
Angela Hayhurst
Develop a Communication Strategy to engage key stakeholders
April 2008
Bob Sutcliffe
Page 28 of 32
Required Action
Undertake Full Impact Assessments in the following areas:
 Volunteer Policy
 Procurement
 Recruitment & Selection
 Statement of Community Involvement
Completion Date
Lead Officer
March 2009
March 2009
March 2009
March 2009
Tim Duckmanton
Sharon Madeley
Thelma Aye
Bob Sutcliffe
Develop Action Plans once Head of Services have conducted a high
level review of their service areas
September 2008
Heads of Service
Page 29 of 32
Annex 9 Diversity Strands
Joint Equality Scheme
Diversity specific
strands
Disability
Equality
Scheme
Gender
Equality
Scheme
Sexual
Orientation
Equality
Scheme
Race
Equality
Scheme
Religion/
Belief
Equality
Scheme
Age
Equality
Scheme
Rural & Social Deprivation Equality Scheme
Page 30 of 32
Annex 10 Embedding EIA into Project Management
Part 1
Screening phase
Signed off by
Team Leader if
WP or Project
Board
EIA Part 1
Document
Part 2
Full Equality Impact
Full EIA Work
package
START UP
PHASE
EIA part 1
Full EIA
Needed?
YES
INFORMS PID
Project Inititation
Document
Revise PID
PID
signed off
PRODUCES
INITIATION
PHASE
NO
NO
NO
STAGE / WP
REVIEWS
delivery
Part 3
Action Plan
Full EIA
Document
YES
Project goes into
exception
YES
Modify /
Reassess EIA
NO
CLOSURE
PHASE
Exception Report /
Revised Project
Review EIA
DELIVERY
PHASE
YES
EIA sign off by
Champion
Part 4
Equality Lead Sign off
Page 31 of 32
Glossary
AA and AAA
ACAS
ACE
AWAZ
BME
CEO
Defra
DES
DRC
EIA
EIAT
ERC
FM
HR
ICT
JES
LDNPA
LSNPP
NE
PID
TIC
WP
Web accessibility initiative
Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service
Achieving Cumbrian Excellence
A group representing the BME Community in Cumbria
Black and minority ethnic
Chief Executive Office
Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs
Disability Equality Scheme
Disability Rights Commission
Equality Impact Assessment
Equality Impact Assessment Toolkit
Employee Relations Committee
Facilities Management
Human Resources
Information and Communication Technologies
Joint Equality Scheme
Lake District National Park Authority
Lake District National Park Partnership
Natural England
Project Initiation Documentation
Tourist Information Centre
Work Package
Page 32 of 32