Reporting against the Joint Equality Scheme
Background
Our Joint Equality Scheme was agreed by our members in July 2011. This report
summarises progress against the year one actions in 2011/12. The published
Joint Equality Scheme has been updated to reflect these actions. Our staff
demographic data has also been updated.
By publishing our scheme on our website we are complying with the Public
Sector Equality Duty which requires us to annually update our information and to
publish it.
In summary
There are 32 actions that were priority actions for year one of our Joint Equality
Scheme, where an action is listed under more than one scheme it has the same
action number to avoid double counting.
24 of these have been completed and 3 need to roll forward to 2012/13 and 5
have not been completed and are no longer relevant.
The table below provides more detail on the status of the action.
Sonya Frankland
Corporate Support Adviser
July 2012
1
Race Equality Scheme
Actions relating to our General Duty
Action
1
Continue to monitor our equality
indicators and benchmark against
other national parks.
2
Improve our corporate understanding
of equality and diversity by working
through the Joint Equality Group
3
Increase the diversity of our members
Lead Person
Performance
Management Adviser
and Heads of Service
Corporate Support
Adviser
Chief Executive
4
Involve existing BME volunteers in
recruitment material and promotion
Volunteer Coordinator
5
Continue to work with Campaign for
National Parks on the Mosaic projects
Team Leader Communications and
Learning
6
Review the Statement of Community
Involvement
Head of Development
Management
2
Status
√
Update
Complete
Takes place annually we are yet to receive
benchmarking information.
Our corporate approach has improved and our
√
approach to Equality Impact Assessments has
become more efficient.
There have been no secretary of state vacancies this
X
year, the next vacancy is likely to be in 2013/14. When
Roll
forward this is advertised we will put in place our mentoring
and training programme for a member of the BME
community.
Mosaic volunteers attended and supported our
√
Preston Mela stand in June 2011. They have been
active in involving others from their community and
helping recruiting new Community Champion
volunteers. BME volunteers also appear in our
promotional material for the Corporate Volunteering
scheme and publications
The Mosaic project has now been completed and eight
√
community champions from the Mosaic project have
been recruited as LDNP Community Champion
volunteers.
A working together project has been set up and
√
through this a draft statement will be created by
December 2012.
Race Equality Scheme
Actions relating to our Public Sector duty
7
8
9
10
11
12
Action
Publish a prioritised list of functions,
documents and procedures to be
impact assessed * (contained in this
Joint Equality Scheme)
Publish on our website our Equality
Impact Assessments
http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/index/a
boutus/customerservicestandards/equ
alityimpactassessments.htm
Improve the cycle of Equality Impact
Assessments to ensure actions from
assessments feed into service
planning *
Run refresher training for Heads of
Service to carry out Equality Impact
Assessments
Work with Cumbria Constabulary to
promote third party hate crime
reporting at each of our sites
Capture information the types of
enquiries we receive from BME
groups
Lead Person
Corporate Support
Adviser
Status
√
Update
The 2011 - 2014 Joint Equality Scheme was published
on our website in July 2011.
Each Head of Service
√
The Equality Impact Assessments for our service
plans 2011-12 were published in 2011. New Equality
Impact Assessments will be published by 30 June
2012.
Performance
Management Adviser
√
We altered our process in 2012/13 for all services to
draft an impact assessment for external challenge by
our Equality and Diversity partners on 1 May 2012.
Corporate Support
Adviser
X
Head of Information
Services
X
A tender has been let and this will include refresher
training on Equality Impact Assessments later this
year.
This is no longer a priority – Cumbria Constabulary
have set up on line reporting.
Team Leaders
Information Centres
X
3
This action has not been completed and will not be
pursued. Demographic data will continue to be
captured through feedback forms on site and any
customer surveys. This information will be used to
develop our service in the future.
Sex (Gender) Equality Scheme
General duties
Action
13
Establish an Employee Assistance
Provider for 24 hour free advice and
support to all employees
14
Women only map and compass
events to continue
15
Run four women only walks
Lead Person
Senior HR Adviser
Status
√
Volunteer Led Activity
Coordinator
Volunteer Led Activity
Coordinator
3
Increase the diversity of our members
Chief Executive
16
Review the maternity and paternity
policy to ensure legal compliance
Establish a women’s development
club
Senior HR Adviser HR
Officer
Senior HR Adviser
LD and HR Adviser
17
4
Update
This service is provided by Personal Performance
Consultants Worldwide Ltd (PPC) who provide a
confidential service.
Two events were run which were attended by nine
√
women.
Nine women attended three walks. One walk was
√
cancelled as there was no attendance. Running again
for 2012-13 with targeted marketing
There have been no secretary of state vacancies this
√
year, the next vacancy is likely to be in 2013/14.
Roll
forward When this is advertised we will put in place our
mentoring and training programme for a member of
the BME community.
New policy approved and to be published on the
√
website.
This has been established, four sessions have taken
√
place two of them with guest speakers.
Disability Equality Scheme
General Duties
Action
18
Increase the Miles without Stiles
routes for people with limited mobility
19
20
21
22
Lead Person
Access and recreation
Developer
Continue to be an accredited user of
the ‘Positive About Disability’ Two –
Tick Symbol
Maintain our website to ensure AAA
accreditation for usability
Head of HR &
Performance
HR Officer
Web Editor
Place recruitment adverts in a crosssection of media
Work with Cumbria Disability Network
to improve staff training on the
requirements of our disabled
customers
HR Officer
Status
√
√
√
Head of Information
Services
5
Update
Routes 40 Staveley Riverside and 41 Loughrigg Tarn
Circuit have been added to the Miles without Stiles
series. New routes have been completed at Scale
Hill, Crummock Water, Wilson Park, Broughton in
Furness and Holme Wood, Loweswater. The pages
will be added to the Miles without Stiles booklet this
summer.
Continuing.
Regular checks against industry standards. Will be
carrying out a usability check for 2012-13 with
disabled users.
Adverts are placed as standard on our website, job
√
centre, and publicised through Twitter and Facebook.
This has not taken place yet, and is part of a wider
X
project for the development of the information
Roll
forward service. Due for completion November 2012.
Disability Equality Scheme
Actions relating to our Public Sector duty
Lead Person
Team Leaders –
Information Services
Status
12
Action
Capture information on the types of
enquiries we receive from disabled
customers
23
Investigate enquiries by text
Contact Centre Team
Leader
X
24
Continue to send our Events Guide
and Miles without Stiles updates to
local disability groups
Planning and
Partnerships
Administrator
√
6
X
Update
This action has not been completed and will not be
pursued. Demographic data will continue to be
captured through feedback forms on site and any
customer surveys. This information will be used to
develop our service in the future.
A representative from Action on Hearing Loss
(formerly RNID) did not recommend enquiry by text.
Their feedback is that customers who are deaf or
hard of hearing prefer to use email or one of the
many audio attachments to a telephone to increase
the sound level. None of our peers provide such a
service so I wouldn’t propose to take this further.
The events guide is sent out to disability groups. Our
Contact Centre sends out updates to a Miles without
Stiles email group when a new route is opened or
when there are any changes to an existing route.
Age Equality Scheme
General Duties
Action
21
Place recruitment adverts in a crosssection of media
Lead Person
HR Officer
Status
√
Action
Engage with our Learning Service
and Adventure Out events
Lead Person
Events and Learning
Coordinator
Status
X
Undertake research on the
information requirements of young
people
Head of Information
Services
Update
Adverts are placed as standard on our web, job
centre, twitter and facebook.
Specific Actions
25
26
7
Update
Since this action was created our learning service
has evolved to include working with the John Muir
Trust. And a programme of delivering school
assemblies. This has superseded working with
Adventure out.
This action has not been completed and will not be
X
pursued. Demographic data will continue to be
Roll
forward captured through feedback forms on site and any
customer surveys. This information will be used to
develop our service in the future.
Gender reassignment Equality Scheme
None in 2011/12
Sexual Orientation Equality Scheme
General Duties
Action
27
Take positive measures if we feel
persons of a particular sexual
orientation are under-represented in
the workforce
28
Make it clear that social events
involving partners and children are
equally open to all.
Lead Person
Senior HR Adviser
Status
√
√
Head of HR and
Performance
8
Update
Monitoring of our staff demographic has begun and
full analysis of the new data will take place later in the
year.
Social events are routinely open to all.
Religion and Belief Equality Scheme
Specific Actions
In working towards our commitment we will:
29
12
30
Action
Continue to provide training for staff
and volunteers at pre-season events
(including Information Services) and
include training on awareness of the
religious customs to ensure event
leaders acknowledge and respond
reasonably to the needs of the group
Capture information the types of
enquiries we receive from people of
different faiths
Lead Person
Volunteer Led Activity
Coordinator
Status
√
Update
We take every opportunity to provide awareness of
religious customs to our volunteer event leaders at
our pre-season event and two group management
sessions.
Team Leaders
Information Centres
X
Events and Learning
Coordinator
√
This action has not been completed and will not be
pursued. Demographic data will continue to be
captured through feedback forms on site and any
customer surveys. This information will be used to
develop our service in the future.
Hosted Community Spirit Event at Brockhole and
planned again for 2012-13. Xx people attended.
Continue to participate in Community
Spirit Cumbria event to further
interfaith and multicultural harmony
and understanding.
9
Socio-economic and Rural Equality Scheme
Specific Actions
In working towards our commitment we will:
12
31
32
3
Action
Capture information on economic
accessibility of wider surveys
Lead Person
Team Leaders
Information Services
Continue to offer affordable housing
coordinators to assist communities
with planning issues
Promote affordable housing
development through the Local
Development Framework Sites
Allocations
Increase the diversity of our members
Head of Development
Management
Spatial Planning Team
Leader
Status
X
Roll
forward
√
√
Update
This has not taken place yet, and is part of a wider
project for the development of the information service.
Will roll forward due for completion November 2012.
This approach is now an established part of our
planning service.
We are publishing the pre-submission Development
Plan Document in October 2012. This will be
submitted to the secretary of state in January 2013
X Roll There have been no secretary of state vacancies this
forward year, the next vacancy is likely to be in 2013/14.
When this is advertised we will put in place our
mentoring and training programme for a member of
the BME community.
Chief Executive
10