East Lothian Council
Equality Impact Assessment Template
Please refer to East Lothian’s Equality Impact Assessment Toolkit when
completing this template. Copies are available from the intranet or phone
01620 827134. IF you require any help or advice please contact Rebecca
Spillane, Equalities Officer, at the above number or email
[email protected]

Department: Community Services

Date: 15th of March 2010

Lead Officer: Julia White

Policy/Function Title: A Joint Strategy for Older People in East
Lothian 2010-2020 (Draft March 2010)

New Function
Section 1: Define the aim of the policy
1. What are the aims and objectives and purpose of the policy?
Please List
The purpose of the strategy is to set out the vision of the Joint Planning Group
to improve the health and wellbeing of older people in East Lothian by
redesigning and improving existing services, ensuring equity of access, and
raising standards.
Four outcomes have been developed, all of which follow on from the Scottish
Government’s National Outcome (6) ‘We live longer, healthier lives’ and the
local Health and Social Care Group’s outcome ‘In East Lothian we will live
healthier, more active and independent lives’:

To plan for services that ensure we meet the needs of East Lothian’s
growing and ageing population

To reshape services for older people to enable them to live
independently, with support whenever necessary

To reduce isolation and health and wellbeing amongst older people
and their carers
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
To raise standards of service to deliver effective and efficient services
in a challenging financial climate.
2. Who are the main beneficiaries of the policy and how will they
benefit? Please list
The over 65s and their carers are the main beneficiaries of this strategy. The
strategy also aims to improve opportunities for those who are over 55, who
need specialist services and for whom we should plan the transition into older
people’s services. The strategy also has a preventative element which seeks
to improve opportunities for adults over 65.
The policy has an overall benefit for the general public of East Lothian
recognising that a large number of people are affected by aging through
relationships e.g. family members, friends, siblings etc.
3. How will the policy be delivered or put into practice e.g. who is
responsible?
A Joint Programme Board (multi-agency) is being established to set the
priorities for this area of work and to over see the effective implementation
of the plan. It is proposed that the Joint Programme Board will become the
integrator for the IRF.
A Transformation Team has been established to implement the strategy.
The Joint Planning Group will have a role in monitoring and evaluating the
strategy.
The Strategic Services Team will support the development of the local
infrastructure to deliver on this strategy e.g. develop supporting policy
frameworks and commissioning of services.
The Heads of Service for Social Care Services will have a key role in
managing the change in services as they are redesigned. Significant
organisational and cultural change will be required to implement this
strategy effectively.
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4. Are there other departments or agencies involved in the delivery
of the policy? Have they been involved in the impact assessment
process?
There are a number of services involved in the development of this strategy.
All partners were invited to participate in the equality impact assessment and
the Planning and Commissioning Officer and the Service Redesign project
Manager undertook the final assessment. The completed EQIA will be shared
with all partners for comment.
Partners include:
- East Lothian Council Adult Services
- East Lothian Council Housing
- NHS Lothian & Community Health Partnership
- East Lothian Community Care Forum
- East Lothian Community Care Providers Forum
- Carers of East Lothian
5. Do you have a set budget? Are the resources being used in a way
that promotes equal opportunities?
There is a financial framework of £11 million to deliver this new strategy.
However, there are no new funds available and delivery will be made through
resource transfer i.e. by redesigning exiting services to create new/ different
services.
6. How does this policy impact on other relevant policies?
The delivery of this policy is relevant to the successful delivery of the following
strategies:
- Physical Disability Strategy – to be developed in 2010
- Mental Health Strategy – to be revised in 2010
- Dementia Strategy –currently considering the development of an
specific strategy
- New Local Housing Strategy
- Transport – Adult Services Review
- Living and Dying Well – NHS Lothian Palliative Care Strategy
The development of this strategy is important to the delivery of commitments
to the Single Equality Scheme and the Single Outcome Agreement 20092010.
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Section 2 Gathering Evidence
1. What do you already know about the diverse needs and/ or
experiences if your target audience?
Source of Evidence
Research
Details
Capacity Plan was developed by East Lothian Council
Adult Social Care with support from the Scottish
Government’s Joint Improvement team
Telecare Guidance from the Scottish Government
Demographic predictions
Consultation
The formal consultation process on the Joint Older
People’s Strategy began in early April 2009 and ran for
six months to the end of September. The consultation
was advertised in local newspapers and East Lothian
Council’s Focus magazine as well as through posters in
local shops, and public buildings. We used a number of
consultation methods, including:



Public meetings held in the evenings
All day public meetings, enabling members of the
public to drop in at a time convenient to them
Presentations to specific groups, such as carers,
people who use services, community councillors
and groups of staff.
Specific consultations were also carried out with:
 People using day centres for older people
 Older hospital patients and housebound people.
We also made extensive use of online methods and were
extremely pleased with the levels of interest shown by
stakeholders. More than 700 people attended 31
meetings and 279 letters and emails commenting on the
draft strategy were received.
Equalities Monitoring
Information about age, disability, race and gender is
currently collected.
User Feedback
3 research projects were undertaken in 2008 &9. These
were:
 Day Services 2008
 Housebound and Hospital patients 2009
 Day Centre Users 2009
Strategy initially developed by the Older People’s
Strategy Manager who worked with the Joint
Improvement Team to establish to the need for and
direction of change in older people’s services in East
Professional/ Officer
Knowledge and experience
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Lothian.
A communications strategy is currently being developed
to continue participation in the change process.
Other
2. Do you have enough information for you to continue?
Equality Target Group
Race
More Information Required?
Disability
Limited information about disability is currently
recorded although the new Framework I should
improve this.
More analysis of the gender profile of older people in
East Lothian is required to ensure that services are
delivered appropriately. .
Gender
MECOPP research 2008 provides good feedback on
ethnic minority carer needs. We may need more
information about demographic changes and future
needs of service users.
Religion and Belief
Census information is available but does not give a
clear picture of service needs for older people in
respect of religion and belief services.
Age
No
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
Little information is available. Information has been
requested from Stonewall Scotland about the
experiences of older LGBT people using services.
3. Rapid Impact Checklist What does the information tell you about the
potential impact of this policy on the following equality groups
Equality
Target
Group
Positive Impact
+
Race
There is specific
support for ethnic
minority carers
outlined in the
strategy.
Cultural awareness
Neutral Negative
Impact Impact
=
-
Cross
cutting
issue
Gypsy travellers
have a lower life
expectancy than
others and
therefore may
not benefit from
the development
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training has been
undertaken and
commitment to
continuing this is
made through the
workforce
development
section of the
strategy.
Disability
Gender
(male,
female,
transgender)
There is recognition
of the value of peer
support for all
groups, though this
maybe of particular
value to ethnic
minority groups in
East Lothian.
The purpose of this
strategy is to
improve services
through redesigning
existing services to
create better
services. The
strategy will bring
about a culture
change which will
result in a greater
focus on partnership
with individuals and
encourage greater
autonomy and
influence over any
care received.
The Resource and
Rehabilitation
service will be
important in
increasing
independence for
people with
disabilities.
Women in East
Lothian Have a
higher life
expectancy then
men. Therefore they
are likely to use
more of the services
available through
this strategy.
of this strategy.
However, the
Response
Service will be
available to
them. It is
recognised that
specific outreach
work to this
community will
be required to
ensure that they
can access the
service.
Access to
counselling
and support
for older
people is
required for
all groups.
The strategy
needs to
consider further
the needs of
older women in
using services
e.g. community
safety concerns.
The strategy
needs to take
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Religion and
Belief
All food choices
offered through
Adult Social Care
Services will take
account of religious
beliefs and
requirements.
account issues
related to
transgender
through staff
training and
development.
There is no
recognition of
the importance
of religion and
belief/ spirituality
for older people
within the
strategy.
The provision of
personal care will
take account of
religious beliefs and
requirements.
Age
Cultural awareness
training has been
undertaken and
commitment to
continuing this is
made through the
workforce
development
section of the report
The strategy
focuses on the
provision of services
to those over the
age of 65. The
development of the
Response Service
will benefit other
adults who can
access the service.
This service will also
benefit smooth
transitions from
Children’s Services.
It is recognised
that the change
process will
cause concern
for older people
currently using
services. E.g.
the closures of
unsuitable care
homes and the
new usage of
resources at
Belhaven
hospital.
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Lesbian, Gay There is a
commitment to
and biequalities training
sexual
Equalities
training
maybe
required for
voluntary
sector
approved
care
providers.
made through the
workforce
development
section of the report.
This will important in
ensuring that
services are
meeting the needs
of LGBT older
people.
Other groups Carers- increased
support for carers is
to consider
one of the drivers
for change in taking
this strategy
forward.
There
needs to be
recognition
of triggers
that may
occur at
‘change of
life’ points
e.g. issues
emerging
about
domestic
abuse,
sexual
orientation,
etc which
may not
have been
identified
previously.
There is no
mention of older
people with drug
and alcohol
abuse problems
in the strategy.
At this stage you need to consider whether a full impact assessment is
needed on your policy. This may be done on one strand as identified above.
4. Will you be making changes to your policy?
o What action will you take
1. Review the process for monitoring equalities within the context
of this strategy.
2. Include a more specific commitment to equalities capacity
building within the workforce development section of the
strategy and action plan
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3. Consider the provision of services through a gender analysis of
service requirements.
4. Discuss the options for linking into existing support/outreach
services for Gypsy Travellers to ensure that they can have equal
access to the Response Service and other relevant services
5. Discuss with MELDAP the issues regarding drug and alcohol
abuse and services for older people in order to predict future
need.
o Who will take that action
Julia White will co-ordinate the actions identified above.
o When that action will take place
As soon as possible and before June 2010.
5. Have you decided to proceed with this policy?
The strategy will go before the Joint Planning Group for further consideration.
It will then proceed to East Lothian Council for approval in April 2010 and then
to the NHS Board for approval in May/June 2010. The changes suggested
above will be incorporated into the strategy.
6. If you have decided not to undertake a full equality impact
assessment, can you justify this decision?
As the strategy EQIA has not revealed any serious negative impacts, we will
not carry out a further EQIA at this time. As the strategy progresses through
the above committees, the EQIA will be reviewed to ensure that all changes
are also assessed.
Signed
……………………………………
Date
…………………………………….
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Please send a completed version of this form to:
Rebecca Spillane, Equalities Officer, East Lothian Council.
Email: [email protected]
Phone 01620 827134
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