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ITEM EX10 - ANNEX 2

EXECUTIVE – 28 OCTOBER 2003

SOCIAL INCLUSION AND EQUALITIES

Progress on the Race Equality Scheme

1. The County Council’s Race Equality Scheme was adopted by the Executive on 17 September 2002 and is compliant with legislative requirements. The Scheme sets out in detail how the Council will fulfil its statutory obligations under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. All Directorates conducted audits of their functions and policies with the support of a representative Officer Working Group. The local Racial Equality Councils and members of the former Ethnic Minorities Consultative Committee were involved in prioritising the schedule of reviews, which is set out in the Scheme. The Officer Working Group has continued to support implementation of the Scheme.
2. The Race Equality Scheme lists the County Council’s functions and policies that have been identified as relevant to race equality and prioritised for action over a 3-years timetable. Each review needs to assess in detail whether the way the functions and policies are carried out meets each of the three parts of the general duty to eliminate unlawful discrimination, to promote equality of opportunity and to promote good race relations. The review then needs to identify what changes need to be made to comply with the general duty and finally implement any changes required.
3. Progress in year 1 (2002/03) of the Race Equality Scheme has been variable and progress reports have not, as yet, been submitted for all areas scheduled for review, making the completion of an audit trail difficult.
4. Year 1 (2002/03) reviews have been completed and changes identified as follows:

- Learning & Culture: Heritage Services.

- Learning & Culture: Raising standards of pupil attainment, secondary phase.

- Community Safety: Fire Service, service delivery.

- Resources: Translation and interpretation service.

5. Changes to functions and policies identified include:

- The creation of exhibitions specifically on or about ethnic minorities, and ensuring that minority groups are included in mainstream exhibition programmes.

- Regular engagement with ethnic minority communities to discuss and consider possible research and acquisition projects within cultural services.

- The schools admissions policy has been amended to prioritise admission of vulnerable groups, including asylum seekers.

- A Senior Adviser and an Education Officer have been recruited with specific responsibility for raising attainment of pupils at risk of underachieving, including ethnic minority pupils.

- Fire appliances carry a file containing key phrases translated into a number of minority languages thus assisting with early and appropriate intervention.

- Following consultation, independent research was commissioned to identify unmet community need for translation and interpreting services.

6. Year 1 (2002/03) review progress reports have not been submitted as follows: