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ITEM EX8A

EXECUTIVE – 7 SEPTEMBER 2004

SOCIAL INCLUSION SCRUTINY REVIEW

Report of the Deputy Leader of the Council

1. The purpose of this report is to consider the final social inclusion scrutiny review report and recommendations from the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee on 15 July 2004. This report incorporates CCMT’s advice and guidance as to how the Executive might respond to these recommendations.
2. CCMT has established a working group to draft a corporate Social Inclusion Strategy, chaired by the Director for Community Safety, which will report to the Executive on 19 October 2004. A two-stage approach has therefore been suggested in responding to the scrutiny review report.
3. This involves the Executive now agreeing an initial response to the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee recommendations and identifying issues that will need to be addressed in more detail in the Director for Community Safety’s subsequent report on behalf of CCMT.
4. In receiving the report and recommendations from the Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee, I would like to thank the Committee and Review Group for providing a well researched and solid basis for assisting us in appraising, evaluating and re-invigorating our corporate approach to promoting social inclusion in Oxfordshire.
5. I would also like to thank the Social Inclusion Group, established by the Executive in March 2002, for their important work in identifying and drawing together good practice within the Council and externally, providing coordination between officers and identifying issues requiring increased awareness or strategic consideration; and acknowledge the significant contribution of my predecessor as Deputy Leader in chairing that Group during the majority of this period.

What we mean by Social Inclusion

6. As the terminology and focus of activities, both nationally and locally, has developed from tackling poverty, to addressing factors causing social exclusion and now to encouraging social inclusion, the need for a formalised definition of this area of work has become more important.
7. The scrutiny review report and accompanying video use a "technical" definition of social inclusion from a well-respected external body, which is already being used internally and is quoted on the Council’s public website. CCMT’s guidance is that the Executive should consider adopting this definition (as quoted below), which will then be expanded on and the specific Oxfordshire context made clear in the draft Social Inclusion Strategy to be discussed by the Executive on 19 October 2004.

"Social inclusion is the process by which efforts are made to ensure that everyone, regardless of their experiences and circumstances, can achieve their potential in life. To achieve inclusion income and employment are necessary but not sufficient. An inclusive society is also characterised by a striving for reduced inequality, a balance between individuals' rights and duties and increased social cohesion." (Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion).

8. Additional benefits of using this definition are that it makes the necessary links between social inclusion, equality and community cohesion activities and that, as a result, its usage by the Council was viewed favourably during the recent audit of the Council’s corporate health best value performance indicators.

Our Aim, Objectives, Priorities and Values

9. In March 2004, the Executive agreed that the promotion of equality and social inclusion is a corporate commitment standing alongside and integrating with the Council’s values.
10. In adopting the Comprehensive Equality Policy at the same meeting, the Executive agreed to develop practices that promote the right for everyone to participate in all aspects of life by removing barriers to participation and to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity for all.
11. The commitment to promoting equality and social inclusion is clearly stated in the Oxfordshire Plan and has been articulated so as to flow seamlessly from the Council’s overarching aim to improve the quality of life in Oxfordshire and through our strategic objectives, as delivered via the 13 priorities for 2004/05. Together with our values, we will ensure that this commitment guides the way we work and that it is effectively communicated alongside the values, clearly understood and actioned appropriately, including mainstreaming within all Directorate and service plans.
12. The Council’s strategic objectives of helping people to fulfil their potential, protecting our environment, safeguarding our communities, sustaining prosperity and raising our performance, incorporate the addressing of social inclusion matters as a cross-cutting theme. This will be further articulated and expanded in the draft Social Inclusion Strategy, due to be discussed by the Executive on 19 October 2004, which will demonstrate that promoting equality and social inclusion is central to the value base of the Council and ensure that future Oxfordshire Plan priorities continue to address social inclusion. This addresses recommendations 1 and 3 from the scrutiny review report.

Community Strategy and Voluntary Sector Compact

13. In adopting the Comprehensive Equality Policy, the Executive undertook that, as a partner, influencer and enabler, the Council will highlight the needs and requirements of people facing discrimination; take a strategic lead in challenging discriminatory policies and practices; and enter into agreements and partnerships that actively promote equality and social inclusion.
14. The application of the Council’s equality and social inclusion policies to the Oxfordshire Community Partnership and the Voluntary Sector Compact will be expanded in the draft Social Inclusion Strategy to be discussed by the Executive on 19 October 2004. This commitment is also stated within the Oxfordshire Plan in relation to the Oxfordshire Community Partnership’s Community Strategy. This addresses recommendation 2 from the scrutiny review report.

Accountability on CCMT

15. CCMT believes that it is essential that there is clear accountability and responsibility for social inclusion at the top of the organisation and that the issue has the standing and profile within the Council that it deserves. Therefore, in addition to my constitutional role as portfolio holder for equality and social inclusion, CCMT has agreed that the Director for Learning & Culture will be accountable on CCMT for ensuring that this cross-cutting theme and golden thread is effectively actioned, implemented and fulfilled in practice and mainstreamed throughout the delivery of the Council’s objectives and priorities. This will be further expanded on in the draft Social Inclusion Strategy, due to be discussed by the Executive on 19 October 2004. This will ensure that any weaknesses identified by the scrutiny review report are dealt with and fulfils recommendation 4.

Resources for Social Inclusion

16. The resources agreed within the current budget to ensure the appointment of dedicated staffing within the corporate strategies unit in the Chief Executive’s Office are being deployed for this purpose and recruitment is currently underway. Interviews to engage two full-time equivalent members of staff to manage social inclusion and equalities work at the corporate level are scheduled for 1 September 2004. These posts will be maintained from within existing resources, including the increase in funding specifically allocated within the 2004/05 budget. This addresses recommendation 5 from the scrutiny review report.

Social Inclusion Group

17. As stated in paragraph 5 above, the present Social Inclusion Group has achieved a great deal, particularly during the past 12 months, of which the Oxfordshire in Detail tool and summary report, mapping social inclusion indicators, is an excellent example.
18. However, with the increased emphasis now being placed on the coordination of social inclusion work within the Council, after 2 ½ years in its present form this Group would benefit from tightening, re-focusing and, in some cases, higher-level representation, so that it is more clearly a strategic group rather than a practitioners’ group. The strategic social inclusion initiatives now being put in place will also help to ensure that officers across the Council are properly engaged and supported in delivering social inclusion work.
19. Whilst adding much of benefit, the recent representation of outside bodies on the Social Inclusion Group has also detracted from its strategic internal focus. Consequently, it may prove more effective to establish an equivalent broader consultative reference group of external organisations working in this field. This could also include elected members, as appropriate.
20. Proposals on future governance and management arrangements for social inclusion will be addressed in detail in the Director for Community Safety’s report on behalf of CCMT, to be discussed by the Executive on 19 October 2004. This will therefore address recommendation 6 from the scrutiny review report.

Social Inclusion Targets

21. CCMT’s view is that badging existing performance targets, as set out in recommendation 7 of the scrutiny review report, does not go far enough, particularly as these external targets are often not especially effective in measuring performance in this field.
22. It is important that there are good quality targets that genuinely demonstrate progress in promoting social inclusion and that these are reported on routinely, within their natural settings and context, to ensure the wider mainstreaming of this work. It is therefore felt that in addition to collecting and reporting on existing performance targets, more emphasis should be placed on the Oxfordshire in Detail tool and summary report, the people centred impact assessment framework and a social inclusion annual report, as mechanisms for identifying progress.
23. This will also be dealt with in more detail in the draft Social Inclusion Strategy, due to be discussed by the Executive on 19 October 2004 and will address recommendations 7, 8 and 9 from the scrutiny review report.

Consultation and Community Engagement

24. Effective corporate and directorate level consultation is important and increasingly this is taking on more of a community engagement approach. CCMT’s view is that the Council’s Consultation Officer should be asked to identify how consultation with hard to reach groups is currently being delivered through existing consultation and community engagement initiatives, and what further work needs to be done to enhance and improve the position in a sustainable way. This should include an evaluation of how much of this work is currently being delivered, how effective it is and identification of any resource implications before further action is taken. This will address recommendation 10 from the scrutiny review report.

Endorsement by the Chief Executive

25. The Corporate Governance Scrutiny Committee has also asked the Executive to include, in the scrutiny review video, an endorsement by the Chief Executive of the scrutiny report (to be drafted by the Scrutiny Review Officers in consultation with the Chief Executive, the Review Group and the Committee Chair, Deputy Chairman and 3rd Group Spokesperson). I support this proposal.

RECOMMENDATIONS

26. The Executive is RECOMMENDED to:

1. adopt the definition of social inclusion as quoted in paragraph 7 of the report;
2. agree that the Council’s corporate commitment to promoting equality and social inclusion should be effectively communicated alongside the values and actioned appropriately, including mainstreaming within all directorate and service plans;
3. agree that the Council should continue to use its influence as a partner to encourage the application of the Council’s equality and social inclusion policies to the Oxfordshire Community Partnership’s Community Strategy and the Voluntary Sector Compact;
4. support CCMT’s nomination of the Director for Learning & Culture as the person accountable for social inclusion on CCMT;
5. support the recruitment and maintenance of dedicated staffing for social inclusion and equalities, as set out in paragraph 16 of the report, using existing resources;
6. endorse the need to review and restructure the present Social Inclusion Group;
7. support the development of the Oxfordshire in Detail tool and summary report, the people centred impact assessment framework and a social inclusion annual report;
8. ask the Consultation Officer to identify how consultation with hard to reach groups is currently being delivered and what further work needs to be done;
9. request the Chief Executive to include an endorsement in the scrutiny review video consistent with the Executive’s decision on these recommendations; and
10. note that the Director for Community Safety, on behalf of CCMT, will submit a further substantive report to the Executive on 19 October 2004.

Cllr DERMOT ROAF, Deputy Leader of the Council

Background papers: Nil

Contact Officer: Adrian Harper-Smith, Corporate Strategies Manager. Tel: (01865) 810179.

August 2004.

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