Decision details

4.1    Paul Aladenika (SMG Policy Development and Analytical Insight) introduced the report. The following key points were noted:

·      Local authorities had a statutory duty to publish their equalities objectives. Lewisham Council used the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme (CES).

·      The development of the CES for 2015 – 2020 was based on statistical analysis of the Lewisham’s population, presented to the Committee at their October meeting.

·      The CES contained a statement of the Council’s key equality objectives but also provides a framework through which the Council’s decisions can be evaluated according to their impact on equalities.

·      The five key objectives were: tackle victimisation, discrimination and harassment; improve access to services; close the gap in outcomes for all residents; increase mutual understanding and respect within and between communities; and increase citizen participation and engagement.  

·      The implementation of the CES is done through other key strategies of the Council, such as the Safer Lewisham Plan.

4.2    Paul Aladenika and Barrie Neal (Head of Policy and Governance) answered questions from the Committee. The following key points were noted:

·      The CES was normally reviewed annually by the Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee. Changes in the demographics of the borough could be included in that presentation to the Committee.

·      If the Council was to start working as a private landlord, it would still need to comply with its duties under the Equality Act 2010.

·      Specific strategic documents of the Council had been identified that identifies work the Council does in the area of the five strategic objectives of the CES. Each strategy would normally be presented to one of the Select Committee for comment, including the action plan that would identify how the Council would aim to achieve the objectives set out in the strategies.

·      Data about the population in Lewisham had been carefully analysed and had led to the five objectives in the CES. The objectives were also deliberately broadly defined so anyone with any or multiple protected characteristics could identify themselves in the objectives.

·      The Council would undertake reasonable steps to increase participation and engagement. Some of those steps might be to listen to communities instead of talking at them. The Council could for instance make an effort to go out and be present at meetings of communities groups rather than waiting on these groups to approach the Council.

·      The Council could improve the feedback it gave to residents who had responded to consultations to enhance confidence in the consultation process. The Council could also see if consultations could be combined so people did not feel fatigued with the number of issues they were being asked to comment on.

·      The Lewisham residents’ survey of 2015 showed that 60% of respondents trusted the Council to make the right decision even if they disagreed with that decision. This showed a large amount of trust from residents in the Council.

4.3    The Committee made a number of comments. The following key points were noted:

·      The objectives listed in the CES were very high level, and the CES did not contain detail on how these objectives would be achieved. The Committee would not be easily able to evaluate whether the objectives were being achieved.  

·      Other Select Committees that would normally review the Council strategies that had been identified as the vehicles for the implementation of the CES, might not have the CES and its objectives at the forefront of their mind if they had not been presented with this information.

4.4    The Committee resolved to advise Mayor and Cabinet of the following:

The Committee noted the work done in drafting the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme 2016 – 2020. The Committee also noted the links between the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme and the five high level strategies that have been identified as vehicles for the implementation of the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme. 

The Committee felt strongly that the success of the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme should evaluated on the basis of the Council’s performance against the five objectives listed in the Scheme, and that is was therefore imperative that consideration for equalities was actively incorporated in all of the Council’s work with specific emphasis for five high level strategies identified as vehicles for the implementation of the CES.

The Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee recommends that the Mayor identifies community stakeholder groups that are particularly affected by the each of the five objectives of the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme. The Committee feels that formal relationships should be developed between these groups and the Council to enable constructive feedback to be provided of the Council’s performance against the objectives in the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme and its associated strategies.

4.5    The Committee resolved to advise Overview and Scrutiny Business Panel of the following:

The Committee noted the work done in drafting the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme 2016 – 2020. The Committee also noted the links between the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme and the five high level strategies that have been identified as vehicles for the implementation of the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme. 

The Committee felt strongly that the success of the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme should evaluated on the basis of the Council’s performance against the five objectives listed in the Scheme, and that is was therefore imperative that consideration for equalities was actively incorporated in all of the Council’s work with specific emphasis on the five high level strategies identified as vehicles for the implementation of the CES.

The Safer Stronger Communities Select Committee therefore recommends that each Select Committee is presented with the Comprehensive Equalities Scheme to enable the Select Committee to consider the equalities implications of agenda items presented to them, and specifically those Council strategies and their action plans that will determine the Council’s performance against the five objectives of the Comprehensive Equalities Schemes.

RESOLVED: that the Committee noted the report, and that the Committee’s views in paragraph 4.4 be referred to Mayor and Cabinet and that the Committee’s views in paragraph 4.5 be referred to Overview and Scrutiny Business Panel.