london borough of lambeth - lemos&crane lambeth res.pdf · 2 contents foreword – councillor peter...

London Borough of Lambeth

Race Equality Scheme

May 2002 – 2005

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Contents

Foreword – Councillor Peter Truesdale Chief Executive Faith Boardman -

1 Introduction

2 Overview

3 The Corporate Approach

• The Equalities Agenda

• Meeting the General and Specific Duties

• Identifying functions and policies relevant to the duty

• Monitoring policies

• Assessing and consulting on proposed policies

• Publishing the results

• Access to information and services

• Training staff

• Specific duties: Employment

4 Corporate Action Plan

Appendices:

1. Departmental Focus

2. Corporate Assessment Grid: Functions and Policies relevant to theduty.

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Foreword

Equality & diversity is not about special privileges for some, it’s aboutexcellence for all. That’s the nature of Lambeth Council’s mission, to ensurethat every resident receives the same high quality treatment from everyservice that the Council provides.

That doesn’t mean, a one size fits all mentality, in Lambeth we know thatdifferent people have different needs, and the services must reflect that, weknow that they must respond to the different priorities of the manycommunities that make up Lambeth’s people.

For far too long, government both local and national have paid lip service toequality without understanding that it is not something that can be bolted onas a policy afterthought when the “real” decisions have already been made.Racial equality and diversity is not just about identifying, challenging anderadicating overt racial discrimination, though that is clearly needed, it is aboutensuring everyone gets a service that respects their cultural and individualneeds.

Today, providing customer-focused services must mean understanding whoour customers are as individuals. We can’t go on making assumptions basedon colour or community, but we have to be aware that people are in partshaped by their background even though they cannot be defined by it.

Lambeth is dynamic because it is diverse, we don’t just tolerate that diversitywe celebrate it. Now, through this strategy the Council will at last begin toreflect that diversity, not just through paper policies but in its every day policesand priorities.

Councillor Peter TruesdaleLeader, Lambeth Council

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Foreword

Lambeth council is delighted by the advent of the Race Relations(Amendment) Act 2000. It provides Lambeth with a framework from which toinvestigate and develop our policies and practices. In addition, we’ve alreadyundertaken work using the Commission for Racial Equality – Race EqualityStandards and we’re pleased with the progress made against these.

Lambeth has long since had the reputation of being a highly diverse borough.The issues we face here are often complex and the needs of the borough arecontinuously evolving. We’ve set ourselves the task of becoming a highperforming borough particularly in the area of equality and diversity.

More specifically, Lambeth sees diversity as a commodity to be maximised forlocal residents and businesses. We feel that Lambeth has yet to unleash thefull potential of its residents and needs to find news ways of promotinginnovation in terms of race equality, and strengthening the work of communitydriven initiatives.

We are committed to ensuring that we build our capacity to deliver effectiveand sustainable solutions to address racial inequality and promote racerelations. It is imperative that we spend sufficient time identifying andremoving potential, current and historical barriers; as well as work closely withcommunities to ensure that we are delivering services effectively and meet thediversity of needs.

We hope that this Race Equality Scheme provides a foundation for this work,and we look forward to receiving your observations and feedback.

Faith Boardman – Chief ExecutiveLambeth Council

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Introduction

The Purpose

Lambeth’s Race Equality Scheme has a two-fold purpose, firstly to complywith the statutory obligations outlined in the general duty but also to take this astep further and use it as a framework to manage the Council’s widerequalities work.

Our Heritage

The London Borough of Lambeth is in the multi-racial heartland of London.During the 1980s Brixton became a ‘symbolic location’ for black communitiesand policy makers. The wave of inner city riots, the Scarman Inquiry andsubsequent Report highlighted the growing social and economic problems inthe borough. These events demonstrated the need to introduce policetraining around community and race issues and the corresponding need to setup community consultative committees to provide public bodies such as thepolice with a mechanism to consult with the local community. Despitesubsequent urban initiatives such as Inner City Task Force, City Action Teamsand New Deal for communities, which have served to keep Lambeth at thenexus of race and community relations, racial disadvantage has prevailed fora significant proportion of the population. As a consequence of this povertyand social exclusion are prevalent amongst certain sectors of the black andwhite community.

The London Borough of Lambeth is one of the largest of thirteen inner Londonboroughs. It has a population of approximately 269,500 people (Source: ONS1998, mid-year estimates), 40 per cent of which are members of Black andMinority Ethnic (BME), communities. The Council has gained the reputationfor being one of the most socially and culturally rich boroughs in the UK, forexample, in Lambeth more people are employed by the cultural and creativeindustries than in the retail sector. In terms of its relative socio-economicposition, Lambeth occupies 12th place out of a total of 354 on the level ofdeprivation scale for England, and 7th amongst the other London authorities.Unemployment is a major barrier to economic prosperity, with the boroughexperiencing nearly double the rate for London as a whole.

Lambeth’s vision therefore centres on a desire to develop an inclusiveapproach, with customer care a central feature of this vision. Lambeth intendsto achieve this by working in partnership with communities, business, otherpublic sector bodies including the health service, the police and transportproviders, with the express aim of ‘improving the quality of life and life-chances for all citizens’ (Source: Best Value Review, Local GovernmentImprovement Programme, 2000).

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The Council’s commitment is further demonstrated by choosing equality asone of the seven mission critical cross-cutting issues it will champion as partof its overall strategy, they are as follows:

1) Equality

2) Customer Care

3) Performance Management

4) Best Value

5) Human Resources

6) Contract Management

7) Financial Management

Equality is a journey and not a destination. Lambeth Council recognises it haschallenges ahead in seeking to eliminate racial discrimination and bettermeeting the needs of its diverse residents and business community. The RaceEquality Scheme is welcomed as an opportunity to develop a systemicapproach to meeting the challenge of making Lambeth a ‘symbolic location’synonymous with best practice.

Vision and Values

The new Council will be guided by four principles, which will underpin all that itdoes. These principles are:

• Quality local services• Value for money from the Council Tax• Empowering local communities• Openness and transparency in all the Council's work

As a result of these principles one of the new Council's priorities is to promoteequality and diversity. This means Lambeth must provide equal opportunitiesto all its residents. Promoting equality and diversity will be central to the waythe Council works. Equality and diversity cannot just be limited to the valuesof the Council but it must be a filter through which the Council looks at all thatit does, bringing it into the mainstream of Council activity. This will meantackling social and economic exclusion and social disenfranchisement. TheCouncil will only do this successfully if it engages with the diverse range ofcommunities within Lambeth, listens to what is wanted from the Council andencourages full participation in the Council's decision making processes whiledeveloping skills and resources throughout the borough.

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Overview

The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000: Origins and Implications

The death of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 marked a major sea change in Britishrace relations. For the first time public institutions in Britain such as the policeforce, were brought face to face with their inherent failings, towards asignificant proportion of the population. Central government responded byappointing Sir William Macpherson to chair an inquiry into the Lawrence policeinvestigation.

The resultant Macpherson report adopted the terminology of the AmericanBlack activist, Stokely Carmichael, to sum up the failings and so the terminstitutional racism entered mainstream political and media circles. The reportreferred to institutional racism as ‘the collective failure of an organisation toprovide an appropriate and professional service to people because of theircolour, culture, or ethnic origin. It can be seen or detected in processes,attitudes and behaviour which amount to discrimination through unwittingprejudice, ignorance, thoughtlessness and racist stereotyping whichdisadvantage minority ethnic people’ (Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report,1999).

Since these findings were first published, central government has beenworking towards introducing legislation that would address the significantloopholes in terms of direct and indirect discrimination by public authorities incarrying out their general duties. It was thought that this action wouldultimately strengthen the race relations legislation and hence the RaceRelations (Amendment) Act, herein referred to as ‘the Act’, was born. In itsbroadest sense the Act provides a legal framework from which organisationscan mainstream their race equality work.

The Home Office paper ‘New Laws for a Successful Multiracial Britain’,outlines what a model organisation engaged in promoting race equality shouldbe doing:

• Assesses policies and programmes for their effect on ethnic minorities,highlighting any potential for adverse impact, and engages in remedialaction where necessary;

• Monitors the introduction of its policies and programmes as amechanism to ensure that Black and minority ethnic groups’ needs aremet; and

• Produces a high profile equal opportunities policy.

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The Act gained royal assent on November 30th 2000, and the main provisionscame into force on 2nd April 2001. Under the terms of the general duty, publicauthorities such as Lambeth Council must give due regard to the need toachieve the following:

• eliminate unlawful racial discrimination,• promote equal opportunities; and• promote good relations between people from different racial groups.

A range of specific duties, has been produced to support the implementationof the general duty, they are as follows:

• identifying relevant functions and policies (including proposed policies),that are relevant to their performance of the general duty.

• the arrangements for assessing, and consulting on, the likely impact ofproposed policies on the promotion of race equality.

• the arrangements for monitoring policies for adverse impact.

• the arrangements for publishing assessment, consultation and monitoringreports.

• the arrangements for making sure the public have access to informationand public services.

• the arrangements for training staff in connection with the general duty.

Local authorities are also required to comply with a set of specific employmentduties, which record and monitor a range of data including:

• the numbers of staff in post, applicants for employment training andpromotion; and

• patterns of inequality.

Where such data is shown to highlight gaps in service, public bodies should:

• take action to remove barriers and promote equality of opportunity; and

• publish the results of monitoring on an annual basis.

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The Corporate Approach

Corporate Equalities Agenda

The Business Case

Lambeth Council intends to pursue a cutting edge strategy of maximising thediversity of the borough as the means through which it will satisfy the existingcustomer needs. The Council wishes to build-in a customer orientation thatplaces the challenge of meeting the diversity of experience at its centre.

The vast number of strategies in place to address social exclusion are criticalto achieve base line equity in relation to health, employment, housing,education, and so on. The Council intends that the driving force behind thesestrategies will focus on maximising the huge diversity capital that Lambeth hasat its disposal.

With this at its core Lambeth will be able to:

• Understand and appreciate the different realities and experiences ofthe local population.

• Define social and economic solutions that view the complexity as asource of opportunity, rather than a cause for containment.

• Seek to advance the local population and build a vision beyond thecurrent debilitating circumstances. The Council is well aware that lowexpectation breed poor results.

• Lead the way in pre-empting shifts in the labour market and takingproactive steps to cultivate resources to reflect this.

• Attract a greater diversity of customers within its current populationbase, who are satisfied that Lambeth is able to respond to thedynamism of diversity.

• Ensure loyalty with customers and staff, who feel that they are valued,through the sensitivity and responsiveness of solutions.

• Capitalise on the borough’s diversity to maintain and attract longer-termsocial and economic investment.

• Position itself to do 'business' generally.

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Internally, it will enable us to:

• Recruit and retain staff.• Have greater workforce flexibility by having different working patterns

and thereby encouraging those who have been traditionally excludedfrom work, e.g. mothers and parents generally, carers, disabled people,newer communities, etc.

• Gain access to a wider pool of skills and talents.• Strengthen relationships with partners, because of our ability to

respond in a way that adds value to partnership objectives.• Have increased creativity with which to solve problems.• Increase productivity through better problem solving and decision

taking.• Attain significantly greater level of commitment and participation by all

staff at all levels.• Achieve steady and significant growth through a common purpose

unfettered by unacknowledged conflict.

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Meeting the General and Specific Duty

Lambeth Council is committed to meeting all the requirements of the generaland specific duty under section 71(1) of the Race Relations Act 1976 asamended by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 in the following way:

• Developing a corporate wide race equality scheme, which is guided bythe vision, values and principles of the new strategic agenda.

• Using the corporate approach as the lead, develop individualdepartmental schemes designed around the distinct service deliveryrequirements of each one. This will be balanced with a new cross-departmental approach, which takes advantage of the growing trendtowards cross-cutting themes, which are not confined to one singledepartment and which actually require a joined-up approach.

• The Best Value Review process will provide a useful opportunity to takea much more holistic approach to fulfilling Council duties.

This document thus sets out, in the first instance, a summary of the Council’scurrent position in relation to the particular specific duty, and the Council’sapproach to fulfilling the broader general duty and the correspondingdepartmental approaches, which highlight the priority action areas, which willbe the focus for years one, two and three activities.

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The Process

Race Relations (Amendment) Act Steering Committee

Emphasising the importance of ensuring that the requirements of the Act aremainstreamed throughout the Council, a steering committee was formedcomprising key representatives from the Chief Executive’s department.Chaired by Carole Litchmore, Head of the Equalities and Diversity Division,the committee’s primary task was to design a process by which the Council’srace equality scheme could be drawn up and implemented.

External Assistance

To assist this process, the committee elicited the help of managementconsultants, Diversity International Ltd. who were tasked to carry out thedetailed work of:

• examining existing systems and structures in order to obtain an accuratepicture of the Council’s current position;

• working with individual departments to communicate and disseminate thekey requirements of the duty;

• assisting the steering committee in designing the most appropriate schemefor the Council; and

• advising on the best way to implement the action plans and review theoverall scheme.

Departmental Reference Groups

Five reference groups representing the five service delivery departments ofthe Council, were set up with the express aim of:

• Identifying the functions and policies and proposed policies relevant to theduty.

• Identifying priority action areas, which would then be embedded in thedepartment’s wider equality action plan.

• Working with the consultant to create departmental race equality schemes,which fit in with the wider corporate scheme.

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Communication and Consultation

Recognising the Council’s public service obligations and overall commitmentto communicate and consult on important matters affecting the lives of staffand the local community, an extensive communication and consultationprocess has been put in place to achieve the following:

Internal level

Communication and consultation with staff

Information about the Act and its subsequent requirements has been madeavailable to staff via various information points including the Intranet andNewscast. Following the publication of the Council-wide scheme, arepresentative selection of staff will be chosen to join a staff consultationgroup to directly feedback their comments, which will be used to review andwhere necessary upgrade the Council’s race equality scheme.

Presentations to Departmental Management Teams (DMTs), SeniorManagement Board (SMB), and the Corporate Equalities Board.

The Head of Equalities & Diversity made presentations to all the seniormanagement forums to ensure there was Council-wide understanding andcommitment for the new race equality legislation.

External Level

Arrangements have been put in place to receive feedback on the Council’sfirst race equality scheme. Utilising existing consultation mechanisms, suchas the Citizens Panel, local community and voluntary organisation forums,views will be sought on an ongoing basis.

Scrutiny

The Council will develop a suitable mechanism for incorporating the role ofscrutiny in the implementation of the general duty. This will encompassassessing the impact of policies and services on various stakeholders in thecommunity. In particular a Policy Impact Assessment Panel will provide aforum by which the impact assessment can take place which is an essentialrequirement of meeting its duty on the Act and the Local Government Act,which requires the Council to operate in an efficient, transparent manner andto be accountable to its electorate.

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Identifying functions and policies relevant to the duty

The Council is legally obliged to set out in its race equality schemethose functions and policies, or proposed policies which are relevant to thegeneral duty.

The concept of identifying functions and policies, which are relevant toparticular strategies, legal requirements or initiatives. It is a relatively new andwelcomed concept within the Council; to assess the relevance of functionsand new policies on identified groups. In some areas the current approach isfairly ad hoc. In others, such as the Community Renewal Division of the ChiefExecutive’s Department, all policies, plans, bids and strategies are targetedtowards reducing inequalities. This applies to European funding, assistancefor business start-ups, grants to the voluntary sector and community capacitybuilding. It was therefore appropriate to categorise all functions and policiesas relevant to the general duty.

The Council utilised the CRE suggested approach to identifying relevantfunctions and policies. The CRE guidance refers to functions as ‘the full rangeof your authority’s duties and powers. This includes internal and externalfunctions [i.e.] policy development (among other activities) as well as, servicedelivery such as regulation and enforcement’. In terms of policy, the Act andgeneral duty defines it as ‘the full range of formal and informal decisions thatyour authority makes in carrying out its duties, and all the ways in which itexercises its powers, or decides not to do so’. (Statutory Code of Guidance: AGuide for Public Authorities, CRE, 2001)

Departmental Reference Groups were tasked with the responsibility ofrecording all functions and policies, as well as identifying those that wererelevant to the duty. The prioritisation process took place after widerconsultation with departmental Service Managers and Business Unitmanagers. Those functions and policies which have the highest priority iePriority 1 have been placed in year one activities, those recorded as beingmedium priority were given priority rating 2 and consequently placed in year 2activities and finally those assessed as being of lower priority were given therating of 3 to be placed in year 3 activities. (See Appendix 2).

The Council recognises that this new approach of assessing and prioritisingfunctions and policies requires a systematic approach of:

• Using a corporate wide set of criteria to identify and assess relevance andconsequently prioritisation.

• Having access to documentary evidence to support the assessment made.• Implementing mechanisms for regularly reviewing functions and policies

for relevance.• It is envisaged that a systematic approach will be communicated and

adopted by those repeating the exercise in the future.

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Monitoring policies for adverse impact

The Council is obliged to monitor the content and execution of policies for anyadverse impact on the promotion of race equality with the express aim ofamending policies where they are found to be inconsistent with the generalduty.

The Council currently monitors policies associated with ensuring racialequality in a number of key areas either as a statutory requirement as in thecase of social services, housing and education or as a corporate initiative toensure good practice.

It is recognised that the Council has some way to go in terms of developing acomprehensive consistent monitoring system based on the censusclassification. Developing a robust system will enable the Council to assesswhether a policy or procedure is working effectively and equally not adverselyimpacting on the requirements of the general duty. The corporate action planwill thus seek to:

• Review existing monitoring systems and methods, amending and updatingwhere necessary to produce a single overarching monitoring systemcapable of analysing a range of equality measures such as gender, age,disability etc.

• Develop a system for identifying policies, which have or may potentiallyhave an adverse impact on the promotion of race equality.

• Make recommendations to policy planners where amendments need to bemade to particular functions and policies.

• In time, develop a corporate wide higher level of sophistication in the waydata is analysed and used i.e. have greater coordination between thevarious research and statistical functions within the Council. For example,the under-achievement of certain Black and ethnic minority (BME), workhas already begun in the education department to identify the reasons whysome schools are achieving better results from under-achieving BMEchildren in the borough. The results from this monitoring exercise will beused to spread best practice throughout all Lambeth’s schools.

• Review the monitoring system to ensure that it addresses and takesappropriate action to the widest possible set of questions based on theCRE Codes of Practice on the duty to promote race equality.

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Assessing and consulting on the likely impact of proposedpolicies on the promotion of race equality

The Council must outline its arrangements for assessing and consulting onthe likely impact of its proposed policies on the promotion of race equality.

The Council does not currently formally undertake impact assessments ofexisting and proposed policies. The Council recognises that the mostappropriate and effective way of carrying out this duty rests within the specificdepartments themselves. Each will be tasked to develop an impactassessment programme using the following list of criteria:

• Using existing documented evidence, which shows higher or lowerparticipation or uptake of services by various groups.

• Using existing documented evidence to show that groups have differinginterests, objectives, experiences and priorities vis a vis current andplanned policies. ‘Testing the Mix’, is a particular piece of research workwhich was carried out by the Environment Department in conjunction withthe neighbouring boroughs of Southwark, Greenwich and Hammersmithand Fulham.

• Using existing untapped avenues to promote equal opportunities or goodrelations between differing groups by amending certain policies ordeveloping greater links with key stakeholders such as local BMEcommunities and hard to reach groups through the borough’s localstrategic partnership, voluntary organisations and other community groups.

• where certain policies have been known to have had an adverse impact oncertain groups, seek out and consult those who have been affected inorder to obtain an appreciation and clear understanding of the effect andconsequent need. Organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau,Local Voluntary Action Council ( LVAC), law and advice centres will beapproached to obtain their opinions.

Policy planners will use new and existing mechanisms to carry out the abovei.e. :• historical research data,• existing reports and surveys; and• where necessary commission new work to shed light on areas previously

unresearched.

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When the above process is completed, policy planners will be charged withthe responsibility to consult widely. The Council through existing statutoryrequirements regularly consults with key stakeholders on a range of matters.A series of consultation exercises have taken place both internally andexternally. In the case of the latter a recent MORI survey measured the levelof satisfaction amongst Lambeth residents. The results showed that people’slevel of satisfaction had in fact dropped from 49% in 1999 to 43% in 2000.The Council had set itself the target of 55%, it’s not clear what the reasons arefor the decline although the comment was made that a decline reflected anationwide trend. The local authority has responded by introducing newcustomer care standards, which are designed to ensure that customers:

• are informed of any delays in responding to their queries.• are treated with respect by Council employees; and• feel that they are being properly listened to.

On a departmental level the Housing department consults extensively withlocal residents on matters of service delivery and service planning. It alsoconsults other service providers in the borough who serve the same clientgroups in order to develop consistent strategies through direct serviceprovision and through partnering arrangements.

Groups of volunteer residents provide valuable feedback on policies and ontheir impact on communities. Wider consultation is carried out on howresidents rate the services that they receive. Local Residents' Associationsengage in a regular dialogue with local offices and receive information aboutthe business of the Housing department. They vote on capital expenditure,prioritise local services through Tenant Compacts and they are consulted onrent increases.

The Housing department will develop a strategy to reach the diverse groupsresident in the borough. It has started to develop a housing equalities agendain partnership with resident groups and other partners through consultation onthe housing equalities statement. It intends to continue this process furtherand to actively consider how to promote the equalities principles infurtherance of the regeneration of housing estates.

The Council’s popular Town Centre management initiative, which operates infive areas off the borough, is the Council’s most significant method ofconsultation and involvement with local residents. The five areas have electedBoards of local residents who engage local stakeholders and serviceproviders in problem solving and finding local solutions to priority issues. Thewider “forum” meetings attract large numbers of residents who want toinfluence local issues. The Community Renewal Division is currently workingwith the Local Strategic Partnership Board to develop a social inclusionstrategy and this is likely to include actions to extend involvement in all publicforums for harder to reach groups.

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The Planning Department has recently screened its policies as part of theUnitary Development Plan (UDP) review process. The outcome of this led totargeted consultation meetings with particular ethnic groups (e.g. thePortuguese speaking community). The results of the review are now beinganalysed. They will be widely disseminated and fed back to all participants.

As part of the wider corporate arrangements for implementing the duty, stepswill be taken to review all consultation mechanisms relevant to the generalduty to assess the extent to which they:

• are effective in eliciting high quality relevant data.

• statistically represent an accurate picture of the client group.

• remain relevant and in proportion to whatever policy the Council wishes toconsult on.

• accessible to all sections of the community in language and content terms.

• anti-discriminatory.

• involve excluded groups in planning and evaluation.

• prioritise actions and resources to those in greatest need.

A secondary but no less important step in this process will be the design anddelivery of new ways of consulting with existing and potential users. Thisfeature takes into account a small but growing concern amongst Council staffand local residents that too much consultation is taking place in anuncoordinated, unimaginative way.

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Dealing with Complaints

In the case of specific complaints made against the Council’s race equalityscheme and wider equalities programme, use will be made of the existingcomplaints procedure, with a view to logging and actioning complaints under aseparate but linked process. The Council will seek to monitor complaintsabout service delivery on equalities lines.

In the first instance the complainant will be asked to formally submit thecomplaint verbally or in writing. Interpretation facilities are available shouldthe complainant wish to use them. The Council operates a 3 stage complaintsprocedure, which operates at a service (Stage 1), departmental (Stage 2), andcorporate (Stage 3) level. The complaint is passed up the levels, if thecomplainant is not happy with the response. If after stage 3 the complainantis still not happy he/she can contact the local government ombudsman.

A new customer satisfaction and equalities form is in the process of beingdrafted and will be sent out to people who have requested a response to theircomplaint. The Corporate Complaints Team are also currently engaged in:

• examining the system to see if there are any implications for their workand the procedures for reporting racist incidents.

• setting up on-line translation facilities for those wishing to makecomplaints via the Intranet (all customers are given the option of usinglanguage line, which is the Council’s translation service).

• monitoring responses on an ethnic, racist, gender, age and disabilitylevel. The statistics are reported in the Council’s quarterly ComplaintsDigest.

The Council is working with advisory groups such as Centre 70, LVAC and theCitizen Advice Bureau to run a series of focus groups in order to consultexcluded groups on their use of the complaints process. The Council will usethe information to assess the level of service delivery. Under the newarrangements where a complaint about a specific policy or service has beenmade, it will be investigated and if found to be failing in any or all aspects ofthe general duty, remedial action will be taken.

The Customer Care Team provides diversity training for staff aimed at raisingawareness of the different cultural norms and values of customers andpromoting equal opportunities. The Team is also looking at how it works withcontractors. A recent contractors’ conference raised the issue of identifyingways to ensure equal opportunities in the contracting process.

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Publishing the Results

The Council is required to publish the results of assessments, consultationsand monitoring in service provision and the employment of staff. In keepingwith the Council’s duty to ensure transparency, appropriate action will betaken to ensure that Council publications are:

• Widely available to all who require it.

• Accessible, in terms of being available in various formats across arange of appropriate methods and mechanisms.

• Adaptable, where a gap exists or changes need to be made, developthe mechanisms to achieve this in line with budgetary requirements.

• Reviewed on a regular basis.

On a corporate level, the Council has in the past published a wide cross-section of information ranging from information leaflets on a range of subjectssuch as harassment to the highly commended ‘Challenging Racism’ advisoryreport to schools, produced by the Education department.

In the future it is envisaged that the Council will produce reports outlining theassessments, consultations and monitoring exercises in relation to the generalduty. Use will also be made of the Council’s Internet and Intranet website,and other information sources.

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Ensuring public access to information and services

Local authorities have a duty to ensure that members of the public haveaccess to Council information and services.

Access to Information

All departments have responsibility for producing their own literature. There isCouncil wide commitment to ensuring that publications are made available inall the main languages used in the borough.

Access to Services

In terms of access to services, the Council has five departmental servicedelivery functions, which directly interface with the public. The ChiefExecutive’s Department ensures cross-cutting issues are addressedcorporately.

The Council also delivers various aspects of its services using sub-contractorsand partnership working. A corporate commissioning board oversees all thecontracting and partnership arrangements in the Council. The Board hasbeen briefed on the requirements of the Act and will have a role in ensuringexternal contractors and partners comply with the legislation.

To ensure compliance with the general duty, all aspects of the public accesselement of the Council’s work will be reviewed to assess the level ofaccessibility. Where there are gaps in service or barriers to access, changeswill be made based on the level of need. This process has already begun asthe Council is undertaking qualitative research to establish the underlyingstructural reasons for unequal outcomes as part of the Community RenewalStrategy. A range of quantitative data reveals the disproportionate impact ofpoor indicators on BME communities (e.g. low educational attainment, longterm unemployment, and reduced life expectancy). This will involve looking ataccess from a resident’s perspective and identifying the reasons and barriersthat contributed to the poor outcome.

The Council will also be working towards developing formal links withvoluntary and community groups in order to actively encourage wider take-upof information and services. The latter will also assist the Council in reviewingthe effectiveness and appropriateness of existing public access mechanisms.

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Training Staff

The duty requires that all staff are trained in connection with the duty.

The Council is committed to ensuring that all staff receive equality anddiversity training by December 2003. The Council currently provides equalopportunities training for all staff involved in the recruitment and selectionprocess. Specific training for the Act will be designed around the need to:

• Equip staff with the necessary awareness and understanding of the newlegislation, its implications in their everyday work and its relative positionin relation to wider race equality matters.

• Equip staff with the skills to develop and implement elements of the raceequality scheme and general duty as it relates to their specific workprogrammes.

• Educate and inform new staff members, who on joining will receive equalopportunities training around the requirements of the duty as part of theirinduction programme.

The Council’s clear commitment to training will raise awareness for thescheme and greatly assist the embedding of the requirements of the Act.The Education department provides training for governors in a range ofsubject areas including the requirements of the Race Relations (Amendments)Act and equal opportunities in general. The Council is also working towardsIiP accreditation to further staff development. Specific training for policyplanners and staff involved in the implementation of the race equality schemewill include:

• developing skills to monitor systems centred on the service delivery andemployment functions of the Council’s work.

• carrying out impact assessments of functions and policies.

• developing appropriate consultation skills.

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The Employment Duty

The Council is obliged and will seek to follow the requirements using bestpractice, monitor by ethnicity, disability and gender:

• numbers of staff in post and their corresponding grade.

• applicants for jobs and the results of recruitment processes to ensurefairness and encourage applicants to view the Council as the ‘best place towork’. Where recruitment agencies are used, take steps to ensure theyunderstand and comply with the Council’s wider recruitment policyspecifically as it relates to the general duty.

• numbers of applicants for promotion, relative progression patterns basedon existing and new promotion strategies.

• the numbers of applicants attending voluntary training courses.

• the outcomes of performance appraisals particularly in relation to raceequality issues.

• numbers of people put through grievance and disciplinary procedures andactions as well as the ensuing results of these actions.

• numbers of dismissals and resignations.

Responsibility for the monitoring of the employment duty will rest with thecorporate HR function. HR currently provides the basic core functions ofrecruitment and selection, grievance and disciplinary and managing workforcechanges i.e. redundancy and early retirement. At present each department isserviced by a small core HR team that feeds into the corporate HR functionwithin the Chief Executive’s Department.

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Level of compliance with duty requirements*Monitoring Requirement Current StatusStaff in post Yes this information is monitored through the

payroll system on a quarterly basis and isreported on in the Performance Digest

Applications foremployment

Yes a monitoring system has beenintroduced which monitors all aspects of theR&S process

Applications for training Yes, this information is requested at thenomination stage

Applications for promotion This is not currently monitoredThose who receive training YesThose who benefit orsuffer detriment as a resultof its performanceassessment procedures

N/A

Those involved ingrievance procedures

YES

Those subject todisciplinary procedures

YES

Those who ceaseemployment

YES

*General Duty requirements – arrangements to be in place by 31st May 2002

Corporate Human Resource

• Under the current system there are issues about staff development andaccess to training. Specific targets have been identified:

i. All posts up to PO2 will be first advertised internally. Additionally, theorganisation will recognise potential to try to assist promotion and atarget will be to not increase the number of BME staff in the lower grades.

ii. Although the Performance Assessment process is applicable to theborough there is a commitment to ensure that the proportion for whomthe Council have appraisal information will remain at 100 per cent.Appraisal scores will remain at a high level. If lower scores are achievedit will be necessary to build an action plan in the section.

iii. The Council currently monitors the number of grievance and disciplinarycases and has agreed that if within a grade band the proportion exceedsthe proportion within the grade by more than 2 per cent, direct action willbe taken to enable corrective action to be taken.

iv. The Council also monitors the number of staff who leave the Council’semployment on a monthly basis. The monitoring will be further enhancedto show the leaver’s ethnicity. Additionally, if within a grade band the

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proportion exceeds the proportion within the grade by more than 2 percent; direct action will be taken to enable corrective action to be taken.

v. The ration of applicants for training is to reflect the diversity of thecommunity. Where the number of staff is disproportion with the gradebanding, action plans are to be devised within the grade banding toreflect the community.

• Basic monitoring mechanisms exist, and the priority for year one is toensure that the full monitoring areas identified by the CRE Code ofPractice are adopted as in the case of monitoring promotion/acting-up,secondments and grievance and disciplinary by ethnicity.

• No impact assessments are conducted at departmental level, howeverthey are on the corporate agenda. It is unclear the extent to which this islooking at issues in relation to ethnicity.

At present it is not possible to identify clear patterns of inequality based on thegeneral duty requirements, it is envisaged that the impending restructuring ofthe HR function will address these issues.

The new HR structure will consist of a:

• Dedicated Recruitment and Selection Centre.• Policy and Strategy Centre.• Employment Advice Centre.• Learning and Development.• Employment Services.• Schools Service.

The Council will analyse all ethnic monitoring data and take remedial action toaddress inequalities, including positive action to address significant andpersistent inequality, which cannot be explained by justifiable reasons.

Council staff will also be consulted on employment matters through the annualstaff conference and staff survey and the soon to be established BME staffnetwork. In addition to this, other monitoring mechanisms such as the CRERace Equality Standard and Best Value will also be used to identify gaps andareas for improvement. Where gaps exist further work will be done to makethe necessary changes. As part of the Council’s obligations under the generalduty, the above information will be published annually as part of the widerequality and diversity performance plan and Council annual report.

Each department will be assessed to identify the specific relevant elements ofthe employment duty. Work already undertaken in the Social Servicesdepartment shows that the headcount figures for February illustrate that59.7% of all staff are from a BME community. This compares withapproximately 40 per cent of the community population located in Lambeth.However, further analysis of the data indicates that there are just over 20% of

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staff with BME backgrounds in senior management levels (PO5-SMG). Themajority (65%) of BME staff are located in junior administrative and manualemployment. In response to this the department has identified the need todevelop career progression opportunities for BME staff.

Nationally, Social Service authorities face particular challenges in respect ofthe recruitment and retention of social work professionals. In order toaddress these issues locally, consideration of equalities issues forms a majorpart of the development of the department’s recruitment and retentionstrategy.

Further priority areas for action within Social Services include:

• developing and increasing access to training.• involving staff in planning and decision-making processes.• establishing support networks for BME staff.

LONDON BOROUGH OF LAMBETH

CORPORATE RACE EQUALITY SCHEME ACTION PLAN(May 2002 - March 2005)

Function Aim / Objective Key Actions PerformanceIndicator

TimeFrame

Responsibility

Managing Change Communication to allstakeholders on the RaceEquality Scheme

Provide general information on theRace Equality Scheme and the keyprocesses and projects that have beenagreed to :

• Members• Managers and Staff• Unions• Corporate Governance Boards• Scrutiny Committees

Information producedand communicated toallstakeholders

Ongoingfrom July2002

E&D Unit andthe Directoratesthrough LeadOfficers,

Refining andimplementingAction Plans

Ensure that Directoratesdevelop Race EqualityScheme Action Plans.

Support the directorates indeveloping Race Equality SchemeAction Plans by integrating the RaceEquality Scheme requirements with theCRE Standard on Race Equality (Level3) requirements where possible.

Race Equality SchemeAction Plans developedand agreed by DMTsand annually reviewed

From Sept2002

E&D Unit andDirectoratesthrough leadOfficers

Ensure that the CorporateRace Equality SchemeAction Plan is implemented

Directorates to use the businessplanning process to integrate theCorporate Action Plan into divisionalbusiness plans

Relevant actions fromthe Corporate RESAction Plan integratedinto divisional businessplans

Ongoingfrom January2003

E&D Unit andDirectoratesthrough leadOfficers

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Capacity Building Agree key corporateequalities (to include race)priorities and identifypriorities for thedirectorates

Arrange half- day workshop formembers of DMT and members of theEqualities Groups in all directorates todefine departmental priorities

Organise Equalities Stock TakeWorkshops with the Equalities Board andDMT’s to review progress on Equalitiesand identify corporate priorities that willfeed into the Comprehensive Equalitiesand Diversity Strategy

Organise an Equalities Board AwayDay to discuss the priorities identified bydepartmentsand include them in the ComprehensiveEqualities and Diversity Strategy.

Workshops organisedand action plansdeveloped based onthe priorities identified.

Workshops organisedand priorities agreed

Dec 2002 –March 2003

July –October2003

E&D Unit andDirectorates

E&D Unit andDirectorates

Undertake a Best ValueReview of equalities (toinclude race equality)

Use the Equality Standard for LocalGovernment Framework to review toassess the organisation’s capacity todeliver on equalities

Outcomes of the BVRcommunicated througha report.

An action plan toaddress gaps identifiedby the review agreed.

April 2002 –December2003

E& D Unit.Policy andPerformance ,Corporate

� Devise a three year EqualitiesPolicy / Strategy (to include raceequality)

A three year EqualitiesPolicy / Strategypublished andcommunicated

March 2003 -April 2004

E& D Unit

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Integrate findings of theBVR on equalities intobusiness plans

� Communicate findings of the BVR onequalities to all Managers andensure that key actions are includedin divisional business plans

Divisional businessplans include relevantactions from BVR onequalities that will bemonitored to reviewprogress

January -March 2004

E&D Unit andLead Officers

To achieve Level 3 of CREStandard for RacialEquality

� All Directorates to develop an actionplan to achieve the CRE Standard level3 through integration with the EqualityStandard for Local Government.

CRE Standard Level 3action agreed andimplemented by allDirectorates

FromOctober2003

E&D Unit andLead Officers inDirectorates

Set up a staff developmentprogramme

� To set up a “Breaking Through” staffdevelopment programme

Evidence thatdevelopmentprogramme isimplemented

Sept 2004onwards

Corporate HR,Learning &Developmentand E&D Unit

� Set up Black and Minority EthnicStaff network

NetWork set up andTerms of referenceagreed

From April2004

Corporate HRand E&D Unit

�Establish a Staff Development Panel Proposal for paneldrawn up, agreed andimplemented

July 2002onwards

E&D Unit

Monitoring Policiesfor adverse impact

Develop standardmethodology, proceduresand performanceindicators for equalitiesmonitoring and reporting(including race) across theCouncil

� To develop and agree mechanismsto collate Equalities performanceinformation data from the departmentsand produce a Corporate EqualitiesPerformance Digest

Corporate Equalitiesdigest produced

FromOctober2002

E&D Unit,directoratesthrough LeadOfficers andPolicy andPerformance

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� To develop written EqualitiesMonitoring Guidance for all staff

Guidance producedand communicated tostaff

From April2004

E&D Unit,directoratesthrough LeadOfficers andCommunications

Assessing andconsulting on thelikely impact ofproposed policies onrace equality

Develop and agreeprocedures and processesfor Equality ImpactAssessment

� To set up a Race Equality ImpactAssessment Panel to monitor policiesand changes that need to be made.

Panel to include external representation,members and Officers and to meet atleast quarterly

�To agree process , methodology, andtimeframes to carry out Policy ImpactAssessment for race equality andcommunicate them to staff

�To organise training on the RaceEquality Impact Assessment for thePanel and key staff and roll out theprocess

Policy ImpactAssessment Panel setup and meetings heldregularly and reported

Equality ImpactAssessmentMethodology approvedby Equalities Boardand communicated toall Managers

Training sessionsorganised and theREIA process rolledout

From April2003onwards

May –September2003

June-Nov2003

Ongoingfrom April2004

E&D Unit,directoratesthrough LeadOfficers andPolicy andPerformance

E&D Unit,directoratesthrough LeadOfficers,Policy &PerformanceandCommunications

E&D Unit

Learning andDevelopment

Promoting goodrelations throughimprovedConsultation

To ensure that theCouncil’s consultationapproach is in line with therequirements of the RRAA(2000)

� To review existing consultationmechanisms to ensure that traditionallyuninvolved and excluded groups areengaged in consultation exercises.

The BVR on Equalities will be used forthis process.

Revised consultationstrategy produced

March 2003Onwards

CorporateConsultationManager andthe E&D Unit

� Communicate information on theCouncil’s Consultation Policy andconsultation results

All staff to receivecopies of theconsultation policy

September2003

ConsultationManager andCommunications

� To provide training / guidance onconsulting with traditionally uninvolvedand excluded groups.

Consultation Managerto provide guidanceand support to keyconsultation exercisesas requested and whenrelevant

April 2003onwards

ConsultationManager

Publishing theresults ofconsultations

To publish the outcomesof consultation events onan annual basis andensure that theinformation is availableto members of the public

� To review progress on consultationannually by producing a digest ofmonitoring reports for consultationevents and ensure that they arediscussed at DDT/DMT andcommunicated to all Managementteams.

Consultation Reportsproduced andcommunicated

From April2004

EqualitiesLead Officersand DMT’s

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� To publish the outcome of PolicyImpact Assessments

Reports of PolicyImpact Assessmentspublished and availableon the intranet /internet

From April2004

EqualitiesLead Officersand DMT’s

Ensure PublicAccess toinformation /Services

To co-ordinate thedevelopment andcommunication of aCouncil wide AccessibleInformation Policy.

� Review barriers to accessinginformation and services through theBVR on equalities and ensure thatrelevant recommendations from the BVRare fed into direcotrates business plans

BVR (Equalities)recommendationscommunicated to allbusiness unitManagers and includedin business plans

Oct 2003 –April 2004

E&D Unit,LeadEqualitiesOfficers andBusinessUnitManagers

� Collate Council wide facilities forproviding translation and interpretationservices and produce Accessibleinformation Guidelines for staff

Accessible InformationGuidelines producedand communicated tostaff

September2003 –March2004

E&D Unit,LeadEqualitiesOfficers andCommunicationManagers

To communicate the Council’scommitment to providing Accessibleinformation and services to allcustomers/service users

Services Usersinformed of theCouncil’sarrangements forproviding accessibleservices

April 2004onwards

CorporateCommunications and E&DUnit

Training Staff To inform staff of therequirements of the RRAA(2000) and theirresponsibilities

� To incorporate the specificrequirements of the Act into trainingprogrammes such as MiddleManagement Training, Customer Caretraining, SMT programme and StaffInductions

All trainingprogrammes to includeinformation onresponsibilities underthe RRAA as anintegral component

June 2002onwards

Training andDevelopmentUnit andE&D Unit

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� Organise equalities awarenesstraining for Executive Members and SMBon their legal duties and responsibilitiesunder the RRAA (2000)

Training Coursesorganised

January2004onwards


� Provide equalities impact assessmenttraining to members of the AssessmentPanel, Members and other relevant Staff

Training organised forPanel members andrelevant staff

September2003onwards


� Organise training on recording andreporting racial incidents .

This will initially be incorporated intoCustomer Care and Complaints training

Training organised forall staff responsible forrecording racialincidents

Jan – April2003

Policy andPerformanceE&D Unitand ,CustomerCare Unit

Dealing withComplaints

To review the CorporateComplaints procedures toensure that therequirements of the RRAA(2000) met

To ensure that all Service Areas havea system for recording and monitoringthe ethnicity of all those who make acomplaint about a Council service

Systems in place forethnic monitoring ofcomplaints andreporting on anysignificant trends

April 2002– March2003

E&D Unit,CustomerCare andComplaintsUnit

Introduce mechanisms forrecording and reporting onracial incidents

� Develop a system for recording ofracial incidents and reporting on them

Procedures in place torecord racial incidentsand report them to theAudit Commission

Nov 2002-March 2003

E&D Unit,CustomerCare andComplaintsUnit andPolicy andPerformanceUnit

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� Develop a partnership with the policeand other agencies to ensure that thereare standard procedures for recordingand reporting of racial incidents in theborough and the sharing of information

Partnershiparrangements fordealing with racialincidents in theborough in place andworking

From April2004

CommunitySafety Unitand E&DUnit

Employment To ensure that the Councilmeets the requirements ofthe Employment dutiesintroduced by the RRAA(2000)

� To develop a Monitoring Schedule tocollect equalities monitoring data on allHR functions and report on it

Monitoring schedule to include therequirementto provide absolute, and comparativedata on:

• Numbers of staff in post and theirgrades

• Employment Tribunals lodged onthe grounds of race

• Employment Tribunals wherethere is a finding against theCouncil on the grounds of racediscrimination

• Employment tribunal applicationsbased on race, which are settledin advance of a hearing

• Disciplinary/capabilitydiscussions taken against blackand minority ethnic staff andoutcomes

Performanceindicators formonitoring agreed andsystems in place formonitoring andreporting analysis

From Oct2002

CorporateHR and E&DUnit

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• Grievances lodged by black andminority staff, and those upheld

• The impact of restructuring onblack and minority ethnic staff(e.g. voluntary re-deployed,voluntary severance, andredundancies)

• Workforce by race, grade, servicearea, and work patterns

• Profile and number of jobapplications and promotionopportunities

• Results of recruitment process� Attendance at voluntary training

courses � Dismissals and resignations

Patterns of promotion across thecouncil

� To set up an Employment Panel tomeet regularly to review existing andproposed HR policies

Panel set up andTerms of referenceagreed

From Sept2003

CorporateHR

� To establish Employment TribunalReview Panel, to review Tribunal casesand make operational /policyrecommendations

Review Panel set upand Terms of referenceagreed.

From Sept2003

CorporateHR andLegalServices

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Departmental Focus

Introduction

This section of the scheme outlines the approach individual departments willtake to implement the requirements of the general duty. In each case aninitial short summary will be given which provides a snapshot of eachindividual department’s area in relation to race equality as it relates to thethree overarching strands of the general duty.

Lambeth Council structures are such that individual departments take theirlead from the corporate centre in relation to matters governing strategic focus,legislative requirements, policy and planning. Therefore in order to highlightthe distinctive approach to race equality, references will be made throughoutwhere departments have taken their own lead on a particular matter in relationto the provision of their own very individual service.

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Corporate Services, Office of the Assistant Chief Executive(OACE) and Finance

With the aim of more effectively delivering the council’s recovery plan, on 1stAugust 2003, the Chief Executive’s department became three newdepartments:

• Corporate Services Department• Office of the Assistant Chief Executive• Finance

The new structure aims to strengthen:

• Capacity in change management in support of the business improvementprogramme

• Capacity around equalities particularly in HR, Communication andperformance information/management

• Performance information capacity across Corporate Services including HRand Equalities

• Capacity to monitor and manage delivery of the CPA recovery plan• Capacity in communications/consultation, and to maximise the potential to

ensure that complaints management information is incorporated inperformance management

The Corporate Services Department is the fifth mainstream department of thecouncil delivers key support to the other departments as well as frontlineservices (Benefits, Revenues and Debt Management). It is comprised of thefollowing divisions:

• Community Renewal• Human Resources• Benefits, Revenues and Debt Management• Democratic Services• Organisational Improvement

The Office of the Assistant Chief Executive (OACE) is a new department witha strategic focus on the delivery of the council’s recovery plan, as well asmore operational areas (such as communications and consultation. Ace iscomprised of the following divisions:• Corporate Policy/Political Offices• Programming• Communications and consultation• Strategic Organisational Development/Equalities and Diversity• Chief Executive Secretariat/Project Support

In terms of race equality, the Office of the Assistant C.E. and CorporateServices are the custodians of this function and views it as an essential coreelement of the Council’s overall vision and corporate objectives.

Current position in relation to race equality

The appointment of the Head of Equalities and Diversity in December 2001marked a turning point in the Council’s approach to equalities and diversityissues. Prior to this appointment there was no ‘dedicated staffing resource’,and in a recent IDeA report it was pointed out that the Council needed to ‘takeclear and visible actions to promote race equality’. (IDeA, November 2000).The Council has also established an Equalities Board, which is chaired by theHead of Equality and Diversity. The Best Value Review in equalities will beused to develop baseline data in key equalities issues. The Key outcomesand benefits are envisaged as:

1. Detailed and systematic assessment of corporate and departmentalperformance in relation to equalities, barriers to improvement and ways ofovercoming them

2. Comprehensive improvement action plan setting out strategies and targetsfor continuous improvement

3. A strategy for achieving consistency across departments in relation toequalities and diversity

4. An on-going programme to shift the culture within the council away fromnon-compliance

5. Service models which reflect issues and meet needs as perceived bycommunity and customers

6. Mechanisms to collect strategic data

7. Systems which enable the council to be proactive and responsive tochange

8. Mechanisms which enable Lambeth's populations to articulate needs

9. A more accessible organisation for customers and staff.

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Internal drivers for change:

• The borough has a significantly large number of BME communitiesapproximately 40 per cent of the total population.

• The Council has the second highest number of BME employees in thecapital but this is qualified by the fact that a significant number of BMEemployees are significantly under-represented at management andsenior levels in the organisation.

• High level commitment to redress prior lack of strategic focus on raceequality.

• Development of the Community Renewal Strategy as a new frameworkfor reducing inequalities and improving services in deprivedneighbourhoods.

External drivers for change:

• Legislative requirements.

• The death of Stephen Lawrence and resulting focus on institutionalracism and its implications for public bodies.

• Central government strategic focus on social exclusion.

• The findings of the Cantle Report on the Oldham disturbances, whichhighlight the need for interventions to promote social cohesion betweendifferent ethnic groups.

Meeting the general and specific duties

Looking at the three central department’s readiness to implement therequirements of the general and specific duties, the picture is clearly thatthese departments are at the beginning stages of developing policies aroundrace equality. The challenge will be to ensure that policies and prioritiesacross the Council operate in line with the general and specific duties of theAct.

It is envisaged that after the Best Value Review and a period of time to embedthe findings, the departments of Corporate Services, Ace and Finance will bebetter placed to mainstream the general and specific duties across allfunctions. The Organisational Improvement Division and Corporate Policycan also play key roles, through their remit by ensuring that certain corporateprocesses are designed to promote and address the needs and requirementsof minority groups.

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The OACE department is responsible for developing the overall policy andservice improvement framework for the Council. Notably, the centraldepartments are responsible for delivering the CPA recommendations .There now needs to be focus on more outward-looking corporate prioritiesthat address local issues of deprivation and cultural diversity and improveperformance in relation to equality issues.

Human Resources has commenced Employment Monitoring andrecommending target setting to address the imbalance of BME staffrepresentation at more senior levels. A Staff Panel is currently being pilotedin the central departments to find mechanisms to develop staff and providethem with the opportunity for promotion.

Additionally, the development of the Local Strategic Partnership has helpedthe Council to influence partners to agree shared common objectives aroundpromoting equality of opportunity. The first meeting of the partnership agreedan equality policy that covered:

1) Operation

To prioritise the development of equalities in all aspects of the partnership’swork and use the process of mainstreaming to ensure this occurs.

2) Membership

To set targets to work towards a partnership that reflects the composition ofLambeth’s communities, five places have been set aside for diversity until thisis achieved.

3) Delivery

To actively involve all communities in the work of the partnership and developa strategy for tackling exclusion and promoting equality and diversity. Topromote access for all and prioritise actions to benefit those experiencinggreatest disadvantage.

4) Cultural Diversity and DifferenceTo work for community cohesion, recognise different community needs andpromote cultural understanding and tolerance.

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Priority action areas to achieve the requirements of the general duty:

Year 1

• Start the process of mainstreaming equalities in service delivery andemployment.

• Undertake systematic corporate wide equality monitoring to highlightgaps and areas for improvement.

• Achieve CRE level 3.

Year 2 and 3

• To aim to target Town Planning applicants directly with customersatisfaction questionnaires, containing standard ethnic monitoringquestions, rather than via their professional agents.

• To include a brief summary of contents in the main ethnic minoritylanguages in all public documentation.

• To continue to target as wide a section of ethnic groups as possibleduring the later stages of the Unitary Development Plan adoption.

• Undertake effective monitoring and use the analysis of the data collectedto inform policy.

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Education

Introduction

The department has approximately 569 members of staff concentrated in sixkey service delivery functions; three of which perform an external client-facingrole, i.e. School Improvement and Development, Access and Inclusion andCommunity and Lifelong Learning. The remaining three – HR, Finance andEducation Strategic Support, provide internal support to the department as awhole. The Department also provides support to 85 schools, which hasincluded advice and guidance to them about the implications of the RaceRelations Amendment Act 2000.

Department aims and objectives to promote race equality

The department has 12 aims and objectives centred on the Council’scorporate objectives. Thus the agenda for promoting race equality within theeducation authority falls within three very distinct areas:

• achievement of CRE level 2;• monitoring racist incidents, in schools and the department; and• raising achievement of under-performing groups of pupils in Lambeth

schools.

By March 2002, the Department Management Team (DMT) had agreed arevised race equality action plan, which would incorporate the three prioritiesand serve as a starting point for the department’s race equality work.


Education and race equality has been a closely intertwined feature within theLondon Borough of Lambeth. The recent achievement of CRE level 2 andcommendation in the OFSED/Audit Commission inspection report (December2000) for making a valuable contribution to promoting social inclusion andracial equality; highlights the extent of the positive work achieved so far. Inaddition to this, many of the borough’s individual schools have beencommended in their own reports for their work to tackle underachievementand promote race equality.

The department, also manages the Interpreting and Translation Service (ITS)which is situated within the Ethnic Minority Achievement Team (EMAT). Theservice supports home-school liaison and parental involvement in theeducation of local children to raise achievement. Over fifty schools arecurrently using the service. Other departments in the Council on a limitedbasis also use the service.

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Youth Services have designed a refugee and asylum seekers project, whichprovides a range of support services for adults and young people in the areaof education and integration into schools, benefits advice and information onrefugee status.

Governor Services provides a range of support services for schools partly asa statutory obligation and partly on a no fee basis. Each term schools areprovided with a model agenda for the governance of schools covering issuesof concern for schools governors for the coming year. This year all schoolswere given the opportunity to take part in a series of seminars outlining themain requirements of the duty as it applies to schools. Governors have alsoreceived training around the requirements of the Act and the implications fortheir role as governors.

However, there is recognition within the department that there is more to doand much of this work stems from a number of key internal and externaldrivers:


• Substantial differences in achievement of different ethnic groups, withthese differences becoming more marked as children move through theeducation system;

• Evidence that some Lambeth schools have a poor reputation amongstlocal parents from the Black and minority ethnic community, and/or thattheir children are suffering from institutional racism, although no evidenceas to whether perception amongst Black and minority ethnic parents isworse than that of other parents.

• Over-representation of Black and minority ethnic groups among youngpeople who are “socially excluded” e.g. those who are excluded fromschool, teenage mothers, and young offenders.

• Under-representation of people from Black and minority ethnic communityas teachers, governors etc.

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• Lead from central government to improve educational provision which inturn has led to a commitment on the part of the education authority tostretch attainment targets for pupils, the achievement of which will requirea closing of the gap in attainment between low and high performinggroups.

• Implementation of the recommendations from the Macpherson report intothe death of Stephen Lawrence.

• Introduction of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act.

• Use of ethnic monitoring as a driver for improvement.

Meeting the general duty and specific duties

The Education department’s policies are well placed to meet therequirements, due to statutory and non-statutory obligations. In particular theinequality in levels of achievement amongst BME children. A number ofadditional policy priorities will ensure compliance such as the CRE standard,department race equality action plan and Best Value.


Year 1Following a presentation on the Act, members of the DMT agreed the priorityaction areas for year one activities:

• Ethnic Minority Achievement - to raise the achievement of underachievinggroups at a rate that is faster than the overall rates within the LEA and toclose the attainment gaps between groups.

• Lifelong Learning, principally in the area of youth services.

• Access – providing sources of financial support in the form of studentawards and benefits.

• Social Inclusion – provide a more cohesive structure to current provision.

• Human Resources – fully integrate the recommendations outlined in theBest Value Review.

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Years 2 and 3

A number of service areas have been identified as priority areas in Year 2,2003/04. These are: governor services; early years; libraries arts andarchives; assessment and intervention; the education psychology service; andthe youth offending team. For each service the information collected during2002/03 about who is using services and strategies to address under-representation will be reviewed, and decisions made about additional actionrequired in 2003/04.

Support services will then be considered in year 3, 2004/05. These supportservices are education finance, the education strategic support team, ICT, theprofessional development centre, and the asset management, planning anddevelopment team. However, it is important to emphasise that all sections willbe affected by the priority of achieving CRE level 3 during 2002/03.

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Environment

Introduction

The department has approximately 320 members of staff operating in 11Business Units. Five units provide support functions for the remaining 6Business Units who provide services in areas such as: Building Control,Transport and Highways, Sports, Environmental Management andDevelopment (including Parks and Recycling), Street Care and RegulatoryServices. The Department has a strong commitment to SustainableDevelopment. It has a full time Sustainable Development Policy Officer andthe department took a strong lead in the Best Value Review for Sustainability.A fundamental element of sustainable development is equality and fairness.

This belief has underpinned many of the department’s approaches to servicedelivery and research work. One such example of this was the ‘Testing theMix’ project. This was a research project, which aimed at identifying whypeople from BME communities are less involved in regeneration,environmental and sustainable development initiatives and to identify somelocal solutions. A number of interesting conclusions were established and theresults have subsequently been disseminated to all other London authoritiesand other departments in Lambeth Council.

Furthermore, the department has a strong link to street safety and crimeprevention, working together with officers on the crime reduction strategy.One of the department’s key priorities for the next three years is ‘streets andsafety’ and the department is actively involved in a number of initiatives frominstallation of CCTV through to the improvement in streetlighting, all of whichare aimed at making Lambeth’s streets a safer place.


The department’s race equality agenda is enshrined in a general belief offairness and equity; two of Lambeth’s core values. The department hasdeveloped a set of ground rules, which defines them as a department, interms of how they wish to assist customers and treat each other in theworkplace. One particular rule focuses on ‘treating people as we expect themto treat us.’ (environment, what we believe Directorate Staff Handbook, June2001). They define it as treating customers fairly and consistently. In terms ofstaff, equity and fairness also applies.

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Environment alongside other departments in the Council has recentlyachieved CRE level 2 status. The department has focused much of its energyon central government’s strategy on social inclusion and neighbourhoodrenewal to further its race equalities work. In particular, the department isworking cross departmentally to deliver on the neighbourhood renewalagenda. In addition to this the department is committed to meeting its legalrequirements for addressing equality issues and implementing theCommission for Racial Equalities standard levels 3 – 5 by 2004/5.


• Strong cohesive culture centred on equity, fairness and respect.

• Best Value Review.

• Attaining CRE level 3.

• Clear management direction.

• Business Planning.

• Business Improvement Strategy.

• IiP.

• Supportive project management approach to driving forward the equalitiesagenda.


• Central government commitment to promoting neighbourhood renewal.

• Legislative and statutory requirements.

• General business climate to provide higher level of service to customers.

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The department has a strong commitment to sustainable development.Environment has a full time Sustainable Development Policy Officer and thedepartment took a strong lead in the Best Value Review for Sustainability. Afundamental element of sustainable development is equality and fairness.This belief has underpinned many of the department’s approaches to servicedelivery and research work. Environment has the systems in place to take onthe requirements of the general and specific duties. In particular thedepartment has an equality steering committee made up of a cross-section ofstaff in varying grades that can comment on policy, strategy and practice.


Year 1

• Achieve CRE Level 2 and start work towards CRE Level 3.

• HR, in particular monitoring, training and staff development.

• Access to services (social inclusion and sustainability).

• Enforcement – looking at the general rights of enforcement and the rightsof citizens i.e. recognising cultural differences.

• Street Safety/ Crime Reduction.

• Reorganisation in the department – providing clear managementaccountability and thus ensuring a better level of service to the customer.

Year 2 and 3

The department has a strong link to streets, safety and crime prevention,working together with officers on the crime reduction strategy. One of thedepartment’s key priorities for the next three years is ‘streets and safety’ andthe department is actively involved in a number of initiatives from installationof CCTV through to the improvement in streetlighting, all of which are aimedat making Lambeth’s streets a safer place. Furthermore the department will:

• Continue to develop and improve our systems and procedures onemployment and training and development.

• Conduct an audit of existing monitoring systems and install mechanisms toshape policy and service delivery.

• Achieve CRE Level 3 and start work towards CRE Level 4.• Enhance and expand current working groups specifically to involve

excluded/underrepresented groups (link to ‘Testing the Mix’).

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Housing

Introduction

The department has approximately 775 members of staff operating in fourdivisional areas, three of which perform an external client-facing role:

1) Housing Management;2) Strategy and Partnerships; and3) Benefits and Revenues.

In addition to this the Housing department is supported by a Finance IT andAnti-Fraud division, which includes functions such as regeneration, qualityand equality sub-divisions.

Aims and Objectives to promote race equality

The department’s mission statement is “to ensure that all residents inLambeth have the opportunity and choice to live in good quality, affordablehousing within strong, healthy and secure communities”. In terms of theimportance for race equality, housing is one of the key indicators of progressthat local authorities have as a measure of how well their race equalitiesstrategies is working, education being the other key indicator. In essence, thehousing department’s implementation and delivery of this and other coreequalities requirements will be closely watched, not least by local residents.Having said that, the department’s agenda for promoting race equality restson two key objectives, which form part of the department’s overarchingHousing Services Plan:

1) To enable choice, quality and equality including for people with specialneeds.

2) To strengthen and sustain communities and develop social inclusion.


The department has recently undergone major restructuring in order toprovide greater efficiency and a more effective service to customers, whichreflects the changes occurring externally in this sector. It has also recentlyachieved CRE level 1 and 2 status and adopted a housing statementcomplementary to the corporate equality policy, which addresses thedepartment’s specific service delivery functions. Housing recognises thatmore work needs to be done particularly in regard to the promotion ofequalities in service delivery and employment procedures and looks forwardto the challenge that this new opportunity through the general duty brings. Itis proactively developing an agenda which is intended to make a difference tomainstreaming through the Housing equalities group.

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Underpinning this work lies a number of key internal and external drivers:


(i) the ethnic diversity of residents.(ii) some wards within the borough are listed on the multiple

deprivation index.(iii) 50% of under 25 year olds originate from BME groups, which

necessitates a need to provide appropriate services.(iv) BME residents represent approximately 60% of the Council’s

Housing tenants.(v) Best Value(vi) Business Planning(vii) IiP


(i) central government commitment to empowering the localcommunity through resident associations, neighbourhood renewaletc.

(ii) challenging external operating environment such as a shiftingpolitical leadership.

(iii) pressure from local residents for visible improvements, althoughresidents are now beginning to recognise that improvements arehappening.


Due to Housing’s statutory and non-statutory requirements the department iswell placed to incorporate the new Act’s requirements in terms of policy. Inparticular the adoption of the CRE’s Code of Practice on rented housing,provides ways to eliminate discrimination and promote equal opportunities.Best Value and central government’s housing policy statement – ‘Quality andChoice: a Decent Home for All’, which has led to a specific BME housing planhas also influenced the work of this department. In terms of the servicedelivery aspect, the Housing department has set explicit performanceindicators and targets in order to achieve the race equality agenda.


Year 1

1. Achieve CRE level 3.

2. Conduct an audit of existing monitoring information to influence thedirection of policy.

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3. Provide greater access to information for customers in an innovativeinclusive way. In particular the need to ensure that hard to reachgroups know what services are available and communicated to them.This will also entail the department working more closely with localcommunity and voluntary groups.

4. Enhance employment records to make them more comprehensive onequalities issues, training and development.

5. Staff training on the general duty.

6. Establish working groups specifically to involveexcluded/underrepresented groups.

Year 2 and 3

1. Continued compliance with CRE’s Code of Practice on Rented Housing.

2. Continuation of key priorities outlined in year 1.

3. Develop a Consultation Strategy.

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Social Services

Introduction

The department has approximately 948 staff concentrated in four servicedelivery functions; which perform an external facing role, i.e. Adult andChildren Services. The remaining two functions provide support to thedepartment as a whole and primarily cover, Finance, Compliance, FacilitiesManagement, Policy & Performance Review, Communications andConsultation, Information Technology and Administration.


The department’s purpose is to meet and seek to surpass the statutoryobligations to ensure that children and adults at significant risk are protectedand enabled to lead independent and fulfilling lives through the provision ofquality services.

The primary function of Social Services is to plan, commission, arrange andprovide social care services for older people, people with physical disabilities,sensory disabilities, learning disabilities, mental ill health, those with oraffected by HIV/AIDS, as well as persons who misuse drugs or alcohol.People with chronic or severe health problems, carers, children and youngpeople, including those in need and those who are looked after as well astheir families. Therefore the agenda for promoting race equality within SocialCare Services falls within a number of priorities. These are as follows:

• developing clear policies, procedures, structures and plans that supportthe delivery of equality & diversity objectives;

• ensuring that service delivery meets the needs of socially excluded anddiscriminated against communities/groups;

• ensuring that equalities groups are supported and developed toparticipate fully within the local community;

• that the workforce of the department reflects the population ofLambeth;

• that staff from equalities groups are fully supported, developed andtrained to positively contribute to service delivery; and

• the image and information provided by the department positivelyreflects cultural diversity.

These priorities also form the basis of the department’s equalities actionplan.

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