Agenda item

To receive the report of the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance on any Notices of Motion received by him.

Councillors are asked to note that any Notices of Motion must be received by the Assistant Director for Legal and Governance no later than noon on 10 May.

The Council had before it a Notice of Motion set out in the agenda papers standing in the names of Cllr Lynn Denham, Cllr Mel Allcott, Cllr Dan Boatright, and Cllr Richard Udall.

The motion was moved by Cllr Lynn Denham and seconded by Cllr Mel Allcott, who both spoke in favour of it.

Those in favour of the motion commented:

·         This motion was being brought before Council following consideration of the subject matter by Worcester City Council. The City Council had reviewed its obligations to people with protected characteristics under the Equality Act. It was clear that a recent Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) presented in a report to a meeting of this Council concerning the All-Age Disability Service did not adequately consider the obligations to people with protected characteristics. The screening of reports to take account of different individual needs did not appear to be sufficiently robust. There was a danger of unconscious bias if all EIAs were undertaken by white middle class managers

·         The highest number of placements for Looked after Children had been out of county and there had been no explanation for this situation. Was there an unconscious bias or were assumptions being made that resulted in these placements? The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Children and Families commented that the main reason that Looked after Children had been placed out of county was to enable them to be with family members. However, he would provide details of those children in care who had been placed out of county

·         The review did not necessarily require consideration by a meeting scrutiny panel but could be undertaken by the Cabinet Member with Responsibility.

Those against the motion commented:

·         The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Corporate Services and Communication commented that the Council had a good track record in producing EIA reports and in particular meeting its Public Sector Equality duties. EIAs were assessed through a digital screening platform by individuals and service areas which allowed an in-depth understanding of the impacts of initiatives on residents, staff or visitors in relation to one or more of the protected characteristics. The process was sufficient, modernised and provided the necessary due regard to the Council’s duties as stated in the Equalities Act 2010. The robustness of the process was enhanced by the EIA being reviewed and challenged and signed off by the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead. The Council’s approach had recently been reviewed and a new Strategy would be implemented, after consultation with trade unions. The new governance approach would be council-wide and ensure that equality, diversity and inclusion was at the heart of everything that the Council did. It would be managed by individual directorate equality groups and reported to the Strategic Diversity Leadership Group, chaired by the Chief Executive. The Council would work with partner councils to share best practice and continuously improve its approach. Awareness of the issue had been drawn to the attention of all employees and included in the Workforce Strategy

·         There had been plenty of opportunities for councillors to raise this matter at scrutiny meetings

·         The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Children and Families commented that there remained areas of prejudice that had not covered by the Equality Act 2010 for example, the prejudice expressed and felt by children in care and care leavers

·         The Cabinet Member with Responsibility for Adult Social Care indicated that a concern he had raised about the level of equality across the whole of the Council had been addressed to his satisfaction. 

On being put to the vote, the notion was lost.