Equality Impact Assessment

Summary for Publication

Name of EIA

Tameside Together: The Local Area Agreement for Tameside 2008-11

Service area

Policy and Performance

Directorate

Policy and Performance

Background

Tameside’s Local Area Agreement (LAA) is a three year agreement, based on Tameside’s Community Strategy, that sets out the priorities for an agreement between Central Government, represented by the Government Office, and a local area, represented by the lead local authority and other key partners through the Local Strategic Partnership (LSP).

LAA’s devolve decision making to the local level by relaxing central government constraints. Greater freedoms provide the opportunity to think innovatively, and develop new solutions to local priorities.

LAA’s will develop a range of outcomes based on local priorities that all partners in an area will work towards achieving. Each outcome will have a designated owner who is responsible for leading on the achievement of that target.

Tameside’s LAA covers the following themes based on Tameside’s Community Strategy aims. These are to create:

• Supportive Communities
• A Prosperous Society
• A Learning Community
• An Attractive Borough
• A Safe Environment
• A Healthy Population

Impact on different customer groups

Age: Positive - Specific steps will be taken within the LAA to address inequalities in relation to age. In particular it had been noted that 36% of people in receipt of working age benefits are over 50 whilst this age group makes up just 30% of the total working age population. As a result actions under the ‘Prosperous Society’ aim will encourage work to reduce worklessness, particularly amongst those over 50.

Ethnicity: Positive - Over 6% of Tameside’s population come from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) populations. Within several of the LAA’s targets groups are targeted where differences exist between the BME and White population, for instance health and educational inequalities. As a part of the delivery of the LAA priorities actions will be taken to address the needs of specific communities as a part of the overall reduction of inequalities.

Disability: Positive - Whilst there is some difficulty obtaining reliable data regarding disability Census data suggests that 20.9% of Tameside’s population have ‘limiting long term illness’ and that 14100 people are on incapacity benefits. As a result actions taken to raise attainment against indicators within the LAA Outcomes Framework will, for several measures involve taking specific steps to address the needs of disabled people.

Gender: Positive - Whilst Tameside’s population is relatively evenly split between men and women there are particular differences in experience between men and women that are addressed specifically within the LAA. In particular education performance varies and there is a gap in life expectancy between men and women. Both of these factors are specifically addressed within the revised LAA

Sexual Orientation: Neutral - There is currently very little available data available that specifically identifies inequalities people of different sexual orientations. The LAA is aimed primarily at devolving decision making at a local level. Within its framework it is focused on reducing inequalities in a wide range of areas. To date there appears to be little direct relevance within the overall context of the LAA to the areas where people of different sexual orientation have been shown to experience disadvantage such as in employment and provision of services. Within the delivery of LAA outcomes it will be important to continue to examine this area to ensure that any potential areas of impact that are not currently apparent are picked up on an ongoing basis.

Religion and Belief: Neutral - Within the context of the LAA religion / belief has little direct relevance to the inequalities the LAA seeks to address.

Scope of the Equality Impact Assessment

This Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) will cover Tameside’s second Local Area Agreement. The second LAA is aimed at building on the successes of the first one and further improving local service and quality of life for local people by translating the priorities of the Community Strategy into targets to secure improvements locally.

This EIA will cover the LAA as a strategic guiding document and how equality and diversity will be and has been taken into account within the prioritisation of the LAA and through its performance management. The EIA will be limited to the LAA as a framework and performance management methodology and will not specifically address the wider issues of inequality that have contributed to the selection of specific measures and indicators within the agreement.

Existing data sources / evidence used

• LAA Outcomes Framework
• LAA Document
• Notes and papers from steering group meetings
• Community Strategy (and related consultations)
• Records and papers sent to TSP meetings
• CLG guidance on new model LAA’s
• Minutes and agendas of LAA executive meetings
• EIA of the first LAA
• Records of meetings from original LAA (executive, steering group, block groups and TSP board)

Conclusions drawn from evidence

Measures within the outcomes framework specifically address the need of identified areas of inequality. There are some equality groups that are not included within the outcomes framework, however those groups specifically targeted are targeted on the basis of demonstrable need. There is some potential for issues to arise in two areas:

• Where information is not adequate to demonstrate need for a specific group
• Where an outcome within the framework has an impact on multiple groups in the way it is delivered the delivery mechanism should include consideration of potential equality and diversity groups at critical stages in the process.

The LAA document contains specific reference to the needs of equality groups and also identifies that the LAA is aimed at reducing inequality. Because the LAA is targeted at the achievement of specific priority outcomes some groups are not specifically addressed within the document itself. In particular Sexual Orientation and Religion and belief are not addressed where other equality groups are. It will be important in the management and delivery of the LAA to ensure that the needs of these groups are taken into consideration.

Wide ranging consultation was carried out in 2003 to determine the priorities of Tameside Strategic Partnership. Made up of a number of pieces of consultation using different methodologies. The results of this consultation formed Tameside’s 2003-13 Community Strategy. Consultation has been ongoing within the Partnerships, which make up the Strategic Partnership. Outcomes from this consultation have identified community strategy priorities. Further research over the course of 2003-08 has shown that these priorities are still relevant and supported across all sections of Tameside’s Community. This information has contributed to the development of the LAA and has helped to ensure that LAA outcomes are based on priorities that are important to the whole of Tameside’s community. The sub-groups and the LAA steering group will manage impact on individual groups within the LAA.

Consultation carried out

As the LAA is designed to draw on existing information and achieve goals set out in Tameside’s Community Strategy, it has not been necessary to carry out specific consultation relating to the new LAA. Within the formation of the new LAA and in the production of this EIA, consultation information from a wide variety of sources has been taken into consideration in order to ensure that the LAA addresses specific areas of inequality identified as significant within the context of Tameside. The information that has been used is outlined in the section above.

Assessment of impact arising from evidence

Whilst none of the information that has been examined shows any discrimination between different groups the LAA is focused on reducing inequality in specific areas. Within the management of the outcomes framework and the performance management of the LAA it will be essential to continue to ensure that the impact of measures aimed at achieving the LAA outcomes on different equality groups within target groups are taken into consideration.

Where appropriate to the LAA objectives, relevant ways of monitoring customers are used, however the systems used to obtain monitoring information are largely those that pre-exist within the authority or relevant partner organisations. This can mean that there is limited influence on shaping the data that is collected by each organisation. In the management and delivery of the LAA, the LAA steering group and relevant sub-groups should consider the monitoring information needed to ensure that equality groups are not being disadvantaged and take steps to address any areas where relevant information is nor readily available. This may mean examining options for disaggregating performance data by equality groups and taking action as appropriate to address any previously identified inequality in outcomes.

In examining the information above it is apparent that no direct discrimination is taking place in relation to equality and diversity. However as the LAA is aimed at reducing inequality in specific areas that have been identified there is an implicit risk that some groups may not benefit equally from the outcomes delivered by the LAA. The information examined has shown that the outcomes within the LAA are aimed at the areas of inequality, however it also shows that within the delivery of each outcome the impact on different equality groups should be taken into consideration by relevant sub-groups in order to ensure that issues are effectively addressed and where appropriate fed up to the LAA Steering Group and LAA Executive.

Taking Action

Monitoring progress

Simon Brunet: Principle Policy Officer, Policy Unit - Tel. 0161 342 3542

Contact officer/s

James Smith: Principal Policy Officer, Policy Unit - Tel: 0161 342 3711

Signature of Service Unit Manager

Date:

Signature of Assistant Executive Director / Assistant Chief Executive

Date: