To advise the Cabinet on progress regarding the Council’s commitment to and delivery of the Council’s statutory obligations to the Diversity agenda.

THAT

(a)         progress in implementing the Comprehensive Equality Policy be noted;

(b)         recommendations for change identified through the EIA process be endorsed, and that through the performance management and service planning process ensure that diversity is mainstreamed throughout all services, policies and processes.

The changing and diverse nature of the community of Herefordshire should be recognised and acknowledged, along with the challenges this brings.  The Comprehensive Equality Policy (CEP) is the overriding document that sets out the Council’s commitment to achieving excellence and meeting its responsibilities to promote and implement equality when it is:

• Providing services
• Purchasing services
• Employing staff
• Working in partnership with other organisations

The CEP provides the focus to ensure that the Council meets the criteria needed to reach Level two of the Equality Standard by 2007.  The CEP is underpinned by the Race Equality Scheme (RES) and the Disability Equality scheme (DES).  It should be noted that both the RES and the DES are sub-sections of the CEP and therefore their action plans sit as appendices to this Plan.

The Council has taken a long-term approach to the Equality Impact Assessment process, choosing a three year rolling programme to enable services to look at a number of equality categories, not just Race as required by legislation. This will enable us to progress through levels three and four of the Equality Standard more rapidly as the ground work and needs assessment with regards to other equality strands (age, gender and disability) will have already been completed in advance of legislation coming into force.  It also demonstrates us developing a proactive response to the needs of our customers.

None.