Equalities Diversity and Inclusion Partnership (EDIP)

Draft Terms of Reference12.2.10

1.Introduction

1.1The Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Partnership (EDIP) is classed as an ‘Issue Group’ within the One Barnsley Delivery LSP structure. EDIP reports to the Adults and Communities Well Being Partnership within the structure to progress on recommendations and actions. However, EDIP is recognised within the One Barnsley Family of Partnerships as having a key role in shaping policy and driving action on Equalities, Diversity and Social Inclusion issues, on behalf of One Barnsley and across the other Thematic Partnerships. EDIP also has a remit to challenge the work of other Partnerships on these cross cutting issues and to ensure that work is “joined up”.

1.2The following definition developed by the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion has been adopted by EDIP to use in implementing its Social Inclusion Framework:

“Social Inclusion is the process by which efforts are made to ensure that everyone, regardless of their experiences and circumstances, can achieve their potential in life. To achieve inclusion, income and employment are necessary but not sufficient. An inclusive society is also characterised by a striving for reduced inequality, a balance between individuals’ rights and duties and increased social cohesion” (Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion 2002)

The Borough needs to concentrate on seeking to achieve the five characteristics of an inclusive community for all residents as described by central government. These are that people:

  • Are able to participate in community life.
  • Have influence over decisions affecting them.
  • Are able to take responsibility for their communities.
  • Have a right to appropriate information and support.
  • Have equal access to services and facilities

In addition the SEU identified in their “Breaking the Cycle Report – Taking stock of progress and priorities for the future”, five key problems that continue to drive social exclusion, and are continuing to hold back progress:

  • Low educational attainment
  • Economic inactivity and concentrations of worklessness
  • Health Inequalities
  • Concentration of crime
  • Homelessness

1.3Social Exclusion is ethically, socially and economically unacceptable. It has costs not just for those that are excluded, but also for all those who live and work in the borough. Social Exclusion is “a short hand term for what can happen when people or areas suffer from a combination of linked problems such as unemployment, poor skills, low incomes, poor housing, high crime, bad health and family breakdown” (Preventing Social Exclusion, Cabinet Office, 2001

1.4The above definition by the Social Exclusion Unit is deliberately flexible. The problems listed are only examples, and many could be added. The most important characteristic of Social Exclusion is that these problems are linked and mutually reinforcing and can combine to create a complex and fast moving vicious cycle. Only when this process is understood will policies really be effective.

1.5 The EDIP aims to champion Social Inclusion by placing it at the centre of the Community Planning process, and work of all organisations in Barnsley. We will do this by:

  • Ensuring that people from Barnsley’s most disadvantaged communities continue to benefit from the borough’s growth and restructuring
  • Preventing those at risk from being excluded
  • Contributing to the Children & Young Peoples plan & particularly on reducing child poverty
  • Reintegrating those who have become excluded
  • Improving basic service standards so that they are more inclusive
  • Using a community development approach
  • CapacityBuilding
  • Working in effective partnerships
  • Learning from each other
  • Working with the community
  • Taking risks
  • Monitoring change

2.Themes falling within the remit of EDIP

The following 8 themes are considered to be at the core of EDIP’s work

  • Social Inclusion
  • Promoting Equalities and Diversity
  • Building Community Cohesion and Integration
  • Promoting Financial Inclusion
  • Championing Neighbourhood Management
  • Community Development, Engagement and Empowerment
  • Supporting Active Citizenship
  • The development of the Third Sector

Due to the nature of EDIP’s work, these will be cross cutting with many other Partnerships. The Principal Social Inclusion Officer represents EDIP on the Neighbourhoods & Engagement Senior Officer Project Board and ACWP.

3.Membership of the Group

3.1For membership and operational arrangements, please see membership list below.

  1. Responsibilities of the Partnership

4.1The Partnership’s overarching aim is to take whatever steps are required to significantly reduce social exclusion, inequality and its consequences. The Partnership has three main functions. The first is to advise One Barnsley on Social Inclusion matters and to coordinate and promote the social inclusion agenda across all aspects of the Sustainable Community Strategy (SCS). The second is to be responsible for monitoring the collective delivery the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy element within the SCS. The third is to ensure that the views of practitioners and local people inform the community planning process.

Its terms of reference are:

a)To champion social inclusion by advising, advocating, encouraging, facilitating and reviewing in order to bring about positive change in individuals, organisations and communities

b)To influence the strategic direction of the SCS with specific responsibility for the “Neighbourhood Renewal” element.

c)To be responsible for leading on the equalities, diversity, inclusion, third sector and community empowerment elements of the LAA, through effective community engagement, promotion of community cohesion, active citizenship, community development and continuing to help shape our neighbourhood arrangements.

d)To work with and support partners who have responsibility to meet the 6 NRS floor targets for worklessness, education, health, crime and environment/housing and livability and work closely with the Child Poverty Action Group

e)To provide a framework for monitoring the reduction of deprivation in Barnsley as measured by the Index of Multiple Deprivation both absolutely and relative to other areas of the UK integrated with the SCS.

f)To commission or carry out research into aspects of social inclusion and disseminate findings

g)Supporting and facilitating the development of ad hoc groups in order to progress the agenda.

h)Identifying needs and solutions to problems, possible collaborations, and assign responsibilities

g)To raise and set expectations

h)To challenge poor service delivery at a strategic level, where it affects deprived areas/groups

i)To improve access to services for disadvantaged groups

j)To identify barriers to social inclusion and develop actions to remove them

k) Reduce inequalities in Barnsley, for both geographical communities and communities of interest

l)To develop and review the One Barnsley Community Cohesion & Integration, Community Empowerment, Volunteering and Financial Inclusion Strategies and associated action plans

m)To discuss the availability of different sources of funding and how to make best use of them (through collaboration and partnership working)

o)To take decisions on allocation of funding in relation to projects/activities, which fall within their remit –for example the Migration Impacts Fund, CLG Cohesion Funds and Connecting Communities

p)To fully consult partners on funding allocations and establish who needs to be consulted on funding allocations

q)Ensure information from practitioners and excluded groups informs policy development and action and to make policy decisions within their remit by consensus.

r)To promote collaboration between partners and agencies through joint working, sharing information, networking and other collaborative measures including communicating and consulting with other delivery partnerships on cross cutting issues

s)To actively support the monitoring and development of a One Barnsley Corporate Equalities Policy, promoting equality and diversity in the Borough, and monitor its implementation in partnership with partner agencies, for e.g. BMBC Corporate Equality Group

t)To promote the use of Equalities and Community Cohesion Impact Assessment amongst partners to ensure functions, policies, procedures and practices are designed, developed and delivered to promote equality, diversity and cohesion, and thereby deliver equality in employment and service delivery

u)To develop qualitative and quantitative measures of social exclusion, and performance targets for improvement for disadvantaged/excluded groups.

v)To monitor performance towards agreed LAA targets and report accordingly into the One Barnsley Partnership Performance Clinics (PPC)

  1. Key SCS Ambitions and LAA targets

5.1 EDIP is responsible for advising One Barnsley on programmes and practice to deliver SCS Ambition 4 Barnsley is recognised for its community spirit and diversity and LAA Outcome 4 Building cohesive and enterprising communities

5.2 The Principal Social Inclusion Officer who fulfils the role of ‘Coordinator’ for EDIP acts as the ‘Lead Officer’ for the LAA national indicators 1 -7 , often referred to the ‘suite of community empowerment indicators’

NI 1: % of people who believe people from different backgrounds get on well together

N1 2: % of people who feel they belong to their neighbourhood

NI 3: Civic participation in the local area

NI 4: of people who feel they can influence decisions in their locality

NI 6: Particpation in regular volunteering

NI 7: An environment for a thriving 3rd sector

NI’s 1, 4 & 7 are classed as designated indicators

These indicators are reflected in central government’s own performance management framework in Public Service Agreement (PSA) 21 ‘Building cohesive, empowered and active communities’

EDIP has also developed a local indicator for Financial Inclusion in the LAA:

Number of new members recruited to the Credit Union Target: 10/11 2000

Number of clients accessing appropriate and competent legal advice for problems relating to social welfare categories of law in: Debt & financial benefits, Welfare benefits, Housing, Employment Target: 10/11 4,000 new clients

5.3Key outputs of the Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Partnership are contained within the Social Inclusion Framework (SIF) and will be monitored as appropriate, including presenting reports to the PPC. The SIF is due for review in 2010.

  1. Performance Information for governance and partnership working

6.1In the interest of good practice supporting officers will aim to circulate minutes a maximum of one week after meeting in order for partnership members to action points.

6.2Papers for each partnership meeting will aim to be circulated at least a week before each meeting in order to let partners consult within their organisation where necessary.

6.3We have aligned our performance management processes to complement the performance management framework of the LAA, and will seek to work in partnership with the Council’s PDU unit to deliver this.

7.Working arrangements and membership

7.1In terms of reporting arrangements the Partnership should report to One Barnsley as well as advising the thematic partnerships responsible for developing the SCS, on Social Inclusion matters.

7.2EDIP is chaired by the Executive Director of Adult Social Services in his/her Social Inclusion Champion capacity within BMBC. The Vice Chair is the Chief Executive of Voluntary Action Barnsley, reflecting the strong representation from the Third Sector on EDIP. The Partnership will be serviced by the One Barnsley Secretariat through the Principal Social Inclusion Officer who also acts as Partnership Coordinator

7.3Reports of the Partnership’s activities will be put in the public domain through whatever means is felt appropriate, these to include reports into the various fora and the One Barnsley web site.

7.4EDIP will meet on a bi-monthly basis.

7.5 The membership of the Equalities Diversity and Inclusion Partnership is outlined in Appendix A and working groups and their functions/relationships are outlined in Appendix B

Appendix A

EQUALITIES, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION PARTNERSHIP MEMBERSHIP

Martin Farran (Chair) Executive Director BMBC Adult Social Services

Penny Stanley (Vice Chair) Chief Executive Voluntary Action Barnsley

Joe Micheli, Principal Social Inclusion Officer, One Barnsley Secretariat

Councillor Jenny Platts, Cabinet Portfolio Adult Social Services

Councillor Tim Cheetham, Cabinet Portfolio Corporate Services

Eddie Street, Business Manager VAB

Pat Heath, Chief Executive Barnsley Citizens Advice Bureau

Donovan Modest, Manager BBEMI

Iris Howard, Manager Association of Community Partnerships

David Keddie,Assistant Director of Participation & Communications NHS Barnsley

Amanda Heenan, Equality and Diversity Manager NHS Barnsley

Wendy Royffe, Non Executive Member NHS Barnsley

Sue Hare, Head of Joint Commissioning, Policy, Trust & Governance, Children, Young People & Families Directorate

Tom Smith, Children, Young People & Families Directorate

Mike Moir, Principal Policy & Research Officer, Barnsley Development Agency

Derrick Taylor, Assistant Director Access to Services, Customer & Neighbourhoods Services

Angela Freeman, Strategic Housing BMBC

Dave Fullen, Assistant Director Berneslai Homes

Neil Smith Safer Communities Partnership Director

Jules Horsler Equalities, Diversity & Corporate Policy Manager, BMBC

Helen Ball, Head of Culture & Creative Industries, BMBC

Katherine Richards, Equalities & Diversity Manager, BMBC Adult Social Services

Carol Brady Community Empowerment Policy Coordinator, One Barnsley Secretariat

Debbie Platt, Neighbourhood Research Officer, One Barnsley Secretariat

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