CONSOLIDATED Equality Impact Assessment - Grant Review 2009/10
Stage 1: Scope of the Equality Impact Assessment
1. What is being assessed? (Title or description of the policy, strategy, service, function)And who implements this policy, strategy, service or function?
The Review of Community Support Grants that have been recommended for funding 2009/10
The Review will be considered by LSB on 30 March 2009 and implemented by the Cohesion Manager and each portfolio lead for Community Support Grants.
2. What is the purpose? (A short statement about its aim or objectives)
To review 13 grants, typically those over £5,000, with a view to significantly reducing the overall grant budget.
3. Who is affected? (The people it covers)
13 projects run by 12 voluntary or community sector organisations and all the beneficiaries fo them:
Project Organisation
Community Transport SKIDZ – Wycombe Motor Ltd
SKIDZ – Wycombe Motor Ltd SKIDZ – Wycombe Motor Ltd
Focus Families for Children United Support Focus Families for Children United Support
Havenfield & Totteridge Rd Move On Flats Padstones
High Wycombe & District CAB High Wycombe & District CAB
High Wycombe & District CAB High Wycombe & District CAB
High Wycombe Shop Mobility High Wycombe Shop Mobility
Mediation Buckinghamshire Mediation Buckinghamshire
Mediation Buckinghamshire Mediation Buckinghamshire
WWNS Plus (Winter Night Shelter + advocacy service) Wycombe winter night shelter
Wycombe Arts Festival Wycombe Arts Festival
Wycombe Race Equality Council Wycombe Race Equality Council
Wycombe Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme Wycombe Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme
Wycombe Women’s Aid Ltd Wycombe Women’s Aid Ltd
Wycombe Youth Action Wycombe Youth Action
4. Are there any other organisations involved in delivery? (Other agencies, Voluntary sector)
Other agencies including Bucks County Council and Lottery Funds also fund some organisations.
5. What are the external drivers for change? (i.e. Legal, National Policy, Partnership, etc)
The need to reduce the overall Council Budget in 2009/10 and 2011/12
6.Does the service affect the public or staff directly?
Yes; every grant provides a service to members of the public.
7. Does it affect how other services are provided?
Many of the projects are linked with other services and projects
8. Is there information e.g. survey data or complaints that suggest that it is affecting particular groups of people?
Yes; Some of the projects have a remit to provide services to particular groups.
9. Does it have employment implications?
Yes; grant reductions could lead to the reduction or loss of jobs.
If you have answered ‘yes’ to one or more of questions 6,7,8 or 9 you will need to carry out a full Equality Impact Assessment.
10. Using the assessment in Questions 6-9 above, should a full assessment be carried out?YES X NO
11. What is the justification for the decision about full assessment?
The Review will affect different groups and employment.
If the answer to Q10 is ‘yes’ stage 4 of the assessment must be completed within 3 months.
12. Who undertook this assessment?Name: Paul Hodson
Job Title: Cohesion Manager
Phone: 01494 421751
Email:
Please send this form to your Equality Champion (See Corporate, Equality and Young People on WySpace for a current list) and copy it to Claire Hook, Equalities Officer at . You must do this before final sign off by the Head of Service to enable the challenge process to be applied effectively.
This preliminary impact assessment was approved by the following Head of Service:
Name: Date:
Stage 2: Information Gathering
Community Support Grants Review 2009
2. Have you carried out work to identify the profile of your users or do you have information that describes the profile? (Please state all sources of information you have used to map and understand the individuals and their needs)
Each organisation has provided details about their user groups in the applications submitted in November 2009. This has been extracted and is shown in Appendix 1.
3. Please describe the groups and / or mechanisms you use to engage / consult with service users?
Each organisation is responsible for consulting with and involving their users in their project or service. The Application Form includes the following questions:
Q8 Do you have an equal opportunities policy?
If yes, please include a copy with this application
Q9 Please state what particular steps you plan to take to implement the equal opportunities
policy through the project or activities you are planning
The Funding body has a duty to look at the way groups they fund deliver services and how the organisation promotes equality of opportunity.
Please give examples of how you challenge discrimination; combat harassment; work to eliminate unlawful practices; implement your policy through;
a) Recruitment practice
b) Accessibility of services
Q10 Please tell us how users are involved in the development, management and
Delivery of the project/service:
Each project was assessed using a systematic process, which included an assessment of these answers. Projects are only awarded grants if they provide satisfactory answers to each question.3a. Is this ongoing? (if not please give reasons why)
Organisations complete application forms annually, and are required to demonstrate ongoing user involvement, as well as evidence that users need their service or project.
4. Have you done any work to understand the impacts of your service/ policy/ review on these user groups? This may include any consultation/ research / studies you have used.
Each group has been asked to state the impact of reducing or withdrawing their funding. Their answers are described in the report and these are reflected in the recommendations made. In addition, the impacts of the recommendations made in the Grants Review are shown in Appendix 2.
5. Is there any further consultation or research planned?
Yes No X
No further consultation is planned before the Review is submitted for decision. However the grants will each be monitored through SLAs, which will reflect the priorities and work identified during the Grants Review, and will be subject to the same assessment process for funding in 2010/11.
6. If there are gaps in your knowledge are there any experts/relevant groups that can be contacted to get further views or evidence on these issues?
Yes No
No gaps were identified.
6a. If Yes, please list them and explain how you will obtain their views:
7. Do you need to carry out further research?
Yes No X
7a.If yes give details:
Stage 3: Making a Judgement (Analysis)
Age / Disability / Gender / Low income / Race / Religion or belief / Sexual orientation
2. From the information above and the description of your service state the likely positive and negative impacts for each strand
Age / The proposed cuts would affect 3 of the 6 projects that particularly benefit younger people. However the retention of WYA would continue to provide a service to younger people. The projects to be reduced are likely to continue with only some reduction in service. The impact is proportionate to the overall reduction.
Disability / Shopmobility is the only project to be affected that supports Disabled people. The reduction is proportionate and would have a limited impact on users.
Gender / The reduction to Shopmobility's grant would have a limited impact on pregnant women (see disability above). The reduction in the WREC's grant is likely to lead to the loss of the Asian women's outreach worker. However the WWA grant is recommended to be continued, which includes an outreach project to Asian women. There would be an impact on single homeless men, as they are generally less likely to be housed through WDC's core services.
Low income / The reduction in projects that support the homeless would impact on that user group. However each of those projects is recommended for limited reductions, therefore the impact is proportionate. The reduction in the CAB's grant would have a significant impact on those on low income and would lead to users experiencing financial problems receiving less support and therefore being likely to face more difficulties.
Race / The WREC's raison d’être is to address racial equality in the Wycombe District. The reduction would significantly impact on this service. However it is clear from the Grant Review that the current service provided includes a significant proportion of work that does not address racial equality, and that the organisation is not currently providing value for money. The reduction of the WREC's grant combined with a reduction to the CAB's grant, which provides a substantial service to BME users, would represent a disproportionate impact on BME groups.
Religion / belief / The only impact would be on the WREC, however the Review states that the Faith's Fair would continue without support from the WREC.
Sexual orientation / None
General / The WEIF is described as a key organisation, however the Grant Review recommends that support for this is retained.
3. Which impacts are:
a) Avoidable? Please explain your answers.
The reductions in the WREC’s and CAB’s grants would lead to a disproportionate impact on BME groups. It is therefore recommended that one of the grants is not reduced, to ensure that the impact of the Review and the reductions in grants is proportionate to BME groups.
b) Unavoidable? Please explain your answers
The recommendations made in the Grants Review would have a number of impacts of 4 of the 7 strands. However the purpose of the Review is to make an unavoidable reduction in the grants budget, and the recommendations made are proportionate to the equality strands, with the exception described above in 3 a).
Please pass this form to Legal services (Catherine Herries-Smith) for completion of the following section
4. Could any of the adverse impacts breach equality law? Please explain your answersVs 0.1 2 of 24 09/04/2009
Consolidated Equalities Impact Assessment - Grant Review 2009/10
Stage 4: Monitoring (Publication and Review)
1. Please state the actions you will take to promote equality or to address any adverse impact
Equality Improvement Plan (EIP)
Equality Target / Equality Action (many actions may work towards one target) / Deadline for completion / WDC officer responsible / Job Title / Email address / Phone numberRevision of Grant Review / Change the recommendation to reduce the grants to the CAB and WREC to only reduce one grant and ensure that race equality advice and support is available to BME groups in Wycombe. / 25 February 2009 / Elaine Jewell / Head of Community Services
NB you will be required to provide quarterly updates on these actions to your Equality Champion until they are completed
.
Confirmation that actions are agreed and EIA approved for publication:Head of Service signature………………………………………………………….
Date received by Equalities Officer……………………………………………….
Appendix 1; Summary Of Current Contribution To Equalities By Organisation And Strand
Organisation / Age / Disability / Gender / Low Income / Race / Religion Or Belief / Sexual Orientation / Work To Promote Equal Opportunities (Besides Having policy and monitoring) /Skidz / The project is aimed at young people up to the age of 18. / 50% of those engaging with the project have Learning or behavioural difficulties. Some have Medical conditions / Students are from deprived areas with considerable anti-social behaviour, plus car crime and illegal driving. The courses reintegrate young people into mainstream education.2 yr course in Road User Studies (Q) helps to lead to employment. There is a high attendance and low drop-out rate. / Staff are recruited for their ability to communicate with challenging young people.
Focus / The project is aimed at young people with children who are residents / The provision of parenting skills which improves Families’ ability to move out
Padstones / The project is aimed at young adults / The project supports homeless young people who have left home due to factors such as abuse, neglect, poverty and relationship problems.
Citizen’s Advice Bureau / Advice is provided to those who are facing for example financial difficulties linked to being unable to find employment due to their age. / There is a substantial take up of the CAB’s service for benefit take-up advice, homelessness issues,Legal Aid – Debt, Housing Benefits. HWCAB is one of largest volunteer agencies in the area/ / Users from BME backgrounds formed 29% of the CAB’s users in 2007-08. According to the 2001 census 12% of Wycombe residents were from BME backgrounds. This demonstrates that users from BME backgrounds access the CAB and have a higher likelihood of needing the CAB’s service than the general population.
Shopmobility / Older people are more likely to be mobility impaired / The service enables those with all disabilities to be able to better access the Eden centre. / Pregnant women can use the service. / The service is aimed at those who cannot afford their own scooter
Mediation Bucks / Youth - Victim offender mediation is planned to be provided. / There is Governmental recognition of the significance of mediation for homelessness prevention.The service may indirectly affect low income as tension between neighbours may be greater in the lower income households due to the closer proximity of neighbours. / Community conferencing is provided to help different groups understand each others’ needs. Volunteers are recruited from BME groups. / Mediation may be required more for certain equality strands if tension has arisen as a result of differences between people (e.g. homophobia or bullying due to disability).
WWN Shelter / The main users are men as single homeless men are unlikely to get WDC accommodation unless they are classed as vulnerable. / The service benefits the homeless.
Wyc Arts Festival
WREC / An Asian women’s worker has been employed in 2008-09 covering health, skills learning and preparation for business. / Advice on employment, housing, immigration and health is provided to BME residents. Advice to businesses in Equality/ Diversity is available, and was provided during one workshop in 2008/09.Current engagement with Polish & African-Caribbean residents, the second and third largest BME groups in Wycombe, is limited although it is hoped to address this in the future. Some Race and Equality advice is provided, although this does not form a large part of the organisation’s work. / The Faiths Fair is supported but not run by WREC. / Involved with WDC and Bucks Equalities/ Diversity Forum, Bucks Consultative Group, WDC housing & provide the secretariat for the Wycombe Equalities Incidents Group
Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme / There is some benefit to men as single men are less likely to be housed by WDC. / The project has a substantial impact on the homeless and those who are at risk of becoming homeless
WWA / Children / The project is specifically for women and children who have suffered physical, psychological sexual and or financial violence in intimate or family type relationship. Lives of women and children at risk
Wycombe Youth Action / The project benefits 14-25 yr olds generally and older people (in nursing homes) via inter- generational annual Christmas shopping project. The drop-in service engages ‘at risk’ young people.
Vs 0.1 2 of 24 09/04/2009