Equality Impact Assessment: ‘Plan My Care’ project
Part 1 – Aims and Implementation of the Policy, Service, Procedure, Practiceor project
1.1 What is being assessed? Name of the service, policy, procedure, practice orproject
The Plan My Care project.
1.2 Officer(s) and section or service responsible for completing the assessment
Maurice Dix – Project Manager, Plan My Care
Vicky Jones – Programme Manager for Transforming Adult Social Care (TASC). Vicky has undertaken the EIA training provided by the Council
Louise Biggs – Project Officer, TASC. Louise has also undertaken the EIA training.
1.3 What is the main purpose or aims of the service, policy, procedure, practice orproject?
To deliver a web-based tool to help people plan support to meet their social care needs. This website will make it easier for people to get information about the types of services available and how they can spend their personal budgets to best meet their needs.
1.4 Who is affected by the service, policy, procedure, practice or project? Who is itintended to benefit and how?
Anyone with social care needs can use the site, whether they meet Fair Access to Care (FACs) eligibility or not. Families, carers, care managers and brokers will be able to use the site also, to help people to plan their support and to share ideas and experiences with other users.
1.5 Has the service, policy, procedure or practice been promoted or explained tothose it might affect directly or indirectly?
The project has been developed in conjunction with the TASC User and Carer Group, who have also contributed to this EIA. This group also has personal assistants (paid carers) and representatives from the Third Sector present.The TASC User and Carer Group has an excellent breadth of representation across different client needs, disabilities and impairments and is a highly inclusive group.
Care managers and service managers have been on the Plan My Care project steering group.
The tool has also been mentioned at a Local Involvement Network (LINk), in the context of the TASC agenda.
1.6 How does the service, policy, procedure or practice contribute to bettercommunity cohesion?
The website will provide an opportunity for people to contact each other to share ideas about supporting planning, and to give feedback about providers. This project will therefore enable people of different ages, backgrounds and with a range of care needs and experiences to communicate with one another.
1.7 How does the service, policy, procedure, practice or project fit in with the
council’s wider aims?
The project is part of the TASC agenda and fits into the EcoIsland aim to promote a “healthy and Supportive Island”, particularly in terms of being able to “Support vulnerable people to live independent lives”
1.8 What is the relevance of the aims of the service, policy, procedure, practice or
project to the equality target groups and the council’s duty to eliminateunlawful racial, disability and gender discrimination; and promote equality ofopportunity?
The project aims to improve services for people with physical, sensory and/or learning disabilities, mental health problems and older people with care needs.
1.9 How is, or will the service, policy, procedure, practice or project be put intopractice and who is, or will be responsible for it?
The website will be piloted over a three month period, starting 1 July 2010. The Head of Adult Social Care (Suzanne Wixey) has responsibility for the TASC agenda, which is then overseen by the Programme Manager (Vicky Jones). The project itself is managed by Maurice Dix.
Part 2 – Consideration of data and research
2.1 List all examples of quantitative and qualitative data or any consultationinformation available that will enable the impact assessment to be undertaken.
The TASC User and Carer Group has been consulted on a number of occasions about the website and fed into the developmental stages of the programme with the website designers. The outcomes of these discussions and associated data is recorded in theminutes (containing some initial suggestions about how to improve the website)
2.2 Equalities profile of users or beneficiaries.
This project is specifically aimed at peoplewith social care needs. This includes people with physical, sensory and/or learning disabilities, mental health problems and older people with care needs
2.3 Evidence of complaints against the service, policy, procedure, practice orproject on grounds of discrimination.
The User and Carer group have already made some comments and suggested improvements to the site (please see the next box for details). Complaints and comments received during the pilot will be also be used to improve the website.
2.4 What does the consultation, research and/or data indicate about the negative
impact of the service, policy, procedure, practice or project?
- The User and Carer group raised some issues around confidentiality and potential for abuse of vulnerable people, most of which have been addressed by having a secure login for the site.
- There were also issues raised around how people with learning and physical disabilities will access the site. These concerns included the fact some people may not have access to a computer, as well as specific IT access challenges for people with sensory or learning disabilities. The aim of the website is for anyone to be able to use it so people’s families, carers, care managers and brokers can help service users to plan their support via Plan My Care. There will be Easy Read icons to help people with learning disabilities (these have also been revised as a result of the group’s input)
2.5 What does the consultation, research and/or data indicate about the positiveimpact of the service, policy, procedure, practice or project
We anticipate the Plan My Care project as having a positive effect on the lives of people with social care needs:
- It will also improve access to information about services and providers on the Island, and allow people to exchange ideas and experiences via the website.
- Providers will be rated, to help people decide which one will best meet their needs.
- Having a web-based system should allow for greater flexibility in terms of people planning their support. For example families who live far way will be able to contribute (with the service user’s permission) to the support plan via the website.
Part 3 – Assessment of impact
3.1 Race – testing of disproportional, adverse, neutral or positive impact
a) Identify the effect of this policy on different race groups from informationavailable
The website will require a translation facility for anyone whose first language is not English. This has already been actioned.
b) How is the target race group reflected in the take up of the service?
The website will be accessed by a range of social care users
c) From the evidence available, does the policy affect or have the potential toaffect racial groups differently?
Yes – due to the need for a translation service
d) If yes, do any of the differences amount to: barriers, negative impact or unlawful discrimination, Neutral Impact or Positive impact
Neutral Impact – the need for a translation facility has already been identified and will be part of the website.
3.2 Gender – testing of disproportionate, adverse, neutral or positive impact
a) Identify the effect of this policy on different gender groups from informationavailable
No issues identified.
b) How are men, women and transgender people reflected in the take up of theservice?
The website will be accessed by a range of social care users
c) From the evidence available, does the policy affect or have the potential toaffect men, women or transgender people differently?
No
3.3 Disability - testing of disproportionate, adverse, neutral or positive impact
a) Identify the effect of this policy on disabled people from information available
The aim of the project is to have a positive effect on the lives of people with disabilities
b) How are disabled people reflected in the take up of the service?
It is primarily people with disabilities who will be using the website, along with their families, carers, brokers and care managers.
c) From the evidence available, does the policy affect or have the potential toaffect disabled people differently?
Yes
d) If yes, do any of the differences amount to: barriers, negative impact or unlawful discrimination, Neutral Impact or Positive impact
The overall impact will be a positive one as this project is specifically designed to improve the lives of vulnerable people.
However, we have identified a need to investigate making the website compatible with ‘Browse Aloud’ software, which is free to download and is already installed in libraries etc. This will help some people with visual impairments to access the site more easily.
Additionally the need for care managers and/or brokers to proactively support some clients accessing the site has also been acknowledged.
3.4 Age - testing of disproportionate, adverse, neutral or positive impact
a) Identify the effect of this policy on different age groups from informationavailable
Older people are more likely to be in receipt of social care services, than those under 65 years of age.
However, so far, the take-up of Personal Budgets has been higher for people with learning disabilities and physical/sensory disabilities than older people. This means that whilst currently the project will impact more greatly on younger people, it has the potential to affect older people more in the future as personal budgets become the norm.
b) How are the different age groups reflected in the take up of the service?
As above.
c) From the evidence available, does the policy affect or have the potential toaffect age groups differently?
Yes
d) If yes, do any of the differences amount to:
Barriers, negative impact
or unlawful discrimination
Neutral Impact
Positive impact
Neutral Impact at present. However, there is potential for a negative impact on this age group with a web-based tool, as statistically this group is less likely to use the internet.
3.5 Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual - testing of disproportionate, adverse, neutral orpositive impact
a) Identify the effect of this policy on gay, lesbian and bisexual groups frominformation available
No impact identified
b) How is this target group reflected in the take up of the service?
Equally
c) From the evidence available, does the policy affect or have the potential to
affect gay, lesbian and bisexual people differently?
No
3.6 Religion, Belief – testing of disproportionate, adverse, neutral or positive
Impact
a) Identify the effect of this policy on different religious, belief groups frominformation available
No issues identified
b) How are the target religious, belief groups reflected in the take up of theservice?
The website will be accessed by a range of social care users
c) From the evidence available, does the policy affect or have the potential toaffect religious, belief groups differently?
No
3.7 Other - Additional groups that may experience impacts - testing ofdisproportionate, adverse, neutral or positive impact
a) Identify the effect of this policy on different other groups from informationavailable
Being able to access a computer from home would make using the website easier. there will be some inequality of access for people who do not have, including those who cannot afford to have, computers at home.
b) How are the target other groups reflected in the take up of the service?
No data currently available as to whether service users have computers, or not.
c) From the evidence available, does the policy affect or have the potential toaffect other groups differently?
Yes
d) If yes, do any of the differences amount to: barriers, negative impact
or unlawful discrimination, Neutral Impact, Positive impact
Negative Impact: legitimate reason in that the project is specifically for developing a web-based tool to improve services
Part 4 – Measures to mitigate disproportionate or adverse impact or improveon neutral or positive impacts
4.1 If there is any negative impact on any target equality group identified in
Section 3, is the impact intended or legal?
The primary negative impact was due to people not having easy access to computers at home, as it would make the website more difficult to access without assistance.
4.2 Specify measures that can be taken to remove or minimise thedisproportionate or adverse effect identified in Section 3. If none wereidentified in Section 3; identify how disproportionate impact or adverse effectcould be avoided in future.
OTHER’ (Access to IT): This will be partially mitigated by the fact that the website is accessible from help centres and libraries. It is important to acknowledge it is not just an issue of physical access, but also familiarity with IT systems and the internet that may be a barrier, hence the need for care managers to offer proactive support to access the system with some clients. Hence it may also be useful for all care managers for example to have access to laptops with web access in future.
4.3 If there is no evidence that the service, policy, procedure, practice or projectpromotes equality, equal opportunities or improves relations within equalitytarget groups, what amendments could be made to achieve this?
n/a
4.4 If a neutral or positive impact has been identified, can that impact be improvedupon (continuous improvement)?
Improvements could be made to the website after the pilot period.
What are the improvements that can be made?
Can they be applied elsewhere in the Authority?
n/a
4.5 How will any amended service, policy, procedure, practice or project beimplemented, including any necessary training?
Pilot will begin on 1 July, with an assessment completed at the end to identify improvements
Part 5 – Conclusions and recommendations
5.1 Does the policy comply with equalities legislation, including the duty to
promote race, disability and gender equality?
Yes
5.2 What are the main areas requiring further attention?
A need to make the website Browse Aloud compatible, to help people with visual impairments.
5.3 Summary of recommendations for improvement
As above
5.4 What equality monitoring, evaluation, review systems have been set up to
carry out regular checks on the effects of the service, policy, procedure,
practice or project?
Another EIA will be carried out after the pilot stage.
As and when the service goes ‘live’, assessing how the website impacts upon different groups of people will need to be part of the ongoing monitoring process.
5.5 When will the amended service, policy, procedure or practice be reviewed?
The post-pilot review will be completed by Maurice Dix
Subsequent reviews are yet to be determined as we have not yet decided who will ‘own’ the website after the pilot stage.
Date completed
4 June 2010
Signed by (Manager)
Part 6 – Equality impact assessment improvement plan
Action plan to:
1. Lower the negative impact, and/or
2. Ensure that the negative impact is legal under anti-discriminatory law, and/or
3. Provide an opportunity to promote equality, equal opportunity and improve relations within equality target groups, i.e. increase thepositive impact
Area of negative impact / Changes proposed / Lead officer / Timescale / Resource implications / CommentsRace / Translation facility already present / n/a / n/a / n/a
Disability / Make the website compatible with Browse Aloud if possible / Maurice Dix / 1 July 2010 / To be carried out as part of the project
Age / Ensure that sufficient for older people to access the website.
Religious and
Philosophical belief
Gender
Sexual orientation
Geographical location
IT Access / Look to improve access to IT for people (e.g. care managers with laptops, computers available at more locations) / Maurice Dix / Ongoing / To be carried out as part of the project
Part 6 – Equality impact assessment summary report
The results of equality impact assessments must be published. Please complete thissummary, which will be used to publish the results of your impact assessment on thecouncil’s website, and return it to the HR OD & Diversity Manager.
Date of assessment
4 June 2010
Officer’s name Role
Maurice Dix, Project Manager
Service, policy, procedure,practice or project that was impact-assessed
Plan My Care
Summary of findings
The main impact of this project will be a positive one for people with disabilities, with some actions required to ensure that we maximise equality of access to the Plan My Care website.
Summary of recommendationsand key points of action plan
The main action will be to ensure that the website is accessible for people with visual impairments. If possible, we will look as to how we can improve access to the website
We will also look at how IT access can be maximized to avoid discriminating against those without computers (e.g. increase the number of locations with web-access, make laptops available to care managers).
Although it’s important to highlight that people will still be able to plan their support without the website, as happens now.
Groups that this policy will impact upon
Disability (Positive) Age (neutral) and Other (IT Access) (negative)