Item 17 - Appendix 2 - EIA
West Dunbartonshire Council · 26 October 2022
Back to West Dunbartonshire Council — 26 October 2022 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
Page 1
Assessment No 392 Resources Transformation Head Officer Nicola Docherty Members Ricardo Rea, Nicola Docherty Policy Title Strategic Plan 2022-27 The aim, objective ,purpose and intended outcome of policy The council's proposed Strategic Plan 2022-2027, which sets out our ambitions and priorities for the years ahead. Service/Partners/Stakeholders/service users involved in the development and/or implementation of policy. Elected Members, Senior Management Team, Community Planning Partners, Service Managers. A consultation was carried out in September 2022 where members of the public, community organisations and local businesses were invited to take part. Does the proposals involve the procurement of any goods or services? No SCREENING: You must indicate if there is any relevance to the four areas Duty to eliminate discrimination (E), advance equal opportunities (A) or foster good relations (F) Yes Relevance to Human Rights (HR) Yes Relevance to Health Impacts (H) Yes Relevance to Social Economic Impacts (SE) Yes Who will be affected by this policy? Residents of West Dunbartonshire, people accessing services in the area, people visiting the area for tourism, culture and leisure, local businesses, private and public sector and voluntary organisations and employees of West Dunbartonshire Council. Who will be/has been involved in the consultation process? An extensive strategic needs assessment was carried out informed by a range of national and local data, this was made available to the public as part of the consultation and to senior council officers and Elected Members during the Strategic Plan planning sessions. The Draft Strategic Plan priorities and objectives were shared for public consultation during September. 268 responses were received focusing on the proposed priorities and objectives: Priority 1. Our Communities – Thriving and Resilient Our neighbourhoods are safe, resilient and inclusive Our residents health and wellbeing remains a priority Our residents are supported to increase life and learning skills Priority 2. Our Environment – A Greener Future Our local environment is protected, enhanced and valued Our resources are used in an environmentally sustainable way Our neighbourhoods are sustainable and attractive Priority 3. Our Economy – Strong and Flourishing Our area has the infrastructure for sustainable and inclusive growth where businesses can flourish Our residents are supported to access employment and training opportunities Our partnerships will support economic development to deliver increased prosperity for our area Priority 4. Our Council – Inclusive and Adaptable Our workforce is resilient and skilled where digital technology supports service delivery for our residents Our Council is adaptable and focused on delivering best value for our residents Our residents are engaged and empowered Appendix 2
Page 2
In terms of responses: The geographical spread across WD was even. 97% of respondents stated they were residents of West Dunbartonshire and 4% said they were WDC employees. Respondents usually answered either all or none of the diversity question, with 60% giving data and 40% choosing not to. More women than men responded 61% to 39%. Support was strong among both men and women for all 4 Strategic Priority Areas, though somewhat stronger for health and wellbeing among women than men. 28% of respondents identified as disabled this is slightly higher than indicated by census data. There was generally less support from disabled people compared with non-disabled people, though overall disabled people were supportive. Older people were over represented especially people over 65, younger people were underrepresented especially those under 25. 45% of respondents stated they had no religion and 55% stated they were Christian. In addition, a Citizens Panel Survey (CPS) was carried out in April 2022, this aimed to look at how life had changed or not changed over the last three years. Key findings were considered and reported in the strategic needs assessment and supported the identification of the proposed priorities and objectives. Key considerations when planning consultation and assessing impact have been taken into account: COVID 19 has been erroneously described as a great lever; in fact it has more severely impacted on already disadvantaged groups, in terms of health and employment, and potentially education. The recovery plan needs to take account of this. Climate challenge LOIP priorities Inclusive growth and inclusive economy Tacking child poverty Tacking domestic abuse Sustaining and modernising council services Child care provision Safe and sustainable transport Community cohesion and empowerment Equality and human rights considerations for the above The Scottish Government's has emphasized the importance of Equality and Human Rights through the crisis, and continues to do so in its recently published COVID-19 decision making framework The Scottish Government is committed to publishing a Fairer Scotland assessment of the impact of COVID-19, which the Council, which should use as part of the evidence for its own wider assessment and inform its decision making. Good sources of evidence include: https://www.equallyours.org.uk/resources/theequality-and- human-rights-impacts-of-covid-19/ https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/covid- 19-support-for-councils/covid19-good-council-practice and Improvement Service briefing on the equality and human rights impacts of COVID-19 This EIA was updated in September following consultation, which allowed us to gauge responses from the public by protected group. Will the impact of the policy be monitored and reported on an ongoing bases? In line with the Councils Strategic planning Framework, progress on performance will be reviewed regularly to ensure we are meeting the aims of the Strategic Plan. Annual service planning forms part of the process; progress on the service plans are monitored monthly by the senior management team. We will continue to consult through the Citizens Panel and telephone survey gauging resident satisfaction and experiences in key thematic areas that are reflected in the Strategic Plan. We will use the range of demographic data that we gather during consultation and involvement, and data gathered from other sources, including service monitoring to gauge impact and improve services and approaches. Q7 What is you recommendation for this policy?
Page 3
Please provide a meaningful summary of how you have reached the recommendation The proposed Strategic Plan is relevant in terms of equality, human rights, health/well-being and social and economic (including Fairer Scotland Duty) impacts. The potential impacts have been examine in the draft EIA numbered 392. The EIA has taken into consideration a range of evidence detailed in section 2 of the EIA. A range of potential positive impacts are detailed in the draft EIA for Equality Act 2010 protected groups. Potential positive impacts were noted in the areas of Health and Well Being, Human Rights and Social and Economic impacts. Vital to maximising positive impacts will be ensuring that results of consultation and engagement positively influence the final Strategic Plan and any changes to improve the plan are carried out. The Council must also engage with service users and other stakeholders when determining policy and strategies to deliver the objectives of the Strategic Plan.
Page 4
Please outline any particular need/barriers which equality groups may have in relation to this policy, list evidence you are using to support this and whether there is any negative impact on particular groups. Needs Evidence Impact Age Older people are more likely to be in need of care services than younger people Fair access to education is needed for school age children People who are of pensionable age are projected to have the largest increase in population between mid-2018 and mid- 2028. As a consequence we need to ensure we have; Housing that is warm, secure, accessible and adaptable to enable older people to live independently and well as they age; and Spaces that support active, healthy ageing, where older people can access community activities and services they need Evidence suggest that people under 30 have been affected more financially by COVID impacts in terms of income and employment Older people are generally less likely to be income deprived compared to younger age groups. BME older people are more likely to be income deprived than white older people Potential positive impacts: The Strategic Plan should direct Council policy to make sure the needs of older and younger people are met Disability The Council has an anticipatory duty to ensure that services are accessible to disabled people. This means building in equality. The Council is also required to Evidence would suggest that disabled people have been more negatively impacted than other during lockdown Potential positive impacts: A high level of integration
Page 5
make reasonable adjustments for disabled people and employees. The council has committed through it equality outcomes to work to increase the proportion of this group in the workforce. Employment rates across the UK, Scotland and WD are lower for disabled people than non-disabled people The SP showed strong support among disabled people for the SP Plan content though this was slight less strong than among non-disabled people across the Strategic Plan will assist in planning services with regard to accessibility and suitability Social & Economic Impact Our approach needs to follow the Statutory Guidance on FSD, published in 2021. Therefore we must assess the potential impact of the Strategic Plan. This highlights the interplay of social and economic and social factors It is important to support inclusive growth, we can help support the basis for this by ensuring that we offer opportunities widely and reach out across all potential groups The Strategic Plan needs to support the goal of reducing poverty, including child poverty Transport is an equality and socio economic issue The most income deprived groups are being more negatively affected by COVID 19 and the measures in place Those who are income deprived are much less likely to be able to work from home than those on higher incomes In the UK it is estimated that around 40% of jobs can be done from home Citizens Panel Survey(CPS) results show strong support for the sustainability and environmental agendas CPS results: 31% of respondents said they had some concerns about their finances, with 4% say they had serious concerns The strategic needs assessment takes account of the Council's Climate Change Strategy, itself informed by a considerations of the UN Sustainable Development Goals Potential positive impacts: The draft Strategic Plan offers an opportunity to ensure joined up thinking on sustainable and inclusive economic activity
Page 6
Sex Evidence suggest that women have been more negatively impacted in terms of employment than men, BAME men are more heavily concentrated in elementary occupations, so there is a likely hold that their employment has been more negatively impacted Child care provision needs to match demand Evidence would suggest an increase in domestic abuse during lockdown. Evidence suggest that the burden of home schooling has fallen more on women than men, and is especially true for women expected to work at home CPS results showed that more women than men thought that more flexible working and home working would be positive things from employers Both women and men showed strong support for the proposed SP content There is a an opportunity to ensure that we recruit more widely, and reduce occupation segregation in this area Gender reassignmen t Confidentiality can be a special concern for trans people in service delivery Creation of places where LGBTQ+ groups can safely socialise and be open about their sexual orientation and gender identity. LGBT young people in particular are disproportionately represented in the young homeless population; and For some LGBT people, the risks of homelessness, insecure employment, restricted access to healthcare and other inequalities will deepen as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. At the UK level, evidence of increased homelessness and domestic abuse Stonewall Scotland's report highlighted that LGBT people are vulnerable to and at increased risk of homelessness, highlighting that almost one in five LGBT people (18%) have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. A Report by Scottish Alliance for Children's Rights notes LGBT children and young people may be significantly disadvantaged in accessing adequate play, leisure and culture opportunities. This is cross cutting with sexual orientation Potential positive impacts: A high level of integration across the SP will assist in planning services with regard to accessibility and suitability
Page 7
Health Increasing health and wellbeing in the broadest sense should inform the content of the strategic plan Differential health impacts have been noted above, by ethnic group and sex Some ethnic groups had poorer health outcomes compared to others before COVID-19, e.g. Gypsy/Travellers A survey of 1001 employees carried out for the CIPD in April 2020 showed worsening mental health since lockdown especially among those who had previously had issues, physical health had also declined CPS showed better self-reported physical health for women and better mental health for men. Using the a method used by ONS, self-reported wellbeing in WD, in common with the rest of the UK is worsening. Potential positive impacts in health and wellbeing. A high level of integration across the SP will assist in planning services with regard to improving health and well being Human Rights As duty bearers the council must protect the rights of workers and services users, and people living in the area, including protecting the right to life, and ensuring that there is no discrimination against anyone SHRC commissions recommended that the specific rights of women, disabled people, older people, children and black and minority ethnic people must be further protected and implemented alongside economic, social, cultural and environmental rights in responding to the Evidence above notes differential impacts Scottish Human Rights Commission Briefings note an accelerated rise in food insecurity https://www.scottishhumanrights.com/media/2050/the -impact-of-covid-19-on-the-right-to-food-final.pdf Potential positive impacts: We have an opportunity to embedded consideration of both human rights and equality, into everything we do explicitly and to build
Page 8
experience of this pandemic, are taken into account by public authorities joint work with communities around this. Marriage & Civil Partnership Concerns cross cuts with sex and sexual orientation Concerns cross cuts with sex and sexual orientation Likely neutral impact in this area in non- cross cutting areas, positive for cross cutting areas. Pregnancy & Maternity According to a survey of 3,400 women by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), a quarter of those who had been pregnant or on maternity leave during the pandemic experienced unfair treatment at work, such as being singled out for furlough or redundancy. Low-paid pregnant women were more likely to have been forced to stop work during the compared to high-paid women. There is considerable evidence of beneficial effects of access to green space for the health of pregnant women and access to green space in close proximity to the homes of pregnant women was positively associated with birth weight As 90% of lone parents are women there is cross cutting with evidence and impacts under 'sex' The EHRC is calling for a broader study into the prevalence of discrimination towards pregnant women during the pandemic Potential positive impacts. A high level of integration across the SP will assist in planning services with regard to accessibility and suitability. Tackling issues around access to facilities and public spaces may be of particular concern to
Page 9
people with this protected characteristic. There is an opportunity to reflect this in policies within the strategic Plan Noting the connection between premature birth and air pollution exposure, there is scope to promote air quality through the Strategic Plan Race At the Scotland level BME groups are more likely to be unemployed. The council has committed through it equality outcomes to work to increase the proportion of this group in the workforce The rights and health of gypsy/travellers also needs to be considered during this BME people have been more effected in terms of employment than white ethnic groups, because of concentration in certain areas of the labour market COSLA and the Scottish Government at working of specific guidance on gypsy/Travellers and travelling during this period. Potential positive impacts. The Council is committed to community cohesion and empowerment
Page 10
period as lockdown eases and travelling seasons comes. Both travelling and settled travellers needs must be considered during lock down and beyond Access to English learning is important for the vast majority of Syrians, Afghanis and Ukrainians in West Dunbartonshire The Council has a duty to have due regard to fostering good relations between different groups There is some local anecdotal evidence that lockdown arrangements have actually made it earlier to access ESOL, especially for disabled people in this group Recent CPS showed strong support for community cohesion and good relations as a priority There is a an opportunity to ensure that we recruit more widely Inward migration provides an opportunity to strengthen communities by drawing on different life experiences and skills The Strategic Plan provides a strategic framework for necessary approaches Religion and Belief There may sometimes be additional barriers around seeking help. some of these may cross cut with ethnicity and language at some points There is some cross cutting of religion with ethnic group, though of course these are not the same thing, but for example 90% of people who identify as Pakistani also identify as Muslim A high level of integration across the Strategic Plan will assist in planning services with regard to
Page 11
accessibility and suitability Sexual Orientation Confidentiality can be a special concern for LGBO (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Other) people, as they may not be 'out'. ‘Hard to Reach, Easy to Ignore’ noted that communities are now recognised to exist beyond geographical areas, therefore more needs to be done to tackle the inequalities faced by communities of identity (such as LGBT+ group). (https://www.gov.scot/publications/sexual -orientation-scotland-2017-summary- evidence-base/) LGBO people are more likely to live in deprived areas Evidence of increased 'outing ' of LGBO people during lockdown Stonewall Scotland's report highlighted that LGBT people are vulnerable to and at increased risk of homelessness, highlighting that almost one in five LGBT people (18%) have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. LGBT young people in particular are disproportionately represented in the young homeless population; and For some LGBT people, the risks of homelessness, insecure employment, restricted access to healthcare and other inequalities will deepen as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Potential positive impacts; A high level of integration across the Strategic Plan will assist in modernising and planning services with regard to accessibility and suitability Cross Cutting We need to have due regard to general and specific public sector equality duties, the EHRC have empathised that this is especially important at time of crisis The third sector provides many services and supports to vulnerable people that the public and private sector don't. The plan needs to address intersectionality, the green agenda and See above in terms of differential impact; we are aware that these factors can combine to increase disadvantage CPS results the support the priorities identified the draft strategic plan Potential positive impacts: The Strategic Plan is an opportunity to increase the integration of all of the Council's activities. Key
Page 12
digital inclusion, and contribute to the Council's Community empowerment agenda ensuring communication best practice is applied to ensure people have a voice to this will be ensuring that timely impact assessment is carried out and influences policy Public consultation will provide more evidence of potential impact and itself is an opportunity to involve people and groups across WD in line with our Community Empowermen t Strategy