Disability Working Group
Satellite Group 2 - Public sector duty to promote disability equality; mainstreaming disability equality; corporate responsibility; engaging public authorities
Potential draft recommendations: October 2005
These proposals represent the papers and areas discussed to date. Proposed actions should not be taken as full recommendations at this stage and should be subject to discussion, amendment and change.
We should discuss each in detail as follows:
Potential recommendation - Does the recommendation reflect the will of the subgroup? Is it easy to understand? Is it specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timed?
Priority - A realistic assessment of prioritisation (High/Medium/Low)
Who needs to do it? - Who should be the lead agency responsible for delivery? Are there any relevant partners? It may be that more than one body needs to act, e.g. the Scottish Executive needs to do something and local authorities need to do something. It may be that different parts of the Executive need to do different things. The more specific it is to possible to be about who needs to do what the better.
How might it be done? - Are there any specific actions which must be taken to deliver this recommendation? Any ideas about how it shold proceed.
How long should this take? - What is the realistic assessment of the timescale for delivery? Are there any dates when this MUST be delivered by? It may be that some recommendations need to be implemented before others can be, or that actions need to happen in a certain order, or that different actions need to happen simultaneously.
What is already being done? - Is all or part of this work already being done somewhere?
How will we measure success? - How will we all know when this recommendation has been delivered. How will we know if delivery has been successful? What evidence is there of need for this recommendation to be delivered? What evidence or research needs to be done?
What is the likely impact of this recommendation on poverty, sustainability and other equality groups? - Will this be beneficial to our aim of reducing poverty and promoting sustainability? Will there be a negative or positive impact on other equality groups? Will there be benefit in working with other equality groups. It is important to consider and highlight wider equality issues including for particular groups of disabled people in terms of impairment type, ethnicity, gender, age, location (rural / remote / urban), etc. For more info try:
www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/people/equalityhttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/People/Social-Inclusion
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/17108/7365
Group 2 Potential Draft Recommendations
General Principles
In discussion on 23 May, the group decided to focus on:
- Assisting public/local authorities to prioritise their work for the disability equality duty
- Importance of targeting the right people within public bodies
- Ensuring the duty to promote disability equality is part of the performance management of organisations and links in to inspection regimes of bodies like Audit Scotland
- Ensuring positive links to other relevant legislation and activities
- Considering how the disability equality duty is mainstreamed through public bodies by tapping in to current initiatives such as Best Value, Community Planning, e-procurement, asset management
- Provision of a 'framework for standards' to help local authorities and other public bodies - perhaps in the Code of Practice to the Act or elsewhere
In addition in discussion on 30 June, it was agreed that discussions fit into three areas:
- Awareness raising and sharing of knowledge and practice with public bodies and people; with an emphasis on leadership
- Planning and what could be expected from a disability equality action plan
- Consultation and involvement; expectation and ways to consult and engage disabled people
Next stages
A final report needs to be agreed in the timescale of two weeks after the final meeting in October. So a view needs to be taken about draft recommendations at this stage. There may also need to be some email contact as these are being drawn together.
Areas for potential recommendations
Linking to key developments in public sector policy
The group discussed this paper on 30 June. It covered work on community planning, best value in local government, community health partnerships, community safety partnerships, regional transport partnerships and e-procurement. It contained a number of possible recommendations for either further consideration by the satellite group or recommendation to the core group. Is there anything which should be brought out as a recommendation for future action?
Disability equality audits
It has been suggested at several meetings that public authorities should undergo disability equality audits. Does the group agree that this would be a positive and practical development? How would the group recommend that this should happen? Given that there is no legal requirement to do this, how can public authorities be encouraged to do so? How should it be resourced? How should disabled people be involved? What standards should be applied?
Information and assistance to public authorities, in general and in drawing up their disability equality action plans
At several meetings it has been noted that public authorities are seeking information and assistance on disability equality issues. There is a need for a coherent message on this from the DRC, the Executive and audit and inspection bodies. How should that message be delivered? Who should sign up to it? How should disabled people be involved? How should it be resourced? What would be the best means of providing information and advice to public authorities? Or should they work it out for themselves, involving disabled people to help tailor their own disability equality action plans? In the presentation on 24 August DRC said that proportionality of response was an important context? How is this explained?
Commitment at high level in public bodies
There have been several discussions and comments around the need to get senior level buy-in for equality issues. The CRE noted that leadership was essential in their experience. A key focus is the importance of targeting people at the right level in public bodies. How can we build buy-in from the senior level? Is there any good practice to build on? How do we engage and sustain interest in a positive way?
Joint Working and Sharing Good Practice
The Group has received papers and guidance from the Scottish Executive, the NHS, the Police and Structural Funds. From the examples provided can any recommendation be formed around joint working or sharing good practice? Who should take this forward? How should it be supported? How might it be resourced? Are there any forums which could be tapped in to? How should disabled people be involved? On 24 August CRE noted a strong need for support and partnership working.
Disabled People, Capacity, Information and Consultation Fatigue
There has been considerable discussion around the information which disabled people have about their rights, their capacity to engage with public bodies and concerns around consultation fatigue. Concerns have also been raised around whether it is appropriate for this satellite group to discuss: It should perhaps be referred to Group 3. Any thoughts at this stage, or should it be referred to Group 3? It should be noted that Group 3 would have limited time to discuss this issue.
Engagement with audit and inspection bodies
On 30 June the group received a paper setting out potential future engagement with audit and inspection bodies. The need for consistency in audit arrangements has been mentioned many times. Is there anything to recommend to the core group on these issues?
Discussions Today
Are there any recommendations arising from papers considered today?
Mainstreaming Equality
Are there any recommendations which can be agreed from the paper at this stage?
Matters recommended to other groups
As there is potential cross-over between each of the satellite groups, Group 2 may decide to refer some issues to other groups before their final meeting.
Disabled People, Capacity, Information and Consultation Fatigue
There has been considerable discussion around the information which disabled people have about their rights, their capacity to engage with public bodies and concerns around consultation fatigue. Concerns have also been raised around whether it is appropriate for this satellite group to discuss: It should perhaps be referred to Group 3. Any thoughts at this stage, or should it be referred to Group 3?
Matters not yet covered
There may be a number of issues which the group either has still to discuss or on which it is awaiting information. Some of these may be beyond the capacity of the group to cover, and therefore the group may wish to make recommendations for future work.
Is there anything to say here?