Discussion paper to Disability Working Group, Satellite Group 2
LINKAGE TO KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN PUBLIC SECTOR POLICY
Introduction
This paper discusses some of the key areas of public sector policy development which the disability working group might wish to explore. These are key areas where mainstreaming disability equality and the new duty to promote equality for disabled people might have a particular impact.
1. Community Planning
Community Planning has a key role in improving public service delivery in Scotland, placing communities at the heart of decision making, leading to healthier, safer, more vibrant communities.
Local Government in Scotland Act 2003 gives statutory underpinning to Community Planning and places a statutory duty on local authorities to "initiate, facilitate and maintain" the Community Planning process, and on key public bodies, including NHS Boards, to participate in the process. The Act also places a duty on local authorities to encourage equal opportunities in relation to their community planning functions.
The Voluntary Sector is a vital component in the Community Planning process. Analysis of Community Plans indicates that the voluntary sector is involved in the main Community Planning Partnerships (CPPs) in most areas. Representation is typically through a local voluntary sector 'umbrella' group. Some CPPs include a 'community' representative - most often through the community council mechanism. CPPs engage with voluntary sectors in other ways e.g. citizens' panels, area forums etc.
Part 3 of the Act created a new discretionary power which enables local authorities to do anything they consider is likely to promote or improve the well-being of their area and/or persons in it. Guidance on the Power to Advance Well-Being issued in April 2004.
Further information about community planning in Scotland is available via the community planning website:
http://www.communityplanning.org.uk/index.html
Guidance has been issued in relation to equalities and best value, community planning and the power of well being:
http://www.cosla.gov.uk/attachments/publications/bvequalitiesguidance.pdf
Possible options for the disability working group
- review the guidance or recommend review
- review how CPPs are tackling disability or recommend this
- offer to work with CPPs to develop a disability strand
- undertake or suggest research looking at participation by disabled people - what works and what doesn't
2. Best Value in Local Government
Best Value in Local Government aims to ensure that management and business practices in local authorities deliver better and more responsive public services.
Best Value asks local authorities to identify and assess what they are trying to achieve and recognise where they could make improvements through quality and effective management of clear strategies.
Best Value became a statutory duty following the Local Government in Scotland Act (2003). It has received large acceptance through being developed in close consultation with local government and other key stakeholders. Councils will be audited on Best Value on a three year cycle.
A Best Value local authority demonstrates:
- Commitment and Leadership
- Responsiveness and Consultation
- Sound Governance at Strategic, Financial and Operational levels
- Sound Management of Resources
- Use of Review and Options Appraisal
- Competitiveness, Trading and Discharge of Authority Functions
- Sustainable Development
- Equal Opportunities Arrangements
- §Joint working
- Accountability
Possible options for the disability working group
- explore/review how disability is picked up under best value
- explore how the best value audits should approach disability
- consider or recommend disability performance indicators, possibly linkde to the new duty to promote
3. Community Health Partnerships
The NHS Reform (Scotland) Act 2004 provides the legislative framework to ensure that NHS Boards establish Community Health Partnerships (CHPs) as an effective basis for the delivery of local healthcare services.
Statutory guidance was issued in October 2004. NHS Boards should establish CHPs from 1st April 2005.
CHPs are key to ensuring more integrated, community based health care and health services are delivered across Scotland working in substantive partnership with Local Authorities and other key partners such as the Voluntary sector.
Statutory guidance can be accessed here:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/health/chpg-00.asp
Possible options for the disability working group
- undertake or recommend a study looking at how CHPs are picking up disability during this early set up stage
4. Community Safety Partnerships
Scottish Executive is committed to providing safer communities for the people of Scotland to live and work in. The Executive is funding Community Safety Partnerships (CSP's) to take this forward at a local level
All 32 Local Authorities in Scotland have CSPs. Scottish Executive funding is being provided to support them.
Information on community safety partnerships in Scotland is available from Safer Scotland:
http://saferscotland.web.stormid.com
Threads of Success is a report based on a study of five community safety Pathfinder Councils in Angus, East Dunbarton, Edinburgh, Fife, and South Ayrshire. The report provides an insight into the emerging shape of the community safety partnerships across Scotland and makes a number of local and national recommendations to aid future progress of community safety partnerships:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/library3/society/toss-00.asp
Possible options for the disability working group
- undertake or recommend a study looking at how CSPs are responding to needs of disabled people
5. Regional Transport Partnerships
The Scottish Executive is currently legislating to create statutory regional transport partnerships (RTPs) to lead on regional transport strategy and delivery. We recently consulted on the boundaries, membership, functions and funding of regional transport partnerships in tandem with the progress of the Transport Bill through Parliament.
6 regional transport partnerships are proposed covering all of Scotland. RTPs will comprise councillor members plus external members bringing expertise and personal contribution.
Each RTP will produce a regional transport strategy.
The Transport Bill, currently before Parliament, is enabling legislation. RTPs will be established through secondary legislation (orders). At this stage it is likely that RTPs will be established by the end of 2006 and operational from April 2006. Regional transport strategies might then be completed by April 2007.
The Scottish Executive's consultation paper on RTPs:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/consultations/transport/rtpc-00.asp
Scottish Parliament briefing paper on the proposals in the Transport Bill, including the proposal to establish RTPs:
http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/business/research/briefings-04/sb04-86.pdf
Possible options for the disability working group
- find out how disability is, or will be, considered as RTPs develop
6. eProcurement
Electronic procurement (or "eProcurement") makes use of the capabilities of the Internet to conduct transactions between buying organisations and suppliers. Conducting business electronically offers many benefits over paper-based processes including: ease of use; reduced process costs for both buyers and suppliers; increased contract compliance and adherence to business workflows; automated record-keeping; and improved management information.
Any organisation in the Scottish public sector (including Central Government, Local Government (Councils), the NHS in Scotland and Non Departmental Public Bodies) is able to join the service
As at January 2005 the service is in use with forty public sector buying organisations ( including nine NHS organisations and six Local Authorities). An additional 3 organisations have contracted for the service and are currently planning implementation. Over 10,000 suppliers to these organisations have been e-enabled onto the service, ranging from SMEs to major nationals including Dell, Vodafone, and Lyreco. The programme team produces a regular newsletter covering the programme's progress and maintains the eProcurement Scotl@nd portal
www.eprocurementscotland.com where the latest information is published
Possible options for the disability working group
- the procurement procedures of public sector organisations will be subject to the new disability equality duty. Scope to consider procurement in context of disability duty and look at lessons learned from race equality duty
Equality Unit
June 2005