The Scottish Government

Disability Working Group

Satellite Group 2 Meeting Note 23 May 2005

Group 2 - Public sector duty to promote disability equality; mainstreaming disability equality; corporate responsibility; engaging public authorities

Attendance:

Yvonne Strachan, Scottish Executive Equality Unit (Chair)

Bill Campbell, Inclusion Scotland

Lewis Morrison, West Dumbartonshire Council

Joyce Wilson, Sense Scotland

Charlotte McHaffie, Scottish Executive Equality Unit (Note taker)

Welcome and Introductions

1. Yvonne Strachan welcomed the group members to the first of the satellite group 2 meetings, which would be considering the public sector disability equality duty.

Key Themes/Priorities

2. The group discussed the key themes and priorities for the group. Themes and priorities identified include:

• Assist public/local authorities to prioritise their work for the disability equality duty. This step by step guide/template should be flexible and enable them to address their particular issues; help them to involve disabled people in the process effectively; and provide examples and imaginative ways in which the duty can be met.
• Important to target the right people within public bodies e.g. senior management and elected representatives. Vital to tap into national networks they use like Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland (ACPOS), CoSLA's Network of Equality Officers as both an information resources and a way of engaging with senior managers.
• Ensure duty part of the performance management of organisations. Need to incorporate the inspectorate bodies like, Audit Scotland, HMIE, Account Scotland into the process and the outcomes. The group asked the Executive to prepare an option paper for the next meeting to consider ways of engaging with inspectorate and scrutiny bodies.
• The group must ensure that it makes the links with other relevant legislation and activities. Local Authorities have many different demands from different directions it is therefore important to avoid duplication.
• Need to consider how we ensure disability equality is mainstreamed throughout public bodies and is not just in isolated departments. It was suggested that could tap into current initiatives such as Best Value, Community Planning Partnerships; e-Procurement and Asset Management. How can we help departments work together?
• Provision of a 'framework for standards' to help LA's as with the Education Disability Strategies and Pupils Records Act 2002 to assist public authorities. Would this sort of framework be included in the Code of Practice?

Information and Research needs

3. The group discussed their information and research requirements for moving these issues forward.

4. The group thought it would be helpful for a background note on the public sector disability equality duty setting out the extent and range of the duty. To supplement this the group also agreed it would be helpful to invite Lynne Welsh from the DRC to come along to the next meeting to give a presentation to the group on the duty, code of practice and answer any questions the group might have.

5. The group also agreed it would be useful to invite a representative from the CRE to the next meeting to talk about general lessons that have been learnt from the implementation of the race equality duty that might be applicable to the disability equality duty.

6. To assist with looking at how to mainstream disability throughout local authorities public bodies the group asked if current initiative such as Best Value etc could be mapped so connections could be made.

7. It would be useful to establish what literature is already available both national and international on meeting the public sector duty. Bill Campbell is aware of a Swedish document entitled Agenda 22.

Communications methods

The need to ask public sector bodies covered by the duty what there major concerns issues are was highlighted by the group.

Those present agreed with the current membership of the group and thought other relevant people/organisations could be involved in more focused discussions at individual meetings.

The group thought that they would like to remain as one to discuss the issues, however, this could be changed as the agenda developed if required.

Activities and roles

The group discussed the role of chair and decided they would like to ask Mike McDermott ( DRC) if he would consider becoming chair. The Executive agreed to ask Mike and endorsement of these arrangements sought at the next meeting.

Timetable

As many of those due to be on the group had been unable to attend this meeting the group asked the Scottish Executive to e-mail the group to confirm future meeting dates and locations. Executive agreed to dot his.

Action Points

1. Equality Unit to provide a background paper on the public sector disability equality duty.
2. Equality Unit to invite DRC, Lynne Welsh, to next satellite group meeting to talk about disability equality duty.
3. Equality Unit to compile options paper looking at ways to engage with inspectorates and scrutiny bodies e.g. HMIE, Audit Scotland and Accounts Scotland.
4. Equality Unit invite CRE to next meeting to discuss lessons that can be learnt from the race equality duty.
5. Equality Unit to e-mail groups to confirm dates and venues of future meetings.
6. It would be useful to establish what literature is already available both national and international on meeting the public sector duty.
7. Bring together list of all initiatives running through Scotland ike Best Value, Community Planning Partnerships etc map out where connections can and should be made.