MPA Generic Equality Scheme 2008-2011

Report: 6
Date: 22 October 2009
By: Chief Executive

Summary

In the Autumn of 2008 the MPA completed its first Generic Equality Scheme (GNES). The GNES combined the MPAs existing single equality schemes on disability, gender and race with action plans for the additional diversity strands of age, religion &/or belief and sexual orientation.

In producing a generic scheme the MPA has actively incorporated diversity strands that we do not, as yet, have a legislative duty to include. In doing so the MPA places equal emphasis on establishing parity in terms of age, religion &/or belief and sexual orientation, creating a more holistic approach to equality and diversity.

This report provides a brief update on how the MPA is progressing against the actions identified in its scheme and how the GNES will be revised to reflect the changing nature of the MPA as determined by Met Forward.

A. Recommendation

That:

1. members endorse the progress of the 2008-20011 GNES; and
2. members endorse a revision that will bring the GNES in line with the MPAs new staff and committee structure and Met Forward work programme.

B. Supporting information

Background

1. Public authorities, such as the MPA are expected to uphold and promote equality and human rights in everything they do. Accordingly the MPA has legal duties relating to disability, gender and race. The obligations within each area focus on:

• promoting good relations;
• promoting positive attitudes;
• eliminating harassment; and
• eliminating unlawful discrimination

2. These obligations are set out in the race equality duty, the gender equality duty and the disability equality duty. The three equality duties are similar in spirit as they all place the onus on public authorities to actively tackle discrimination and promote equality. However each duty does have slightly different requirements, which need to be met in order to satisfy the legal obligations. For example the disability duty requires public bodies such as the MPA to ensure that we actively involve and consult with Deaf and disabled people in the development of our policies, practices and in developing our Disability Equality Scheme.

3. In meeting its obligations the MPA developed three separate equality schemes for race, gender and disability in line with the duties placed upon it. However, in wishing to exceed the minimum standard and extend its work to all six of the diversity strands the MPA completed additional action plans for age, religion &/or belief and sexual orientation. These new action plans were combined with the existing schemes to form the MPAs first Generic Equality Scheme.

4. The Generic Equality Scheme addresses how we will safeguard and promote employment rights as well as address service delivery issues. It is a narrative of what the MPA is currently doing and will do in the future to meet legislative duties. The GNES contains numerous action plans that outline how the MPA will meet specific objectives, for each of the six diversity strands (age, disability, gender, religion &/or belief, race and sexual orientation).

5. This first iteration of the MPA GNES is a very large document, as it must effectively function as a bridge between the existing independent schemes and the new methodology of a combined holistic scheme. As the MPA progresses the actions within its GNES the scheme will be refined and streamlined to create a more manageable, accessible document that is closely aligned with the MPA business plan.

6. To facilitate the monitoring of specific actions within the GNES a summarised list of actions was produced and embedded within the MPA business plan. In this way the Business Management Team (BMT) is able to review progress against equality objectives in the same way as it reviews all other MPA business objects. A summarised list of actions and progress against them is attached at appendix 1.

Areas of success

7. The MPA has made good progress against numerous actions and in some units additional actions have been added over the course of the year. Areas of particular note include:

• The MPA has improved diversity monitoring across all six diversity strands of its Independent Custody Visitors and in doing so is working towards a representation that reflects the people of London.
• The MPA has been awarded the ‘two ticks’ symbol and will offer interviews to all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy.
• All MPA HR policies have been reviewed, Equality Impact Assessed across all six equality strands and revised where necessary.
• The MPA has carried out several pieces of work around policing and older people this has included the MPA Assistant Chief Executive presenting at a conference on the role of the MPA and the London policing plan in improving the MPS service to older people; the chair of the Equality & Diversity Subcommittee representing the MPA at the London Older Peoples Strategy Group (LOPSG) annual general meeting; the MPA Domestic & Sexual Violence Board (DSVB) investigating domestic and sexual violence of older people and the MPS presenting their strategy on engagement with older people to the MPA Equality & Diversity Subcommittee.
• All accessibility issues were incorporated in the design of the MPA website upgrade with due regard to Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compliance and to ensure that the MPA is able to communicate effectively with the public, particularly members of Deaf & disabled communities.
• The MPA Domestic and Sexual Violence Board continues to monitor, scrutinise and support the MPS in its performance and response to domestic and sexual violence and supports the Mayor’s London Violence Against Women Strategy.
• The MPA Race Hate Crime Forum has completed its baseline scrutiny of how race, religious and homophobic hate crime is dealt with in each London borough. It will be using that information to inform how the MPA will scrutinise hate crime across all six diversity strands in the future.

Areas for improvement

8. Though much progress has been made there are some areas where actions have been delayed in their completion, these include:

• Due to ongoing discussions on the remit and work plan of the new MPA hate crime forum it has not been possible to hold a series of dedicated consultation events on each diversity strand as had been hoped. However the Forum was able to hear a range of views from a dedicated workshop at the MPA community engagement conference.
• Some of the HR actions have been dependent on the recruitment of additional personnel in the HR team and this has delayed some actions (i.e. the set up of an MPA Deaf & disabled Staff Focus Group). However as of September 09 this post has been filled and progress is now underway.
• The bespoke training on managing equality for Senior Management Team (SMT) members has had to be put on hold due to several SMT staff leaving and their replacements not yet being in post.
• The intensive MPA Race and Faith Inquiry has diverted resources away from some day-to-day equality and diversity activities i.e. the dip sampling of equality and diversity implication sections of MPA reports is not yet as systematic as it should be.

Synergy with other corporate initiatives

9. Met Forward will be the major area of business activity over the next few years. It is vital that this work, together with the Association of Police Authorities (APA) Minimum/Gold Standard for equalities compliance, consistently provides evidence of the MPA meeting the race equality duty, disability equality duty and gender equality duty.

10. Ultimately the indicator that the MPA is confident in ensuring its systems, policies and procedures are mainstreaming equality and diversity will be to demonstrate no significant disparity between the experiences of people based on their identity e.g. ethnicity, gender, disability, sexual orientation, religion and belief, or age.

Future of the GNES

11. Despite the GNES being less than a year old there have been substantial changes within the MPA that will necessitate significant alterations to the scheme. For example:

• the original MPA Head of Equality post was abolished shortly after the scheme was completed;
• several of the schemes within the GNES are approaching the end of their 3 year life span;
• the MPA committee structure has been completely revised;
• the MPA is in the process of a significant staff and unit restructure;
• the launch of Met Forward;
• the Mayor has launched his Equal Life Chances for all policy in July 09 with specific aims and directions for the wider GLA family group around equality;
• the MPA has moved away from the Equality Standard for Local Government (ESLG) in favour of guidelines from the Association of Police Authorities (APA), Minimum/Gold Standard for equalities compliance, which are more closely aligned to its purpose;
• a new post has been created within the HR department to specifically manage the equality schemes and various aspects of internal equality work;
• the MPA Race & Faith Inquiry will be completed and published, with recommendations for the MPA and MPS; and
• the forthcoming Equality Bill.

12. The GNES, and indeed overall the MPAs overall equality and diversity strategy, will need to be revised to bring it in line with these changes.

C. Race and equality impact

13. As the MPAs comprehensive equality scheme, the GNES will have an impact on all six diversity strands. This GNES is designed to apply a series of standards that are consistent but flexible enough to recognise the differences, similarities, and conflicts that exist within the equalities and diversity arena.

14. Through the implementation of its GNES the MPA will hope to exceed accepted best practice in terms of employment, community engagement and service delivery and will apply its learning in our scrutiny, oversight and review of the MPS.

15. It will help to ensure that the MPA is considered an employer of choice by the ever increasing numbers of London’s diverse communities.

16. As the GNES is being revised, perhaps alongside the wider MPA equality and diversity strategy, and some of the schemes are nearing the end of their 3 year lifespan there will be a need to bring the earlier consultation work up to date by reviewing the information available from recent MPA activities such as the Youth Scrutiny, Counter Terrorism: The London Debate, and Race and Faith enquiry; and from consultations recently completed within the MPS or the wider GLA family.

17. The GNES is an important supporting mechanism in achieving the gold standard of the APAs standard for equalities compliance, which the MPA committed to in the spring of 2009 as more effective equality standard than the ESLG.

18. Successfully operating the GNES will produce positive benefits for all London’s diverse communities and for the workforce of the MPA. A contented workforce that mirrors, at all levels, the diverse nature of London’s communities and a community that is proud of, and confident in, its police authority will improve the general view of policing and confidence in it.

D. Financial implications

19. The GNES scheme contains various actions around the training of staff and members on equality and diversity issues. Some of this training has already been completed (e.g. all staff have been given basic ACAS Diversity Training), but specific training for SMT and MPA members is still to be completed.

20. Some staff and stakeholder consultation may be necessary which would entail some cost.

E. Background papers

• An Equalities Guide for Police Authorities – meeting the Police and Justice Act 2006 Equalities Duty, APA, June 2008
• Generic Equality Scheme, MPA, September 2008
• Equality Standards for the MPA, MPA, July 2009

F. Contact details

Report author(s): Michael Wadham, MPA

For information contact:

MPA general: 020 7202 0202
Media enquiries: 020 7202 0217/18

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