Update on the MPA race and equality scheme

Report: 13
Date: 7 February 2008
By: the Chief Executive

Summary

The report provides an update on progress with the Race Equality Scheme actions and the future of the scheme.

A. Recommendations

That members the progress made in taking forward the actions in the MPA Race Equality Scheme 2005 – 2008 action plan and agree the way forward.

B. Supporting information

Introduction

1. The MPA produced its second Race Equality Scheme in May 2005. This, together with the MPS’ Race Equality Scheme, was considered by EODB members in July 2005 and ratified by full Authority in September 2005.

2. The purpose of the Race Equality Scheme (RES) is to ensure that the Authority’s policies and functions meet the duties of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000. The general duty of the Act requires the MPA to:

• Eliminate unlawful racial discrimination;
• Promote equality of opportunity; and
• Promote good relations between persons of different racial groups.

3. The MPA is also required, under Section 404 of the Greater London Authority Act 1999, to promote equality of opportunity for all persons irrespective of their race, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief and to eliminate unlawful discrimination.

Progress

4. The MPA has made good progress in carrying forward the actions contained within the Action Plan of the 2005 – 2008 Scheme. Examples of that progress can be seen in:

• MPA members equal opportunities accountability – has been addressed in the adoption of the new model code of conduct on 21 June 2007;
• Developing links between the diversity structures of both the MPA and MPS – has been advanced by the MPS Diversity Board tying-in its business with that of the MPA Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board and by regular one-to-one meetings between the Director of Diversity and Citizen Focus Directorate and the MPA Head of Equality and Diversity;
• The identification and agreement of MPA involvement in cross-agency equality initiatives – has been progressed in the, strengthening, GLA family convergence agenda and in the area of emergency planning (Disability Resilience Conference 17 March 2006);
• Developing links between GLA processes and MPA structures – has been progressed through the GLA budget and equalities process (EODB 4 October 2007);
• Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) of the implementation of the reform programme of the Independent Custody Visiting (ICV) scheme – all the policies to effect the reform have been subject to EIA (http://www.mpa.gov.uk/issues/equality/eias.htm );
• Outcome of Impact Assessment and monitoring arrangements for MPS procurement policy – phases 1 and 2 have been worked through and the policy is subject to scrutiny by the MPA Equal Opportunities and Diversity Board (meeting of 1 December 2005), meetings of MPA/MPS officers and the Procurement Oversight Group  (http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/eodb/2005/051201/11.htm   and http://www.mpa.gov.uk/committees/eodb/2005/051201/11.htm);
• Progress and EIA the development of borough and pan-London community scrutiny and consultation on race issues – this is being taken forward through the mechanisms of the MPA Community Monitoring Network (CMN), the MPA Stop and Search Review Board (SSRB) and various MPS Stop and Search boards;
• Implement impact assessment programme and procedures – guidance on EIA has been issued and placed on the MPA website, staff and members have received training on EIA (April 2005 and April 2006) and EIAs are placed in the public domain on the MPA website (http://www.mpa.gov.uk/issues/equality/eias.htm);
• Mainstreaming of equalities considerations into the committee reports process – guidance has been issued to report writers, Equality and Diversity Unit staff sit on some committees and sub-committees and each committee has adopted one or more specific equalities objectives, which will be monitored in their annual reports to full authority (Report to full Authority 20.12.07);
• Development and monitoring of the effectiveness of the MPA/MPS Community Engagement Strategy – the strategy has been put in place (paper to full Authority 28 September 2006) but it is too soon to evaluate its effectiveness;
• Consider access and signage requirements in MPA premises – a disability access audit has been carried out (report dated 13 November 2007), non-audible fire warning devices were installed in October 2006 and Braille signs (since before August 2006) are now in place;
• Progress update and performance monitoring of the MPA complaints procedure and the outcome of EIA – updates on and monitoring of the procedure is carried out at each meeting of the MPA Standards Committee (last occasion was 21 June 2007) and the EIA on the procedure is nearing completion;
• Progress in meeting the specific employment duties in the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 – the statistics produced as a result of these duties are regularly scrutinised by the MPA HR function, the MPA Equal Opportunity and Diversity Board and through the GLA Budget and Equality process;
• Progress and monitoring of the arrangements for training of MPA staff and members – Training has been delivered on the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 (March 2005) and equality impact assessment (April 2005 and April 2006);

Ongoing workstreams

5. While actions will continue in many of the action plan areas, particularly by way of monitoring and looking at outcomes for initiatives that have been put into place, the MPA is aware that further work needs to be done, particularly in the areas of:

• Equality Standard for Local Government (ESLG). (A report on the MPA progress against the Standard is at item 15 of the agenda of this meeting);
• Corporate Strategy;
• Equalities training;

These areas of work will form the nucleus of a reviewed and renewed race element of the MPA Generic Equality Scheme.

The way forward

6. The current MPA Race Equality Scheme was only to last until 2008. The scheme will be reviewed and renewed in 2008 and will become the race element of the MPA Generic Equality Scheme. All outstanding areas of work will be carried forward into a new action plan, to be added-to to reflect the current situation of the MPA and MPS and the views of the people of London.

C. Race and equality impact

1. Good progress has been made for most of the actions in the MPA Race Equality Scheme (RES) action plan. This is good news for the staff of the MPA and good news for the people of London. Through the review and revision of the RES, that good work will be consolidated and the boundaries extended yet further.

2. The inclusion of the RES into the Generic Equality Scheme will strengthen the work to achieve race equality by the ability to take forward, more easily, the common elements from all the six equality strands. Dealing with these issues in a non-silo way will benefit the people of London because they, the people of London, do not exist in silos.

D. Financial implications

1. The cost to progress race equality in the MPA is, as a core responsibility, factored into the MPA annual budget bid. £13.5K was set aside for work on the Disability Equality Scheme, Gender Equality Scheme and the Generic Equality Scheme.

2. This expenditure is monitored through the MPA Senior Management Team, the GLA Budget and Equalities process and by MPA committees.

E. Background papers

MPA Race Equality Scheme 2005 - 2008

F. Contact details

Report author: Doug Lewins, MPA Equality and Diversity Unit, MPA

For more information contact:

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

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