Equality and Diversity Strategy: Year one action plan - Nov 07 to Oct 08

Corporate culture and governance

Action	Responsible officer	Target date	Outcome	Strategy/ Framework
Revised Equality and Diversity strategy	HR Director	Nov 2007	Have a full developed E&D strategy with comprehensive action plan	HC
Develop a framework and programme of equality impact assessments for year one	Diversity Leadership Group (DLG)	Mar 2008	All managers aware of timetable for EIA for the services they manage	CRE CofP Race Duty Disability Duty Sexual Orientation Duty Gender Duty Employment Regulations
Implement equality impact assessments	All service managers	Sep 2008	All key policies compatible with equality and diversity requirements	KLOE Race equality duty Disability Duty Gender Duty
Promote our commitment to equality and diversity to our customers and stakeholders through: · E&D information on the intranet and website · Produce summaries of the E&D strategy · Publish impact assessments · Produce an annual equality report · Regular articles in tenants’ and staff newsletters	Communications Manager	On going to Oct 2008	Provide clear and consistent leadership to our staff and customers on equality and diversity	KLOE
Respond appropriately to and ensure awareness of changes in legislation and codes of practice. In particular: DDA 2005 Equality Bill Code of Practice in housing	DLG	Ongoing	OHG is addressing legislative and good practice requirements	KLOE Proposed legislation
Agree and implement Customer Communication policy	Communications Manager	Jan 2008	Clear guidelines available on when and how to use translation and interpretation services	KLOE Race Duty Disability Duty
Monitor effect of customer communication policy	DLG	Jan – Oct 2008	Customers are better informed about our services	KLOE Race Duty Disability Duty
Review DLG membership and Terms of Reference	HR Director	January 2008	Membership and ToR reviewed and in place to reflect new E&D priorities	KLOE
Set and monitor customer complaints against all equality strands and groups	Asst Director customer services	Nov 07- Oct 08	Meet set targets for reducing customer complaints	HC Race Duty
Expand Equality and Diversity behavioural examples in Achieving Success competency framework	Human Resources Director	March 2008	Equality and Diversity mainstreamed and part of employees work plans
Explore feasibility of adopting the Equality Standard for Local Government or alternative audit tool	Exec team	Feb 2008	Ascertain whether equality standard framework is tool for OHG to mainstream equality and diversity
Consider adoption of the social model of disability and promote disability equality principles across our services	DLG	Oct 2008	Disability model introduced and applied across all services	Disability Duty

Access to services

Action	Responsible officer	Target date	Outcome	Strategy/ Framework
Monitor take up of translation and interpretation services	Communications Manager	Mar 2008	Customers able to access relevant services and translated documents	KLOE CRE CofP
Identify what barriers exist for customers and staff and agree how to remove these	DLG	April 2008	Understand what barriers exist and how to remove	Disability Duty
Remove barriers and implement reasonable adjustments to services and employment practices	DLG	Oct 2008	Track measurable and continuous improvement in service delivery and increased community trust and confidence	Disability Duty
Develop mechanisms for collecting missing information on existing tenants for preferred communication needs and support needs as part of our customer profiling activity	Assistant Director Customer Services	Aug 2008	Up to date information is available on all customers which is easily available and enables services to be provided in a way that meets customers needs	KLOE
Ensure mechanism is in place to collect information about new customers/ tenants	Assistant Director Customer Services	Sep 2008	Up to date information is available on all customers which is easily available and enables services to be provided in a way that meets customers needs	KLOE
Undertake a comprehensive review of Home Connections assessment, in particular the impact of this service on ethnic minority groups	Assistant Director Customer Services	Dec 2007	Allocations and letting meet the needs of the local community (this will have to be in partnership with each local authority area)	KLOE
Review and monitor lettings target for BME customers	Assistant Director Customer Services	Nov 07 – Oct 08	Organisation meets target set	HC KLOE CRE CofP

Consultation and service user involvement

Action	Responsible officer	Target date	Outcome	Strategy/ Framework
Monitor consultation with designated community and stakeholder groups and wider community on all aspects of equality and diversity	Head of Community Regeneration	Aug 2008	Customers and stakeholders have increased satisfaction with OHG in terms of equality and area aware of our approach to equality	KLOE CRE CofP
Ensure all consultation documents are in appropriate language formats and customers are given appropriate language services	Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services	April 2008	Measurable improvements in community trust and confidence	Race Duty Disability Duty
Consultant tenants on the revised Equality and Diversity strategy	Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services	Nov 2007	Tenants consulted and views feed into the revised E&D strategy	HC KLOE CRE CofP
Set appropriate targets and monitor consultation and involvement mechanisms that ensure representative involvement of tenants	Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services	March 2008 and ongoing	Measurable improvements in customer trust and confidence	KLOE Level 2
Monitor involvement, consultation and feedback by ethnicity, gender, age, disability and location where applicable	Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services	Sep 2008	Measurable improvement in representative involvement	KLOE Race Duty Disability Duty Age Leg
Provide equality and diversity training programme for customers and monitor the take up of training provided	Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services	Oct 2008	Involved customers able to contribute effectively to discussion on E&D and able to judge effectively whether OHG is delivering on equality and diversity	KLOE
Review the targets for tenant representation in line with customer profile	Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services	March 2008	Resident involvement is representative of customer profile	HC KLOE
Investigate the usefulness of an information pack on E&D for all users who are involved with our services	Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services	Jun 2008	Involved customers able to contribute effectively to discussion on E&D and able to judge effectively whether OHG is delivering on equality and diversity	KLOE
Investigate the possibility of setting up a an equality residents forum	Assistant Director Neighbourhood Services	Oct 2008	All groups feel they have a forum where their views can be heard and where they can influence services	KLOE

Service delivery and customer care

Action	Responsible officer	Target date	Outcome	Strategy/ Framework
Carry out impact assessments to include procurement and partnership arrangements as a priority	All managers	Sep 2008	Minimum of 10 -15 EIA reports published on website by Oct 2008 Outcome from EIA incorporated into service planning	Race Duty Disability duty Gender duty CRE CofP
Ensure equality clause is in all new contracts	Managers responsible for procurement	Aug 2008	All our contractors and suppliers make E&D a priority	CRE CofP
Monitor contracts to ensure they deliver equality in employment and equality in service delivery and meet our targets	Managers responsible for procurement	Nov 07 to Oct 2008 –then on going	All our contractors and suppliers make E&D a priority	CRE CofP

Partnerships and community cohesion

Action

Responsible officer

Target date

Outcome

Strategy/ Framework

Work in partnership with partners and stakeholders on community cohesion and diversity issues.

Head of Community regeneration

Nov 07 to Oct 2008

KLOE

Work in partnership with local authorities and stakeholders on recording and reporting hate crime

Assistant Director Neighbourhood Management

Nov 07 to Oct 2008

Reduction in hate crime, and better reporting mechanisms

KLOE

Race Duty

Disability Duty

Employment and training

Action	Responsible officer	Target date	Outcome	Strategy/ Framework
Monitor employment equality targets for recruitment, staff retention and workforce profiles	Human Resources	Ongoing	Improved employment practice. Working towards a staff composition that, at all levels, reflects the community it serves.	KLOE HC
Implement diversity questionnaire to establish levels of disability within the Group.	HR Manager	April 2008	Establish accurate figures on staff composition with disability	KLOE
Monitor disability employment data to increase the number of disabled employees	HR Manager	Oct 2008	Working towards a staff composition that, at all levels, reflects the community it serves
In consultation with staff, consider positive action programmes for disabled and ethnic minority employees at a senior level, which address the issue of under representation within the Group	HR Manager	Nov 2007 to Oct 2008	Working towards a staff composition that, at all levels, reflects the community it serves	KLOE Disability Duty Race Duty
Roll out training and induction to ensure front line staff receive training on how to recognise and deal with vulnerable and disabled clients and customers	HR Manager	Jan 2008 to Oct 2008	All our customers are able to access our services	KLOE HC
Roll out Board and Executive Diversity Leadership training	Chief Executive	Jan to Mar 2008	Board and Executive understanding of E&D in their roles	KLOE HC
Analyse current workforce segregation by gender	HR Manager	Nov 2007 to Mar 2008	Identify gaps were women and men are not represented at all levels of the workforce and in all areas of work	Race Duty Disability Duty Gender Duty
Identify/implement positive action measures in areas where men and women are particularly under represented	HR Manager	April – Sept 2008	Women and men represented at all levels of the workforce and in all areas of work	Race Duty Disability Duty Gender Duty
Publicise flexible working hours	HR Manager/ Communications Mgr	Jan 2008	Staff are aware of flexible working options	Gender Duty
Monitor the take up of flexible working (to include part time, job share, compressed weeks/fortnights etc)	HR Manager	Nov 2007 – Sept 2008	Requests are managed consistently across the Group	Gender Duty
Conduct research/focus group of women who have recently returned from Maternity leave to highlight positive and negative experiences	HR Manager	April 2008	The experiences of pregnant staff are highlighted and acted upon	Gender Duty
Add transgender to Harassment & bullying policy and procedure	HR Manager	April 2008	Transsexual people feel supported and valued	Gender Duty Sexual Orientation
Review HR policies/guidance to managers to ensure they include examples that are relevant to people experiencing domestic violence and abuse e.g. as a possible reason to grant extended special or compassionate leave, or temporary changes in working hours	HR Manager	April 2008	Managers are able to respond positively and supportively to staff who are experiencing domestic violence and abuse	Gender Duty
Devise and launch briefing for managers on key equality and diversity legislation and requirements	HR Director	April 2008	Managers are able to respond positively to equality and diversity issues, including religion or belief	Religion Regulation
Explore the interest for developing a staff equality forum	HR Manager	July 2008	Interest obtained from staff to gauge interest and develop	Disability Duty Race Duty
Devise disability leave policy	HR Manager	July 2008	Policy in place to support disabled staff	Disability Duty
Devise trans gender policy	HR Manager	July 2008	Policy in place to support trans gender staff	Gender Duty Sexual Orientation