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Independent
Review Service for the Social
Fund |
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Race
Equality Scheme for the Independent Review Service The Independent Review Service provides the independent
grievance process, by means of a review, for applicants who are dissatisfied
with Jobcentre Plus' decisions on their applications to the discretionary
Social Fund.
This Race Equality Scheme sets out how the Independent
Review Service plans to meet its duty under section 71(1) of the Race Relations
Act 1976 (as amended) to have due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful
discrimination and to promote equality of opportunity and good relations
between persons of different racial groups.
Current Position
The Independent Review Service:
- Conducts regular
customer surveys.
- Has conducted focus
groups.
- Meets with a wide
variety of individuals and organisations which have an interest in the Social
Fund and its independent review.
- Monitors the ethnicity
of customers, staff and job applicants on a regular basis.
- Places recruitment
advertisements in ethnic press.
- Has policies on
diversity and equal opportunities and has delivered relevant training to staff.
- Has put in place a
number of initiatives to improve access to our services (fuller details
supplied in the "Access to Our Services" section, below.)
However, we recognise
the need to develop and extend what we do in order to promote equality of
opportunity and good relations between persons of different racial groups.
Relevant Functions, Policies, and Proposed Policies
We have considered our functions,
policies, and proposed policies and have set out in Appendix A those we
consider relevant to our performance of the duty under section 71(1) of the
Act.
Assessing and Consulting on the Likely Impact of Proposed Policies
on the Promotion of Race Equality When developing new policies, members of staff will consider the
likely impact of proposed policies on the promotion of race equality.
Assessment and consultation on the likely impact of proposed policies will be
proportionate and will depend upon the nature of the policy, the relevance, if
any, to the promotion of race equality and upon the nature and extent of any
previous assessment or consultation relevant to the particular policy.
Assessments may include use of historical data, existing surveys, or
new mechanisms.
Consultations may include members of staff, the staff
council (including trade unions), individual users of the review service,
individuals with relevant expertise and relevant organisations, local and
national.
Monitoring the Impact of Policies on the Promotion of Race
Equality We will monitor the impact
of our policies on the promotion of race equality. The means of monitoring will
be tailored to the nature of the policy or policies concerned. Our monitoring
processes will include:
- Surveys of customers,
customers' representatives, and staff.
- Ethnic monitoring of
customers and staff.
- Monitoring of
complaints.
- Monitoring of the use
of our language line and translation services.
Publishing the Results of
Assessments, Consultations and Monitoring The results of the assessments, consultations, and monitoring,
referred to above, will be published annually on the IRS website, as they
become available.
Public Access to Information and
ServicesWe
aim to make our information and services accessible to all. The following
services are in place:
- A translation service
into different languages, including Braille, for our written communications.
- Translation of oral
communications through Language Line.
- Leaflets available in
a variety of the languages most commonly used in the United Kingdom.
- A website providing
information about the services provided by the Independent Review Service and
about Social Fund law and procedures.
- Communication by
text-phone and telephone on a freephone number and by letter, facsimile, e-mail
and large print.
- Our leaflets have been
quality assured by the Plain English Campaign, and members of staff have
received plain English training.
Staff Training in connection
with the Duties Imposed by the Act We provide training in equal opportunities and diversity for members
of staff. This training will continue to be delivered and will be evaluated to
ensure it remains effective.
We shall also develop and
deliver training to enhance understanding and awareness of the requirements of
the Act and the ability of staff to comply with those requirements.
Action
Plan The IRS has an action plan
(see Appendix B) in which we set out detailed plans for fulfilling our duties
under the Act. The action plan sets out key tasks, responsibilities and
internal accountability processes. The IRS will account to the public for
progress in the implementation of the plan on an annual basis, on our website
and where appropriate in the Annual Report.
Comments on the Scheme
We welcome comments on our Race
Equality Scheme from service users, members of staff and other interested
parties. The Scheme will be reviewed in the light of any comments received.
Comments may be directed to:
The
Office Manager Independent Review
Service 4th Floor Centre City Podium
5 Hill Street Birmingham B5 4UB
Facsimile: 0121 606 2180
e-mail:
pga@irs-review.org.uk
Appendix A: Functions/Policies/Proposed Policies Assessed as being
relevant to the Independent Review Service's Duty under Section 71(1) of the
Act
| Function/Policy/Proposed Policy |
Priority |
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| The Delivery and Administration of the
Review |
High |
| The Handling of Complaints |
High |
| The Employment of Staff |
High |
| Public Information and Relations |
Medium |
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Appendix B:
Action Plan
| Key Task |
Responsibility |
Timescale |
Accountabilty |
Place the Race Equality Scheme on our website, include
it within our Publication Scheme and invite comments;
and review
annually. |
Business Team
Management Team |
Annual Review
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Business Team Manager
Management Team
Report |
| Develop links with individuals and organisations to help us comply
with our duties under the Act, particularly in relation to
consultation |
Office Manager SFC Support
Team Business Team |
Develop an initial pool of consultees and review
annually. |
Annual Report Management Team Reports |
| Monitor and evaluate translation services and their
use |
Case Management Team Manager |
Annually |
Management Team |
| Review and identify if there are areas for improvement in ethnic
monitoring processes for customers |
Management Team |
By 31 March 2006 |
Management Team Report |
Review, and develop as appropriate, existing customer
surveys, linking them to ethnic monitoring, giving particular consideration to
the following areas:
- Customer
complaints
- Telephone
contact
- Response rates to
Statements of Issues.
|
Management Team |
By 31 March 2006 |
Management Team Report |
| Review whether the External Complaints Panel could provide helpful
feedback in relation to our duties under the Act |
Senior Manager |
31 March 2006 |
Management Team Report |
| Publish progress in fulfilling our duties under the Act
for the period up to 31 March 2006, and in subsequent years, publish the
results of consultations, assessments, monitoring and Action Plan progress.
Publication to be on our website and where appropriate in the Annual
Report |
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By 31 July 2006, and annually thereafter. |
Annual Report |
| Consider organising a mini-conference with relevant experts to help
develop our approach to promoting race equality |
Management Team |
By October 2006 |
Management Team Report |
| Staffing Issues, to include recruitment, retention and
training |
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Put in place appropriate measures to monitor ethnicity of staff
applying for training and promotion;
and evaluate applications in
relation to the ethnicity of IRS staff as a whole |
Human Resources Manager Training Team Manager |
By 31 March 2006 and annually thereafter |
Management Team Report |
| Deliver Equal Opportunities Training to all staff in the
organisation |
Training Team Manager |
Completed |
Management Team Report |
Analyse ethnic data forms from last recruitment exercise and use this
information to inform the advertising campaign for the next recruitment
exercise.
Undertake appropriate ethnicity monitoring as part of any
recruitment exercises and analyse the information once the exercise has been
completed |
Human Resources Manager |
Within 6 months of any recruitment exercise |
Management Team Report |
| Develop and implement a Managing Diversity
Policy |
Human Resources Manager Commissioner's Aide Senior
Manager |
Review existing policy on regular basis |
Management Team Report |
| Undertake an annual survey of staff ethnicity |
Human Resources Manager |
By 30 June 2006, and annually thereafter |
Management Team Report |
| Review recruitment procedures in order to ensure that we
encourage applications from a broad range of the population. |
Human Resources Manager |
By 30 June 2006 |
Management Team Report |
| Review HR Policies to ensure that requests for leave to celebrate
religious festivals are treated sympathetically, taking business requirements
into account. |
Human Resources Manager |
By 30 June 2006 |
Management Team Report |
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