Agenda and minutes

Chris Huscroft – Oadby & Wigston Lions and Food Bank

Lesley Green - Oadby Church/Oadby Food Bank

Iris Lightfoot –TREC (The Race Equality Centre)

B Gohil – Volunteer

Rev'd Gillian Gamble - Oadby Food Bank and Oadby Trinity Methodist Church

The minutes of December 10^th 2015 were received and approved.

The Equality and Diversity work plan continues to be progressed. It is available via the following link. Colleagues are provided with a copy of it at each meeting. It is the working document of the Community Engagement Forum and is used to address equality and diversity issues pertaining to the borough supported by the work of Voluntary organisations and community groups which provide a service for people specific to Oadby and Wigston as well as Leicestershire wide. Such groups are addressing a wide cross section of the public including the most vulnerable as included in the nine protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010.The nine groups are:

•       Disability

•       Sex

•       Gender reassignment

•       Race

•       Age

•       Religion and belief

•       Sexual orientation,

•       Pregnancy and maternity and

•       Civil partnership and marriage

It was explained that the Agenda is the Council`s framework to explore and map how equality and diversity issues are addressed in the Borough for planning and provision. This is focussed on all residents and other users of the Council`s provision but especially those most vulnerable and or at risk of not benefitting from such services and provision.

Equality And Diversity Training Workshops

Dates for Equality and Diversity workshops are being organised. They are to be provided to Council Members, Staff and CEF Members.

Equality Assessment Training Workshops

Staff are to be offered Equality Assessment training workshops in April. Equality Assessments are also known as Equality Impact Assessments. Three sessions are planned for: April 5th, April 7^th and April 14^th 2016.

These sessions will be attended by senior Council officers who have never undergone equality assessment training before or are undertaking it as a refresher session.

It is important staff are not only aware of the legislation which requires these (Equality Act 2010) but also how to complete fit for purpose equality assessments that compliment and support development of the Council`s business planning .

The Calendar Group has been working on is almost ready to be placed on the Council`s website following a few amendments.

The calendar is to be used as a vehicle for providing bite size learning seminars relating to key festivals and how these are celebrated in Oadby and Wigston. This Group is not a replacement for the Oadby and Wigston Multi-cultural Group.

ACTION: 1

Check the dates for key Muslim festivals are added.

ACTION: 2

Add National Refugee week.

ACTION: 3

Source the correct date for the celebration of Navaratri Hindu festival.

The Group was keen to see seminars made available at lunchtime and in the evenings. These seminars were viewed as having involvement from CEF Members in the planning and delivery and as a positive way of involving marginalised groups, for example refugees and asylum seekers. They were also seen as a way to build community cohesion and breakdown barriers among people in the community.

ACTION: 4

Work with colleagues and groups to host a series of lunchtime and /or evening seminars utilising the Celebration Calendar.

This is a project funded by BBC Children In Need covering the Leicestershire region. It began 2^nd November 2015 and is funded for three years.

The presentation explored what it means to be transgender for young people, including experiencing gender dysphoria to terminology used and support services for young people and how to access it. Following the presentation questions were taken.

To access further information on this project contact: lisa@leicestlgbtcentre.org or ring 01162547412.

Lisa can also be contacted by getting in touch @LisaCvine and @LeicesterLGBT.

ACTION: 5

Circulate a copy of the presentation with the minutes.

Change to equality information on the Council website is being progressed. Currently information on a selection of key new and updated Equality Assessments has been added. Other changes will include adding information on the Celebration Calendar and Oadby and Wigston’s Equality Framework and rewording key equality information as appropriate. This is being done with the Council`s communication media person.

This presentation was delivered by the Council`s Community Engagement Officer. It covered the reasoning behind the Government’s PREVENT Strategy and approach to working to prevent radicalisation into terrorist activity and safeguarding of vulnerable adults and young people.

The presentation was well received. However feedback suggested the voice range on the DVD used needs to be increased with the production of a new DVD or the Council`s speakers require upgrading.

Feedback on this event collected via evaluation forms  is to be sent to the WRAP lead co-ordinator in London. The forms do not contain participants names.

ACTION:6

Further WRAP presentations are to be arranged. The audience is staff, community groups and voluntary organisations.

Date: Thursday 30 June 2016

Time: 7:00 pm

Venue: Council Office, Council Chamber, Station Road, Wigston, LE182DR