Equality and diversity report

What we have achieved in 2023-24

Commissioning and procuring services

Corporate Commissioning and Procurement Strategy

Over the last 12 months we have updated our tender document to include a section on equality, diversity and inclusion.  This goes out in all council tender documents. We intend to update our market engagement questionnaires to ask providers if they need any adjustments (in line with protected characteristics) in order for them to take part in market engagement, to increase inclusion and diversity of our providers.

Current commissioning exercises for Home Care and Carers contracts our Adult Commissioning have carried out extensive consultation with their service users as part of developing new service delivery models. 

Integration of equality objectives into planned service outcomes

Corporate Equality objective

Our corporate Equality Objective agreed at Cabinet in April 2021 is; to establish an equality baseline and deeper understanding of the issues and needs for Gateshead by protected characteristic; to include our residents and our workforce, to support delivery of our strategic approach Thrive and the council pledges.

Progress has been made on understanding our workforce, with the current workforce data (non-schools) published in Appendix 1 to this report. This is data from our people management system at 31.03.24 with self-reported protected characteristics from across our employees.

The 2021 Census data releases were analysed to develop topic briefings on our Gateshead population by protected characteristic and have been further developed at a ward level with census factsheets and locality mapping. Our Gateshead Equality Profile using this intelligence is published in Appendix 2 to this report.

Following on from our LGA Peer review in Adult Social Care (ASC) we have committed to improving our use of data to better understand the protected characteristics of those who use our ASC service, and whether any particular groups are not experiencing equitable access.

Service Design and Delivery

Adult Social Care - Jewish community

In 2023, we worked with the leaders of the Orthodox Jewish Community to understand the barriers to social care for them and to agree how to improve our support. Two main areas have become apparent; specialist social housing for people with disabilities who want to remain in the community, and access to services that meet specific cultural needs. We have worked with the community who want to develop a small scale supported housing scheme within the community and work is ongoing to develop the offer working with a Jewish registered provider to ensure access to housing benefits where appropriate. In terms of direct social care services, we recognised that a commissioned service would still leave gaps, so we have agreed to work together to increase take up of direct payments so that a more bespoke offer can be provided. A training session for the community was held in February 2024 to detail what can be achieved through the take up of direct payments. This was positively received, and we continue to work together to improve access and take up of services and support needed.

Elections - Accessibility

The Elections Act 2022 brought in additional duties to make sure that elections are as accessible as possible to all voters with disabilities. We have taken steps to support electors with disabilities being able to vote at polling stations.  This has included:

• accessibility training for over 500 polling station staff
• purchase of support equipment such as large pencils, pencil grips, 'here to help' badges, magnifiers and tactile devices
• updating the information available to voters on the council's website who need additional help
• developing QR codes to read out local candidate information for voters with visual impairment

Business, Employment and Skills

We work with local and regional partners to create an environment where all business can thrive and to create economic opportunities for residents. Through the council's UK Shared Prosperity Fund programme, we have commissioned initiatives to stimulate levels of enterprise ambition within our communities, help residents explore self-employment and increase business formation rates, particularly among underrepresented groups. This has included an enterprise support programme for the Jewish Community and a women's enterprise support project for women and female- led businesses.

Libraries, Arts and Heritage

Libraries and Heritage procured the Royal Voluntary Service to deliver books to residents at home if they are unable to visit a library building. This ensures the Library Service's Readers at Home service can be sustained. This service primarily delivers books to older people and ensures access to books and reading in a variety of formats including large print and CD. Procurement took place in 2023-24 to begin from 1 April 2024 and continues a previous contractual arrangement with Royal Voluntary Service. In 2023-24, 43,668 books were borrowed by residents using the Readers at Home Service. This includes book deliveries to residents at home and to residential care settings.

In addition, the Reading for Wellbeing team delivered 57 sessions in the community lounges of assisted living settings and luncheon clubs run by organisations such as Age UK. These sessions were attended by 752 people. These sessions use reminiscence resources from Gateshead Archive (for example photographs or newspaper articles from the Gateshead Post) as a starting point for conversations and sparking memories. This encourages social interaction between residents. Some sessions have included poetry readings. Residents are signposted to the Readers at Home service, Borrowbox (if appropriate) and groups and activities at local libraries.

Libraries Digital team gifted 67 SIM cards to individuals in need, through partnerships with Comfrey Project, Peace of Mind, and 2way Tenancy.

Gateshead Archive hosted talks supporting diverse national heritage months including Women's History Month in March and Black History Month in October. The Archive also supported the Unlocking North East Jewish Heritage Project to map collections relating to the history of the Jewish Community in Gateshead. For Holocaust Memorial Day the Library Service took part in the promotion of books and resources relating to the Holocaust and other genocides.

The Archives service fostered new links with refugee groups in Gateshead via the Triangular organisation. With Gateshead Arts Team the Archive supported a successful bid from Triangular to the National Lottery to fund local refugees come together in a social space to explore traditional crafts. Through the project new Syrian and Roma women's groups have been established at the Integration Station on Gateshead High Street where the women meet to explore heritage crafts from their birth country. The groups meet regularly at Triangular and sessions have also taken place at the Central Library to explore the Archive and MakerPlace.

In 2023-24, Gateshead Arts Team delivered over 270 workshops for individuals, families, schools and community groups across Gateshead, working with over 60 artists and creative practitioners, from Gateshead and the North East, with diverse identities, cultures and backgrounds. Over 60% were for or attended by older people through either our Art Diamonds programme of creative workshops, events and visits to exhibitions for older people, or our Emerald Explorers programme for wellbeing and engaging with nature either outdoors, or through an indoor nature themed workshop.

The Arts team worked with creative organisation Gem Arts (opens new window) with staffing support and venue space for a Mini Mela at Gateshead Central Library in February 2024 and through funding for the delivery of workshops for both Art Diamonds and Emerald Explorers programmes. We also supported their annual Masala Festival in July 2023 with venue space, workshops and help with marketing the festival.

Support was also provided for Curious Arts (opens new window) through staffing assistance and venue space for a Mini Pride in February half term; funding towards a project for young people at Birkhead Wilds; a workshop about Pride colour and identity with Art Diamonds, and through working with their staff and artists on a range of activities and promoting their events.

Education Gateshead

Our School Admission team and Fair Access team work with a range of ethnic minority families who have arrived through a designated home office programme. We provide advice, guidance and support to these families with regards to admissions to schools and also support at the initial meetings with schools. We also direct referrals to our Ethnic Minority and Achievement Service for pupils arriving in Gateshead so that they receive up to 4 weeks of initial support within school.

Our Ethnic Minority and Achievement Service work alongside pupils who have English as an additional language within school and school leadership teams to ensure that they make academic progress, and that their social and emotional needs are well met. The team also work closely with a range of voluntary sector organisations that support families beyond the classroom door. They are working to promote Schools of Sanctuary an accreditation that acknowledges the work of schools in regard to pupils from different ethnic minority backgrounds.

Learning and Skills

Our primary focus at Learning and Skills is to create an inclusive learning environment that values individuals from diverse backgrounds and gives fair access to education opportunities. Supporting learners to achieve their qualifications is crucial for creating an inclusive and equitable learning environment. This approach is recognised in our diversity of learners and their success rates.

• 17% of our learners are from ethnic minority backgrounds, and a further 5% of learners are White Irish/Other
• 28% of our learners are men
• 28% of learners are aged under 24
• 39% of learners declare having a learning difficulty and or/disability

Our learners can have varied special educational needs that can make it make it harder for individuals to learn or access education compared to others of the same age. The provision supports young people and adults with various special education needs. We support our learners with diverse protected characteristics by:  

• Individual learning plans (ILPS) that clearly identify learners' specifics needs, requirements and any adjustments required are used within the provision. The individual learning plans embed the SEND Thresholds which have recently been introduced within Gateshead.  Tutors are then able to plan and deliver sessions that meet the needs of the learners attending the sessions and make appropriate adjustments.
• Curriculum planning is carried out in collaboration with the learners accessing the provision to ensure there is a varied curriculum offer that meets not only the educational needs of the learners but also their personal development interests.  
• All staff within the provision work to ensure that learners within their learning environment feel safe, supported, and respected. We ensure that inappropriate use of language or behaviour is challenged, we set clear expectations for our learners, and we carry our regular learner voice activities to ensure we are meeting the learners needs.  
• Staff have access to regular CPD (Continuing Professional Development) which enhances their understanding of inclusive practices and support for the learners within our provision recently this has included CPD around Trauma Informed Practice which has subsequently informed our new behaviour policy.