Issue - meetings

To consider the monitoring report on the implementation of the Council’s ‘All of us’ Community Cohesion Strategy and the Race, Gender and Disability Equality Schemes during 2008-2009.

Councillor McCracken introduced the monitoring report on behalf of the Leader of the Council, and stressed the importance placed by the Executive on community cohesion, race, gender and disability equality. The Commission received the monitoring report on the implementation of the Council’s ‘All of us’ Community Cohesion Strategy and the Race, Gender and Disability Schemes during 2008-2009. The report included detailed performance monitoring information against the action plans and examples of success stories promoting community cohesion and equality of opportunity in Bracknell Forest.

The Head of Community Engagement and Equalities described how, working closely with partners including the organisations and groups in the voluntary sector, Thames Valley Police and NHS Berkshire East the Council had made considerable progress with implementation of the Community Cohesion Strategy.

86 of out 88 keys tasks had been completed many ahead of schedule during 2008-09. In the 2008 Place Survey 82% of residents believed that people from different backgrounds got on well together, placing Bracknell Forest in the top quartile nationally. This was a significantly higher result than the England average of 76.4%.

All 75 key tasks in the Disability and Equality Scheme had been completed. Each of the 14 key tasks in the Gender Equality Scheme were completed or on track for completion within their respective timescales. 25 out of 26 key tasks in the Race Equality Scheme were also completed or on track for completion in their respective timescales.

Arising from Members’ questions and comments the following points were noted:

• One Member reported there was growing support in their ward for the British National Party, with reference to white male young people under-achieving at school. Whilst there were no actions in the strategy specifically on  white people, there were a number of initiatives in place such as the Crowthorne Carnival and new resident Welcome Packs which were designed to work with all community groups and not any one ethnic group. Another Member commented that under-achievement at school was more of an educational issue than a community cohesion issue.
• Further information on day-time provision for adults with mental health issues, specifically what alternatives are available when ’Rethink’ is not open was to be provided for members of the Commission.
• A hard copy of the detailed action plan for the Disability Equality Scheme would be provided for Councillor Mrs Shillcock.
• The priorities in the action plans were based on the current known data. New data would be looked at once it had been validated and became available.

The Vice Chairman thanked the officers for their excellent work, and pointed out that government guidance set an important role for Overview and Scrutiny in reviewing equality impacts and objectives.