Equality Impact Assessment Corporate Service Improvement Tool

Transcription

1 Details of the assessment Name of Function/Policy/ Service being assessed Payment Access Date of original assessment Date of review 2010/2011 Directorate & Service Finance & Governance Policy Owner Lee Colyer Lead Officer Lee Colyer 1

2 Step 1 Initial Screening for: new policies/strategies revised policies/strategies policy decisions considering partnership working arrangements procurement/commissioning activities Key Questions 1 What are you looking to achieve in this activity? 2 Who in the main will benefit? 3 Does the activity have the potential to cause adverse impact or discriminate against different groups in the community? 4 Does the activity make a positive contribution to equalities? Answers/Notes Yes Please explain: No Please explain: Note: if the answer is yes then a full equality impact assessment is required see step 2. Yes Please explain: No Please explain: Note: if the answer is yes then a full equality impact assessment is required see step 2. Where the screening has identified the need for a full impact assessment, this must: be commenced during the drafting stages of a new policy/strategy and fully completed following any consultation period before submitting the committee approval carried out before any policy decision is taken completed in the planning stages of any procurement exercise 2

3 Step 2 Scoping the assessment 1. What is the overall aim, or purpose of the function/ policy/service? 2. What outcomes do you want to achieve with this function/ policy/service and for whom? 3. Who is intended to benefit from the function/service/ policy? 4. Who defines or defined the function/service/policy? 5. Who implements the function/service/policy? To give customers the choice and flexibility to pay their Council bills conveniently and on time through cost effective methods. Question not asked in previous version fo the template. Any person who receives a bill from the Council. Question not asked in previous version fo the template. Revenues and Benefits, Environment & Street Scene and Planning staff all take card payments over the telephone using the intranet medium. Housing and Leisure take cash/cheque payments. (i) Banks HSBC, Co-operative, Alliance & Leicester; (ii) Post Offices; (iii) Paypoint collection network; (iv) Contract Security Services Ltd To give customers the choice and flexibility to pay their Council bills and invoices conveniently and on time through cost effective methods. To give customers the choice and flexibility to pay their Council bills and invoices conveniently and on time through cost effective methods. Any person who receives a bill from the Council. Government, Councillors, Management Team, Finance Team Revenues and Benefits, Environment & Street Scene, Planning, Finance, Assembly Hall and Crematorium staff all take card payments over the phone using the intranet. Other areas: TN2/Camden Centre/Crem Cash + Cheques Licensing cheques Parking - ringo Other methods available: Automated telephone payments, Gateway Kiosk, Customers user the internet to pay online 3

4 6. How do the outcomes of the function/service/policy meet or conflict with other policies, values or objectives of the public authority (if applicable)? 7. What factors could contribute or detract from the outcomes identified earlier? Step 3 Consideration of data and information 8. What do you already know about who uses this function/service/ policy? (i) Banks Lloyds TSB Counter/DD/SO (ii) Post Offices; (iii) Paypoint collection network; (iv) Contract Security Services Ltd Please indicate which corporate priority these outcomes relate to: Prosperous Finance function positively contributes to all of the objectives Green Healthy Confident Any other comments: Question not asked in previous version fo the template. All council tax payers and businesses in the borough will receive a tax bill. Other residents or visitors may receive bills for additional services provided such as leisure facilities, parking charges or planning applications. The new bank contract maintains all flexible methods of payment but improves cost effectiveness. - Getting DD running for sundry debtors is the only outstanding method All council tax payers and businesses in the borough will receive a tax bill. Other residents or visitors may receive bills for additional services provided such as leisure facilities, parking charges or planning applications. The current payment methods are by BACS. cheque (hand delivered or posted), direct debit, payment card (for council tax only at Post Offices or The current payment methods are by BACS, CHAPS, Faster Payments, cheque (hand delivered or posted), direct debit, payment card (for council tax only 4

5 9. Has any consultation with service users already taken place on the function/service/ policy and if so what were the key findings? Paypoint machines), card payment by telephone, card payment using the internet or automated telephone system. The cash reception facility was closed in July 2004 and replaced by a self service payment machine. This machine was taken out of use in June 2006 and no cash payments are currently accepted for council tax payments. Cash is still paid for services such as pay & display charges and is taken at facilities such as the theatre, museum, sports pitches and the TIC. The information gathered so far does not indicate any adverse or differential impact. Consideration of the needs of various communities has been given during the development of the Gateway and addressed as far as possible. The Access Group put issues forward for consideration by the programme. These at Post Offices or Paypoint machines), card payment by telephone, card payment using the internet or automated telephone system. Also now have RINGO for parking and have extended the type of payment accepted by the automated line. Can also take council tax bill or any invoice to a paypoint and show the barcode on the invoice/bill and pay against that. The cash reception facility was closed in July 2004 and replaced by a self service payment machine in the Gateway. Cash is paid for services such as pay & display charges and is taken at facilities such as the theatre, museum, sports pitches and the TIC. There hasn t been specific consultation/feedback on payment methods recently. However, we are legally required to accept any form of payment, for example, with Parking fines and therefore have facilitated this requirement. We have developed our electronic and telephone methods of 5

6 10. What, if any, additional information is needed to assess the impact of the function/service/policy? 11. How do you propose to gather the additional information? are set out in the minutes of the meeting dated 19 th May Cllr Mayhew agreed to take these issues forward for consideration. The main problem areas are people that do not have bank accounts and wish to make cash payments and access to a computer and the internet. Information is required as to how many people are in these categories. To ask the following groups what particular payment access problems their groups are experiencing. Help the Aged Disabled Access Groups Ethnic Minority Groups Citizens Advice Bureau (debt advice) Revenues and Benefits could provide a list of all council tax payers who currently pay by cash. The public library does offer free internet access but there is a question of accessing the town centre. However all people over 60 s and eligible disabled people do receive a free bus pass. payment and are up to date with the technology available. In order for the Council to provide this objective more efficiently we need to find ways to convert people to paying electronically rather than by cash/cheque or at paypoints. We would like them to pay by direct debt, BACS or Debit/Credit card. Addition information is required about why they won t make the switch Asking these group would help. We are going to look at customer profiling data and watch with those who don t pay their council tax by DD. We will then cold call them and ask. 6

7 Step 4 Assessing the Impact 12. Based on what information you already know, in relation to each of the following groups consider whether a) there is anything in the function/service/policy that could discriminate or put anyone at a disadvantage b) for an existing function/service/policy, how it is actually working in practice for each group Age Yes, access to the town centre, Post Offices, the Town Hall and electronic payment methods. a. Equality groups 96% of older people say they want more help with managing their money in the face of technological changes and post office and bank closures. 60% of pensioners prefer to use cash to pay for goods and services; 33% feel comfortable using cash machines and 45% of older people find it difficult to use Pin numbers. Source: Public Finance article 26/10/07. The Post Office has announced plans to close 2,500 nationally by the end of The first of 180 branches chosen includes 6 in the borough. b. Disability Access to the town and Town Hall. Possibly if a sight loss or impairment to understand a Council bill. No, for any hearing impairment or loss. The Council Tax leaflet, for example, does offer to provide the information in large print, braille or audiotape format. Technological knowhow to use electronic payment methods 7

8 c. Gender No d. Race The Council bills, payment instructions and internet payment screens are all in English. There may be translation difficulties for some ethnic groups. However there is an alternative argument that the use of English should be encouraged as a first language. e. Religion/Belief No f. Sexual No Orientation g. General/other Step 5 Reviewing and Scrutinising the Impact 13. Have you identified any differential impact and does this adversely or positively affect any groups in the community? The needs of all groups have been taken into account in the design of the Gateway to ensure it is accessible to all. 14. Can we make any changes? (1) The Gateway project is due to be operational next summer. Discussions are still taking place as to whether cash payment machines, that take cash and card payments as well as give change, will be included. This could be extended to other remote sites in gateways at Southborough, Hawkhurst, Paddock Wood and Cranbrook; (2) The new Financial Management System will allow electronic invoices to Gateway fully open and operational. There is a cash payment machine in site, that takes cheques and cards. 8

9 be sent and received; 15. If there is nothing you can do, can the reasons be fairly justified? 16. Do any of the changes in relation to the adverse impact have a further adverse affect on any other group? (3) Payment cards or bar coded invoices could be extended to other Council debts such as housing benefit overpayments, rents or other sundry debts; (4) Direct Debit take up could be increased through new advertising campaigns; (5) The pay and display machines in car parks could be upgraded to receive notes, give change and take card payments; (6) New ways of paying for parking are being explored such as using a mobile phone to register use of a parking bay and then a deduction made directly from bank accounts. The question of whether the Council does not have to accept cash as a method of payment is being investigated by Legal Services. Not answered (3) Done (4) Done but little chane (5) Have put RINGO in place instead (6) Have put RINGO in place insteads We do accept cash N/A 9

10 Step 5 continued Equality Impact Assessment Please add any new actions you have identified from the review Based on your answers in Step 5, please finalise your actions here. These actions will then be incorporated into our equality action plans. Equality Objective Action Outcome/monitoring Date for Implemented by Strand information and targets Completion If an adverse impact was found or unmet needs identified, which actions will you put in place to address this: Direct Debit for Set of the system, Jane Fineman sundry debtors processes, policies and End of Sept procedures 2011 Improve % of Customer profiling In place Jane Fineman resident who On-going pay by DD If the impact is still unclear, list the actions you will put in place to gather the information you need: If you did not find any evidence of unmet needs or adverse impact, list the actions you will put in place to maintain good practice: 10

11 Step 6 Decision making and future monitoring Equality Impact Assessment Key questions Answers / Notes Review Which decision making Question not asked in previous None process do these changes need to go through i.e. do they need to be approved by a committee/council? version of the template. 18. How will you continue to monitor the impact of the function/service/ policy on Not answered Via the IMG diverse groups? 19. When will you review this equality impact assessment? Question not asked in previous version of the template. 2013/14 Final steps For an existing function/service/policy: Send your assessment to the Equality Policy Officer who will include it in the Annual Equality Report which is made available for consultation. For a new function/service/ policy: Summarise your findings in the committee report. Ensure planned consultations address the findings of this impact assessment. 11