Summary of screening for Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) - Annual Budget Setting 2015/16 Flintshire County Council has a statutory duty to set a balanced budget for 2015/16 and, like other local authorities, is facing a significant financial challenge. This is due to the economic, demographic and inflationary pressures that the Council is experiencing against a backdrop of reduced grant funding from the Government. For 2015/16 financial year there is a total funding gap of 18.265m. The budget strategy to manage the funding shortfall has been, wherever possible, to seek to reduce costs to protect local public services. The Council has a specific equality duty to assess the likely impact of proposed policies and practices on groups under equality legislation to ensure that decisions we make are taken with due regard to the need to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. This summary provides an overarching, initial assessment of the annual budget and efficiency. Individual equality impact assessments have been or will be completed on specific efficiency that impact on employees and members of the public. Steps taken to carry out the assessment Chief Officers have been asked to consider the efficiency to:- identify the potential equality impact on members of the public and employees from groups. undertake a full equality impact assessment of the efficiency where it has been identified that there is a potential impact on people from groups Consultation has been undertaken with Overview and Scrutiny committees, Trade Unions, Business Ratepayers, members of the public, employees, Local Service Board and Regional Partners. Consultation methodology involved web based consultation and workshops. A specific workshop was also held with individuals /organisations representing ; these included: Age Connects Citizens Advice Bureau Encompass (Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender social group) Flintshire Disability Forum Menter Iaith Sir Y Fflint Neighbourhood Watch North Wales Regional Equality Network. 1
Unique (North WalesTransgender group) The stakeholders who attended had an opportunity to identify: that would have an equality impact and would need a more detailed impact assessment any potential actions that the Council could take to reduce negative impact which would not have a disproportionate impact on people with Results of the screening and consultation The screening identified those efficiencies which have a potential equality impact. As some of the are more complex or specific details of the have not been completed; the EIAs will be undertaken during the next 12 months and will be reported within the specific efficiency as they developed. Where there is substantial impact the summaries of individual EIAs will be published on the Council s website. A full list of which have an impact are included in Table 1 which also identifies cumulative impact on and mitigating actions. Further to consultation the following have been withdrawn or amended:- Response Service Out of Hours- proposal to charge has been withdrawn. Let s Walk Cymru proposal amended to include a transitional grant of 7.5k Switchboard and Contact Centre Service - proposal amended to phase in changes Post Office Counter Payment Options - defer implementation of the payments option to assist vulnerable clients with an alternative. Investments totalling 75k will be made to these services. Cumulative impact assessment The groups in the workshop identified that four of the although may not have a disproportionate impact on groups would impact on poverty, for example, charging for music lessons in schools. Of the 69, 12 involved introducing charging or increasing charging for particular services. 2
Feedback from the groups indicated that although the charges or increased charges on the individual were proportionate and reasonable when looked at together they may have a cumulative impact on people and have a socio economic impact. People more likely to be impacted by introducing or increasing charges for services are older people, young homeless people, disabled people and people who may be more socially isolated such as the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community. Stakeholders also recognised that the Council may have sliding scales of charges which mean that people on benefits are or pay a reduced cost. They expressed concern that people whose income is just above a particular threshold could be affected by the cumulative charges. Stakeholders asked that equality impact assessments on the following :- Community based accommodation support service Response service for older people (Telecare) - Charging for the out of hours personal response service Telecare Charging - Charging Council tenants for the community alarm service (All other tenures currently charged). be considered together to ensure that they did not have a cumulative negative impact that could increase demand in other services i.e. social services. It was felt that the above services encourage independence, supporting people stay in their own homes. If some people are unable or reluctant to pay the result may mean that they become more dependent upon other services and increase pressure in other areas. The Council report on the Annual Budget Setting 2015/16 can be found here http://www.flintshire.gov.uk/en/pdffiles/budget-feedback-summary-report- January-2015.pdf 3
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Business Plan / Budget 2015/16 Cumulative Impact from EIA workshop Table 1 Note that this table provides an overview of impacts identified by representative groups of. It complements but does not replace the completed EIA processes for each relevant proposal. Protected Age Older people (16) Community and Enterprise (7) Close the personal answering service for main switchboard telephone calls Revenues and Benefits - Removal of Post Office as payment option Phone answering still available and personal support for very vulnerable. Phased implementation of changes Defer implementation to assist vulnerable clients with alternative option Introduce 1 flat charge for paper Council Tax bills Community based accommodation support service Response service for older people (Telecare) 5 Service not reduced Charge will be met in full
for poorer customers Telecare Charging Streetscene and Transportation (7) Welfare Rights Team Review Review of bulky waste collections charging arrangements Service model not changing, therefore will not impact on public. Elderly residents will qualify for the reduced payment level. Remove Demand Responsive Transport (DRT) and review all subsidised bus services Commercially operated route will replace DRT and operating times will be arranged to match, where possible, operating hours of the main businesses on the Deeside Industrial Park Community transport operations will be developed to replace the service. 6
Cease real time information at bus stops Part night street lighting Concise timetables will be available at all bus stops. Full risk assessment will be carried out before any lights are turned off during the night. Review winter maintenance provision in Council car parks Removing the waste containers delivery service Car parks will continue to be treated during periods of prolonged ice and snow. The container delivery service will be retained for residents on the Assisted Collection service. Final phase of public conveniences review Social Care (2) Refocus eligibility criteria for day care The Council will be working with the private sector to enable access to private public conveniences in every town. 7
Age Younger people (9) Community and Enterprise (1) Education and Youth (2) Streetscene and Transportation (5) Remodel delivery of Family Information Service Bed and Breakfast Charging Inclusion Service - Autism Support current vacancy- removal of dedicated Autism Spectrum Disorder advisor role Young People s Counselling Service current vacancy reduction in full time equivalent counsellors to 3.5 Replace Demand Responsive Transport with non subsidised bus service Management post removed from the structure and revise other roles across the service to accommodate responsibility for Autism Support a changing model of delivery to ensure capacity to meet needs Commercially operated route will replace DRT and operating times will be, where possible, arranged to match operating hours Reduced Street Lighting Resource other group. 8
Part night street lighting Full risk assessment will be carried out before any lights are turned off during the night. Review winter maintenance provision in Council car parks Car parks will continue to be treated during periods of prolonged ice and snow. Final phase of public conveniences review Social Care (1) Reduce expenditure at Ysgol Plas Bron Dyffryn (YPBD) Disability (18) Community and Close the personal answering service for main Enterprise (4) switchboard telephone calls The Council will be working with the private sector to enable access to private public conveniences in every town Phone answering still available and personal support for very vulnerable. Phased implementation of changes 9
Community based accommodation support service Telecare Charging Welfare Rights Team Review Service not reduced Service model not changing, therefore will not impact on public Education and Youth (1) Inclusion Service - Autism Support current vacancy- removal of dedicated Autism Spectrum Disorder advisor role Management post removed from the structure and revise other roles across the service to accommodate responsibility for Autism Support Streetscene and Transportation (7) Review of bulky waste collections charging arrangements Disabled residents will qualify for the reduced payment level. Replace Demand Responsive Transport with non subsidised bus service Where possible, the commercially operated routes will provide disabled access. 10
Remove Demand Responsive Transport and review all subsidised bus services Where possible, commercially operated routes and community transport arrangements will offer disabled access to all vehicles. Cease real time information at bus stops Concise timetables will be available at all bus stops Part night street lighting Full risk assessment will be carried out before any lights are turned off during the night. Review winter maintenance provision in Council car parks Car parks will continue to be treated during periods of prolonged ice and snow. Final phase of public conveniences review 11 Facilities for the disabled will be considered when
providing public convenience facilities through the private sector or existing Council buildings Social Care (6) Consult on the potential to commission provision currently provided by In House Supported Living houses Develop a progression model for Supported Living Refocus eligibility criteria for day care Review and revise eligibility criteria for respite Reduce expenditure at Ysgol Plas Bron Dyffryn (YPBD) Regional approach to advocacy Gender Reassignment (6) Community and Enterprise (4) Community based accommodation support service Welfare Rights Team Review 12
Response service for older people (Telecare) Bed and Breakfast Charging Education and Youth (1) Streetscene and Environment (1) Race (10) Community and Enterprise (3) Young People's Counselling Service current vacancy- reduction in full time equivalent counsellors to 3 Review of bulky waste collections charging arrangements Close the personal answering service for main switchboard telephone Bed and Breakfast Charging calls a changing model of delivery other group Welfare Rights Team Review Streetscene and Transportation (5) Review of bulky waste collections charging arrangements other group. Replace Demand Responsive Transport with non subsidised bus service other group. 13
Cease real time information at bus stops Multi-lingual timetables will be provided where possible. Education and Youth (1) Removing the waste containers delivery service Remove Demand Responsive Transport and review all subsidised bus services English as an Additional Language/Gypsy Traveller Support -current vacancy removal of post Social Care (1) Regional approach to advocacy All explanatory leaflets are provided in a wide range of languages to aid understanding of the process. other group a changed model of service delivery Religion and Belief (2) Streetscene & Transportation (2) Replace Demand Responsive Transport with non subsidised bus service other group. Remove Demand Responsive Transport and 14
review all subsidised bus services other group. Marriage and Civil Partnership Pregnancy and maternity 0 (2) Community and Enterprise (1) Streetscene and Transportation (1) Bed and Breakfast Charging Final phase of public conveniences review The Council will be working with the private sector to enable access to private public conveniences in every town. Sex (3) Community and Enterprise (1) Streetscene and Transportation (2) Bed and Breakfast Charging Review of bulky waste collections charging arrangements other group. Sexual orientation (3) Community and Enterprise (2) Reduced Street Lighting Resource Community based accommodation support service Full risk assessment will be carried out before any lights are turned off during the night 15
Response service for older people (Telecare) Education and Youth (1) Young People's Counselling Service current vacancy- reduction in full time equivalent counsellors to 3. Close the personal answering service for main Welsh language (3) Community and Enterprise (1) switchboard telephone calls Streetscene and Transportation (1) Social Care (1) Refocus eligibility criteria for day care A changed model of service delivery Cease real time information at bus stops All timetables will be bilingual Poverty /Homeless (7) Community and Enterprise (2) Revenues and Benefits - 2% surcharge on credit card payments Decision not to top up Discretionary Housing Payment Education and Youth (2) Further remodelling of Music Service to move to full cost recovery A changed model of service delivery School uniform policy change to statutory level A changed model of service delivery Organisational Libraries Static Libraries Change 1 (1) Streetscene and Review of bulky waste collections charging 16
Additional which will introduce charges or increase charges (not discussed at workshop on 05.01.15 and/or no disproportionate impacts on groups identified) Transportation arrangements (1) Social Care (1) Remodel delivery of Family Information Service Organisational Leisure Services - tariff increase Change 1 (1) Planning and Environment (5) Make Animal and Pest Control self-financing Make Licensing self-financing other group (11) Increase in Planning fees Additional elements of charging for planning work Pre planning advice Streetscene and Transportation (2) Introduce a charge for second garden waste bins Car Parking Charges Social Care (3) Develop means testing approach for minor adaptations Increased income from rise to 60 max charge 17 other group. other group
for domiciliary care Implement thresholds for supplying minor Occupational Therapy (OT) equipment 18