‘All Together Now’: a Social Inclusion Strategy for Darlington
Social inclusion is at the heart of everything the Council does, working with partners to safeguard the life chances of people at risk of disadvantage and discrimination.
This is all the more important at a time of financial restraint when the Council is having to reduce its spending and when the kind of events that can drag people into poverty and social exclusion – losing a job, money problems, stress, strain on family relationships – are real fears for many of us.
‘All Together Now’ was published in 2005, and the delivery of the strategy was completed by 2009. It has been retained here because it continues to provide a valuable view of Darlington’s diversity, character and intent as an inclusive community.
‘All Together Now’ Social Inclusion Strategy [pdf document]
There are many different ways in which the Council seeks to advance social inclusion. The content on this page is concerned with how the Council makes sure that its decisions are as fair as possible to everyone in the community, that services are accessible to everyone and that services deliver fair outcomes.
The Public Sector Equality Duty
The Equality Act 2010 requires all public bodies to ‘have due regard’ to the need to:
- Eliminate discrimination, victimisation and harassment
- Advance equality of opportunity
- Foster good relations
The Council must do this in its employment practices, in making and reviewing policies, designing and delivering services and in commissioning and procuring goods and services. The law requires the Council to have due regard to the impact of what it does on nine ‘protected characteristics’ or groups of people. The Council’s approach goes beyond this legal requirement to consider another seven local priorities or characteristics.
The Council’s Equalities Policy
The Public Sector Equality Duty came into force on 6th April 2011. The Council will be preparing a new equalities policy framework, The Single Equality Scheme, around the new duty.
The current policy framework will continue to provide the basis for the Council’s work equalities work until the Single Equality Scheme is available. This consists of the following:
The Corporate Equalities Review and Plan [pdf document]
The Corporate Equalities Review and Plan incorporates the Council’s second Race Equality Scheme, and is also available with a number of related documents on the Race Equality Scheme web page.
The Race Equality Scheme
The Gender Equality Scheme [pdf document]
Disability Equality Scheme
The Corporate Equalities Review and Plan and the three equality schemes together provide the Council’s equality policy framework. Whilst it was developed and adopted some time ago, it continues to provide a robust and relevant approach to our equalities work. The Disability Equality Scheme was extended by the publication of an addendum in March 2011 to reflect the new Equality Act duty which came into force in April 2011.
Disability Equality Scheme Addendum, March 2011 [pdf document]
Equality Analysis is a way of considering the effect of decisions on different groups protected by the Equality Act 2010 from discrimination.
Equality Objectives
It is a legal requirement for public bodies to publish one or more specific, measurable objectives which will help them to further the three aims of the Equality Duty (visit the Equality and Human Rights Commission website for more information)
Our first equality objectives were published on 5 April 2012. Subsequent objectives must be published at least every four years.
Consultation on our proposed equality objectives was held during March 2012. A summary of the consultation comments can be found below:
Summary document [pdf document]
Any queries? Contact Deena Wallace:
Email: deena.wallace@darlington.gov.uk
Telephone: 01325 388457
Post: Deena Wallace, Communities, Room 222, Town Hall, Darlington, DL1 5QT