Tuesday, 24 November 2015

Barnet Council: FOI Request : Diversity and Equality in Practice

Barnet Council: FOI Request : Diversity and Equality in Practice

Thank you for your request received on 19 October 2015, for the following
information:
1. Please send me the Council's reports about the implementation of your Equality
and Diversity Scheme for the last three years.
2. Please send me the information about the nature and description of Barnet
Council's contracts awarded to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) businesses
in the last there years, including the support provided to BAME businesses to win
Barnet Council's contracts. Please send me your report about the action undertaken
by the Council to minimise the disadvantages usually experienced by BAME small
organisations and business in competing for Barnet's contracts.
3. Please send me the information about proportion of BME staff employed by the
Council, especially in the management positions.
4. Please send me the report that you may have showing the breakdown of Black
people who have applied for jobs within the London Borough of Barnet including the
rates of applicants invited for interviews and the pass rates of the interviews by Black
applicants.
5. Engagement and Participation:
Please send me any report that you may have in relation to the Council's
engagement with BAME people and BAME organisations based or serving London
the Borough of Croydon. We are interested in the Council's engagement work
undertaken directly with BAME people and organisations. Please send me the
information about the level of participation of BAME people and organisations in the
Council's consultations.
6. Please also send me the information about the rate of unemployment from Black
people residents of Barnet.
We have processed this request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Response
1. Please send me the Council's reports about the implementation of your Equality
and Diversity Scheme for the last three years.
These are available on our website: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/counciland-
democracy/policy-and-performance/equality-and-diversity.html
2. Please send me the information about the nature and description of Barnet
Council's contracts awarded to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) businesses
in the last there years, including the support provided to BAME businesses to win
Barnet Council's contracts. Please send me your report about the action undertaken
by the Council to minimise the disadvantages usually experienced by BAME small
organisations and business in competing for Barnet's contracts.
Equalities is mainstreamed into procurement policy
https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/council-and-democracy/finance-andfunding/
procurement-tenders-and-contracts/procurement-policy.html. We are more
interested in the equality track record of businesses in Barnet and their capacity to
act in accordance with Equality legislation, know about, respect and value the
diversity Barnet’s service users and residents in access to, service design and
delivery.
The Entrepreneurial Barnet strategy is on our website website and was considered
at 08/09/2014 - Assets, Regeneration and Growth Committee and included an EIA
https://barnet.moderngov.co.uk/ieDecisionDetails.aspx?AIId=8009
3. Please send me the information about proportion of BME staff employed by the
Council, especially in the management positions.
HR data is published on equalities internet pages, as above, and as part of the
Annual Equalities report also on those pages.
4. Please send me the report that you may have showing the breakdown of Black
people who have applied for jobs within the London Borough of Barnet including the
rates of applicants invited for interviews and the pass rates of the interviews by Black
applicants.
HR data is published on equalities internet pages, as above, and as part of the
Annual Equalities report also on those pages.
5. Engagement and Participation:
Please send me any report that you may have in relation to the Council's
engagement with BAME people and BAME organisations based or serving London
the Borough of Croydon. We are interested in the Council's engagement work
undertaken directly with BAME people and organisations. Please send me the
information about the level of participation of BAME people and organisations in the
Council's consultations.
We do not have information on Croydon. Equalities is mainstreamed into Barnet
Council’s approach to consultation. https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/counciland-
democracy/democracy-and-elections/consultations.html
6. Please also send me the information about the rate of unemployment from Black
people residents of Barnet.
This information is not held, it may be obtainable through job centre plus
Further information
If you are interested in the data that the council holds, we recommend that you take
a look at Open Barnet, the council’s data portal. This is an important tool in pushing
forward Barnet’s Transparency Agenda, bringing together all our published datasets
and other information of interest on one searchable database for anyone, anywhere
to access:
http://open.barnet.gov.uk/

London Borough of Barnet,
North London Business Park,
Oakleigh Road South,
London
N11 1NP


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Our Vision and Services

Our vision is of a society where no one should experience discrimination on the grounds of their mental health.

Mental health problems are extremely common across society, with one in four of us experiencing them in any year. Despite being so common, people from all communities will still experience discriminatory attitudes and behaviours that can prevent people from speaking out, seeking support and playing full and active roles in our communities. The impact of mental health stigma and discrimination will vary between communities as mental health has a cultural context that affects the way communities talk about the subject and engage with people who have mental health problems. In some cultures depression, for example, doesn't exist and in others an experience of a mental health problem can be attached to a sense of shame.

For the African and Caribbean communities a key issue is the overrepresentation of young African and Caribbean men in mental health services. Misconceptions and stereotypes have led to a perception that this group is more likely to pose a risk of violent behaviour and, as a result, they are more likely to be treated as inpatients and sectioned when compared to other groups. It is well documented that this has led to a fear of talking about mental health issues more openly and a fear of using mental health services. Research by the Race Equality Foundation (2011) also highlighted fears that discrimination against Black & Minority Ethnic (BME) communities and migrant service users will increase in the austerity climate and whilst commissioning arrangements change.

Our Services

· Provide information, advice, advocacy

· Represent diversity communities in Health Care services, policies and strategies

· Organise training in health and social care in collaboration with local colleges

· Provide human resources ( including interpreters) who are suitable to the diversity communities especially to break language and cultural barriers

· Provides domiciliary care and support

· Provide services such specialised support for people with mental health needs, including people who suffer from short-term memory problems, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

· Provide visits to elderly people and help them with outings and home services

· Participate in local authority and NHS consultations , research events and programmes to voice the needs of diversity communities.

· Increase access to services and rights for disadvantaged people and the most vulnerable of our society

· Help and support unemployed people to look for work, including training and job preparation

· Provide legal advice in a range of issues from on Immigration and Asylum , welfare benefits, housing, health, education, community care, and training, employment, etc.

· Provide advice and guidance, information and practical help so that our service users can access opportunities they are entitled to

· Organise training and other community learning opportunities that provide new skills, increase confidence and motivation

· Support our service users to overcome barriers to learning, employment and training

· Provide support for young people with their education, training, confidence building, employment and social needs.

Objectives of our Diversity Living Programme:

· To promote the inclusion and participation of diversity communities* in integrated care.

· To inform policy, locally and nationally, and assisting in the formulation of effective policies, strategies and good practices in integrated care in order to contribute to improved health outcomes for the people from the diversity communities (e.g. Black and minority ethnic communities) and to ensure health services are able to meet their specific needs.

· To improve the quality of life for diversity people with disability, mental health problems and their families and carers through integrated care by providing inclusive advocacy and information.

· To provide service that enable diversity groups and individuals with disability /elderly and their carers to make the right choice for themselves and have an influence on decisions made about their future.

· To promote the rights of diversity people with disability, their families and carers and make sure their rights are safe and protected.

· To promoting access to information regarding healthcare issues and to raise awareness of the needs of diversity disabled children, young people, older people and their families.

· To promote the rights of older and disabled diversity people, helping them overcome and enable them to participate in decisions about their future

· To provide support and information to those suffering the isolation and loneliness that can be associated with disability and old age

· To fight against mental health stigma in refugee, black and minority ethnic communities and ensure no one should experience discrimination on the grounds of their mental health or disability.

*Diversity communities are older people, disabled people, Black, Asian, refugees, migrants, asylum seekers and other ethnic minorities.