Purpose of Report

To seek Member approval for the third Strategic Equality Plan in response to the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011.

Executive Summary

The Strategic Equality Plan has been developed so the Authority can set out how it will meet its commitment to equality and how it will meet its legal obligations contained within the Equality Act 2010.

The Fire and Rescue Authority (the Authority) is required to publish a Strategic Equality Plan with equality objectives every four years. The progress of the plan must be reported annually to the Fire Authority along with employment statistics for the previous year.

Recommendations

Members are requested to

• note the content of the report; and
• approve the Strategic Equality Plan for publication.

Background

The Act places a General Duty on listed public bodies which requires them, in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to:

• eliminating discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited under the Act;
• advancing equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it;
• fostering good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.

The Equality Act 2010 came into effect in October 2010. The Act replaced separate equality duties relating to race, gender and disability discrimination contained in the Race Relations Act 1976, the Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. The Equality Act extends coverage of the Duty to the other protected characteristics of age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment.

In April 2011 the Welsh Government exercised its powers to introduce Specific Duties, designed to aid transparency and enable a public authority in Wales to meet the General Duty. These are set out within the Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011.

Compliance with the legislation will be regulated by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC). The role of the EHRC under the law is to protect, enforce and promote equality. This role will be discharged through the provision of guidance, regulation and enforcement activity.

Observation from the Executive Panel/Audit Committee

This report has not previously been considered.

Information

Our Strategic Equalities Plan sets out our ongoing commitment to ensuring respect and fairness for the residents, elected members, staff members and all visitors to the North Wales area.

The Specific Duty requires public authorities in Wales to produce a Strategic Equality Plan detailing equality objectives aligned to the regulations. The plan must review its equality objectives not later than the end of the period of four years.

The regulations include:

• ensuring published material is accessible
• assessing the impact of relevant policies and practices
• training and collation of employment information
• promoting knowledge and understanding of the Act amongst employees
• engagement and involvement provisions for protected characteristic groups
• addressing unfair pay differences
• reviewing progress on the Strategic Equality Plan and associated equality objectives
• procurement practice provisions.

The Service’s draft plan outlines the key equality objectives identified by our stakeholders and has been designed to build on the achievements of our previous Strategic Equality Plans as well as to meet the new legal duties.

The content of the equality objectives has also been aligned to the:

• Requirements of the General Public Sector Equality Duty, and the Specific Regulations 2011 (Wales);
• North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority’s improvement and well-being objectives;
• The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015.

IMPLICATIONS