healtchcheck reboot

Second meeting of the day at Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL). This time we're a group of four working on the "reboot" of the Good Practice Equality and Diversity Health Check which was developed for use on our Mainstreaming Equality project in the county. We're retooling it so that it can be used beyond that range, throughout the East Midlands. Chino Cabon from the Race Equality Centre (TREC), Tonia Frew from the Leicester Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Centre (LGBT), Kelly Jusab, Project Officer at the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP) and I make what I'd call decent progress together.

REDP monthly meeting

At Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living (LCIL) this morning, for the monthly meeting of the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP).

Today we discuss our series of Involvement Events held at eight different venues across the region in January February and March. We do some evaluation of the events (as well as our preparation for them and contacts, dikscussions and actions after them). Kelly has prepared a draft report on the events, including notes from the "World Cafe" format workshops. Preparing this hasn't been easy, especially working with the table cloths on which attendees scribbled and doodled their thoughts, feelings and comments (thanks, Sophie for making sense of it all!). I think they've done a great bit of work here. We also receive a three-month work plan, drawn up by Laura. This period will culminate in the establishment and first meeting of REDP's Core Reference Group.

REDP will be hosting a regional event to talk about the Equality Act, in June at Walkers Stadium. Today we discuss the agenda and draw up a shortlist for potential chairs.

Our Mainstreaming Equality project has now come to an end. We review this today and look at the few aspects that need to be tidied up so we can devote all our energies to our three-year regional project.

When we finish here (at 1230) we dash (if that's the right word for us) from LCIL to the Leicester Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Centre, on Wellington Street, for the second part of our business today, when we meet with other colleagues as the Equality and Diversity Partnership (EDP).

Find out more about Leicestershire Centre for Integrated Living:
http://www.lcil.org.uk/

Find out more about the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership:
http://www.redp.org.uk/

infrastructure providers group (2)

At Voluntary Action Leicester this morning representing both the Council of Faiths and the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership at a meeting of the Infrastructure Providers Group.

Sometimes it's easy to lose sight of the purpose of these groups and meetings, to forget the practical and postive outcomes that they work towards. So I think it's good to state the goal of this group here, which is the establishment, maintenance and development of "a vibrant and effective voluntary and community sector that enables people to be active in their communities and to make Leicester and Leicestershire a great place to live for all." I don't think there would be many people in the city or the county who wouldn't get on board with that (if you'll excuse the double negative and mixed metaphor there!)

Ian Robson, Director of the LGBT Centre is here today. We both feel ratehr bereft after the end of the series of REDP's Involvement Events and related activities. We both liken it to that wistful feeling at the end of a relationship - though, ironically, in this context, it's just the beginning of one!

infrastructure providers group (1)

At Voluntary Action Leicester this morning for a meeting of the Infrastructure Providers Group. This is meant to review and oversee plans for the support of infrastructure organisations in the city and county. But it seems that there's not a consensus about who these organisations are or what they do. Here's a good definition, from the Home Office in 2004, which describes infrastructure as, "the physical facilities, structures, system, relationships, people, knowledge and skills that exist to support and develop, co-ordinate, represent and promote frontline organisations thus enabling them to deliver their missions more effectively. Infrastructure organisations are those whose primary purpose is to provide infrastructure functions or services (support and development, co-ordination, representation and promotion) to frontline organisations." When visiting the various Voluntary Action centres, or community hubs, in the county and Rutland for REDP's Mainstreaming Equality project, many of them don't want to describe themselves in terms of infrastructure organisations, mostly because they're not being funded to do that sort of work. But they seem happier to be known under the old-fashioned term, "umbrella organisations". A new alternative appears to be "Support Services". I guess one of those will do.

Lost in Loughborough

To Loughborough, to conduct an “Equality and Diversity Good Practice Healthcheck” with Voluntary Action Charnwood. This is one of the responsibilities I have as part of my duties in REDP’s “Mainstreaming Equality” project: to have written this healthcheck document, visit the different “voluntary action” bureaux etc in Leicestershire and Rutland to go through the questionnaire. The questionnaire would seem rather daunting in size (at some 56 pages) but it’s been designed in such a way that when participants answer a section on one of the equality strands –age (young people and old people have their own sections), disability, gender (and gender identity), race, religion or belief, sexual orientation – those answers can be taken as good for the other sections. Of course, each one of these strands has its own particular questions that don’t necessarily relate to the others (e.g. about physical access for disability issues, translation of materials in the race section). But for the most part, the questions are such that what works for one equality strand works for all. When I first went out to conduct this healthcheck, it took more than two hours. Now I’ve got it down to about 45 minutes. Just as well, really, as I mange to get lost in Loughborough and am late for my appointment at John Storer House with Neil Lambert, CEO of Voluntary Action Charnwood. When I get off the train, I decide to save time and effort by getting on the link bus that should take me to the town centre. But I don’t recognise the town centre (it’s smaller and passes by quicker than I expected) and stay on the bus all the way out to Loughborough University – and back again. Thankfully, Neil is an affable and sympathetic fellow who gives me a warm and good-humoured welcome.

LGA Equality & Diversity conference

After dropping in at our exhibition in Highcross for an hour or so first thing this morning, I take the train to Melton, to attend the Equality and Diversity Conference of the Local Government Association at PERA (photo above). I’m going there as one of the partner members of the Regional Equality and Diversity Partnership (REDP) along with Laura Horton, Project Manager for our Mainstreaming Equality Project. The conference covers the main equality strands: age, disability, gender, race, religion or belief, and sexual orientation. There are contributions from ACAS and the Equality and Human Rights Commission among others. The conference considers how provisions in the Equality Bill will affect the duties of local government at all levels of engagement with those who are recipients of their services, and reflects on how it might change employment law.