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[pic] Gender Equality Scheme Promoting equality, valuing diversity [pic] | |Contents |Page | | | | | |1. |Introduction |2 | | | | | |2 |Equality and Diversity Strategy Aims and Objectives |2 | | | | | |3. |Background to the Gender Equality Scheme |4 | | | | | |4. |Gender Equality Statement of Purpose |5 | | | | | |5. |Meeting the specific duties |6 | | | | | |6. |How will the scheme be implemented' |6 | | | | | |7. |Complaints and Redress |7 | | | | | | | | | 1. Introduction 1. This scheme is one component of the Care Council for Wales’ (Care Council) wider Equality and Diversity Strategy and should be read in conjunction with that Strategy. 1.2 Our Equality and Diversity Strategy outlines our intentions to mainstream equalities into all of our service and policy development, implementation, and review processes. It also provides the framework for achieving this through clear aims and objectives, specific equality schemes and a detailed action plan. 2. The Equality and Diversity Strategy states our vision and commitment across all equalities areas and encompasses the following equality schemes and policy statements: • Race Equality Scheme; • Welsh Language Scheme; • Disability Equality Scheme; • Gender Equality Scheme; • Positive about age policy statement; • Sexual orientation policy statement; • Religion or belief policy statement. This Strategy also supports the delivery of our: • Corporate Plan; and • Operational Plan. An overarching action plan has been developed to support the implementation of our Strategy across all equality areas. The priorities and action from each scheme and policy statement is incorporated into one action plan. 1.5 This scheme outlines the specific details of our Gender Equality Scheme. 2. Equality and Diversity Strategy Aims and Objectives 2.1 Our Equality and Diversity Strategy is built on four main aims. We recognise that these are long term aims, which may take many years to achieve in their entirety. The detailed objectives supporting these aims will be achieved within the next 3 years and are supported through a detailed Action Plan, which will be reviewed annually. 2.2 Aim 1 We are an accessible organisation and our services, functions and policies promote equality and diversity. Objectives: • Establish a clear monitoring framework to monitor diversity across the organisation; • Undertake impact assessments across the range of our policies and services. Adapt services and polices to eliminate negative impact and promote positive impact; • Improve the accessibility of our information; • Engage staff, stakeholders, citizens and partners in setting targets for improvements; • Report back to staff, stakeholders, citizens and partners on our progress. 2.3 Aim 2 Our staff has the skills, confidence and commitment to support and promote diversity and equality through their work and delivery of our services. Objectives: • Develop and deliver a programme of equality and diversity training to all Care Council staff; • Develop and deliver a programme of implementation training for all managers and lead officers; • Ensure that all staff are aware of the resources available to support access. 2.4 Aim 3 Our staff reflects the diverse mix of the population in Wales. Objectives: • Undertake staff diversity profile on an annual basis; • Based on the staff profile, trial approaches to recruit under represented groups. 2.5 Aim 4 Use our voice and influence to help deliver the Assembly’s vision of public services being citizen focused, responsive to community needs and driven by a commitment to equality and social justice. Objectives: • Promote these messages through our communications and work with the social care sector; • Embed these equality and social justice messages within the standards we set. (For example through our Code of Practice, Social Work Training Regulation and National Occupational Standards Development); • These aims and objectives will be delivered through a detailed 3 year action plan linked to each equality scheme. The action plan will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis. 3. Background to the Gender Equality Duty 2005 3.1 The Gender Equality Duty requires all public bodies to: • Eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment, and; • Promote equality of opportunity between men and women 3.2 The General Duty came into effect on 6 April 2007 and applies to every public body in Wales. The Duty covers all the functions carried out by organisations including policy making, service design and delivery as well as employment matters. 3.3 Definition of Discrimination • Direct Discrimination – Is where a woman (or man) is treated less favourably than a person of the opposite sex in comparable circumstances is, or would be, because of her (or his) sex. Types of discrimination include sexual harassment and treating a woman adversely because she is pregnant. • Indirect Discrimination – occurs where a requirement or condition is applied to both women and men, but the proportion of women who can comply with it is considerably smaller than the proportion of men who can comply with it, and it is not justifiable, irrespective of sex, to apply that requirement or condition, and it is to the woman’s detriment because she cannot comply with it. For example, an unnecessary requirement to be under 5’10” would discriminate against men or refusal to allow flexible working might be unlawful indirect discrimination against women. • Harassment – is unwanted conduct that violates people’s dignity or creates an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. The Employment Equality (Sex Discrimination) Regulations (2005) amended the Sex Discrimination Act to explicitly prohibit harassment and sexual harassment. • Victimisation – is treating someone less favourably because that person made a previous complaint on grounds of gender, marital status or if that person supported someone else who has or acted as the victim’s witness 3.4 To assist public bodies meet their legal obligations there is a set of Specific Duties that came into force in England in April. However, the details of the Duties for Wales and Scotland have yet to be finalised. 3.5 The Welsh Assembly Government (Assembly) will be drafting the Specific Duties for Wales once a ‘Transfer of Functions Order’ has been made. Therefore, the implementations date for the Specific Duties for Wales is unlikely to be before April 2008. 3.6 However, as the General Duty does apply from April 2007 in Wales, the Equal Opportunities Commission is recommending that all public bodies publish a Gender Equality Scheme. 3.7 The Equal Opportunities Commission Code of Practice on the Duty states that public bodies need to prioritise action to address the most significant gender inequalities within their organisation. Gender Equality Statement of Purpose 4.1 Statement of Purpose 4.1.1 Social justice and equality of opportunity are central to our vision, values and purpose. It is also central to the Assembly’s vision of ‘citizen centred’ public services. 4.1.2 We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity for women and men, eliminating discrimination and helping to create an inclusive society where diversity is valued and celebrated. 4.1.3 Our Gender Equality Scheme (Scheme) addresses the role the Care Council has in promoting gender equality through its direct services and functions and also the influence and impact the Care Council can have on promoting gender equality in the wider social care sector. 4.1.4 We have statutory responsibilities for raising the standards and conduct of social care workers through registration, the Codes of Practice and conduct arrangements. We work with partners to advise the Assembly on policy direction and development in social care. We are responsible for developing the social care workforce in Wales through regulating social work training, capacity planning, and the development of National Occupational Standards for social care workers. Through our role as a regulatory body we are committed to making sure that our practice in these areas promotes gender equality and plays an influential role in the wider social care sector. This will help to ensure that the voices of women and men are heard and fully included in their communities and through the workforce of the sector. 4.1.5 Our Scheme aims to ensure that gender equality is integrated and embedded across all of our areas of work. Our aim is that our organisation, departments, team and individuals consider and remove barriers for women and men and promote gender equality during their day –to- day work. Our intention is that the Scheme will influence the practice and culture of our organisation and wider community in a way that has a positive impact on women and men’s opportunities and their interaction with the Care Council, as staff, partners, customers and stakeholders. 4.1.6 We are committed to ensuring that our services, policies, practices and procedures promote equality. Through the impact assessment process, this Scheme provides the framework for identifying and eliminating potential barriers and ensuring equality of opportunity for women and men. 4.1.7 In our role as an employer we are committed to achieving a diverse workforce with increased numbers and opportunities for women and men at all levels of the organisation. 4.1.8 This Scheme is a living document and the supporting action plan aims to bring about real change. 4. Meeting the General and Specific Duties 5.1 Although there will be a delay in the actual detail of the Specific Duties for Wales (see Section 3), there are a number of associated activities that we are required to continue with: • Produce and publish an equality scheme identifying our gender equality goals and actions to meet them, in consultation with staff and stakeholders; • Monitor and review progress; • Review the Scheme every three years; • Develop, publish and regularly review an equal pay policy, including measures to address promotion, development and occupational segregation; • Publish the results of assessments, consultations and monitoring; • Ensure that the public has access to information and services; and • Providing training to all our staff as part of an equalities training programme. 5. How will the scheme be implemented' 6.1 The scheme will be implemented through the Equality and Diversity Strategy Action Plan, which links to the main aims and objectives. 6.2 Each year we will analyse the monitoring data and qualitative information available and measure ourselves against the objectives and targets set in the action plan. We will publish our progress against this and other equality issues as part of our Annual Report. We will seek to involve a balance of men and women in advising us through the implementation, monitoring and evaluation processes. 6.3 Impact assessment 6.3.1 Central to the Gender Equality Scheme is the introduction of Impact Assessments to assess the impact (positive and negative) on men and women of the Care Council’s work functions, policies and practices. 6.3.2 If an initial impact assessment of a policy or work area concludes that there could be a high negative impact on either men or women, the Directors within each department will be responsible for reviewing the policy or work area or instigating a comprehensive impact assessment which is likely to involve further investigation, research, data collection and involvement of men and women, to decide the appropriate corrective actions to lessen the impact. The Care Council will publish the findings of comprehensive impact assessments and actions taken as a result of them. 6.4 Accountability and Mainstreaming 6.4.1 It is the responsibility of each Director to ensure that each department undertakes the general and specific duty indicated in the Gender Equality Duty 2005. They will be responsible for ensuring that relevant Impact Assessments are undertaken and that they undertake the work assigned within the action plan. 6.4.2 The leadership for this scheme will come from the Directors and Chief Executive who make up the Management Team. The Care Council’s Equalities Group, led by the Director of Corporate Services will oversee the implementation of this scheme and present feedback to staff, managers and the board of members. A balance of men and women will be invited to review our progress and a full progress report will be published on our website at the three year review point. 6.5 Resources 6.5.1 It is anticipated that through the mainstreaming process, the implementation of this scheme will be largely absorbed into the existing practice and staffing structures. Training resources will be identified within the corporate training programme to deliver the training element of the scheme. It is anticipated that further resources may be needed at various points in the year to support the scheme’s implementation for example the data collation and analysis. These areas will be raised through the Equalities Group and resource recommendations made to the Management Team as appropriate. 6.6 Monitoring and review 6.6.1 We will standardise our equality monitoring forms across the organisation, and continue to use equality monitoring forms in our dealings with stakeholders in order to monitor the levels of involvement by men and women. 6.6.2 Through undertaking a staff annual equalities profile survey we will establish a starting point to enable us to measure year on year progress in increasing the balance in numbers between male and female staff. 6.6.3 Monitoring statistics will be used to review the effectiveness of the action plan in achieving its objectives and to help inform the preparation of future plans. Each department will collate and analyse monitoring statistics. The equalities group will then take an organisational overview, judge the progress against targets and make recommendations to the Management Team if problem areas are identified. 6.7 Action Plan and Targets 6.7.1 An action plan with targets and performance indicators supports the implementation of the whole Equality and Diversity Strategy and is included as an appendix. The action plan will be reviewed and updated on an annual basis. 6. Complaints and Redress 7.1 We have an external Complaints Policy that should be followed if stakeholders or citizens have a complaint to make about the Care Council. Complaints or concerns about equality issues should be addressed through this complaints policy. 7.2 Internally, staff who have complaints or concerns about an equality or discrimination issue should, in the first instance, raise this with their line manager. If this is not appropriate, or if this route has already been explored, a staff member should follow the grievance procedures outlined in the Care Council’s Grievance Policy. If members of staff were to be accused of discriminatory or harassing behaviour, the Care Council’s Disciplinary Policy would be followed which could lead to dismissal. 7.3 If you have any comments on this document, require any further information or have difficulty accessing this document, please contact This document is available in a range of formats and languages upon request.