How is Wirral Council improving and enhancing safeguarding for constituents with protected characteristics?
Dear Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council,
How is Wirral Council improving and enhancing safeguarding for constituents with protected characteristics?
What strategies and measures are being put in place to protect vulnerable people who have one or more protected characteristics under the Equality Act?
Yours faithfully,
Miss Vivienne Taylor
Dear Miss Taylor
Thank you for your recent enquiry in which you asked:
How is Wirral Council improving and enhancing safeguarding for
constituents with protected characteristics? What strategies and measures
are being put in place to protect vulnerable people who have one or more
protected characteristics under the Equality Act?
Wirral Borough Council has developed a number of policy and procedural
documents in relation to the care and support needs of adults in its
communities. Please find links to recorded information as follows:
[1]https://www.wirral.gov.uk/health-and-soc...
[2]https://www.wirral.gov.uk/health-and-soc...
[3]https://www.wirral.gov.uk/health-and-soc...
We trust that this information will assist you.
Yours sincerely
Lynette Paterson
Principal Information Management Officer
Wirral Council
PO Box 290
Brighton Street
Wallasey
CH27 9FQ
Email: [4][Wirral Borough Council request email]
Visit our website: [5]www.wirral.gov.uk
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References
Visible links
1. https://www.wirral.gov.uk/health-and-soc...
2. https://www.wirral.gov.uk/health-and-soc...
3. https://www.wirral.gov.uk/health-and-soc...
4. mailto:[Wirral Borough Council request email]
5. http://www.wirral.gov.uk/
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NJT Lauro left an annotation ()
Public Sector Equality Duty (April 2011)
In brief, this legislation provides guidance for public sector organisations to:
"integrate consideration of equality and good relations into the day-to-day business of public authorities"
In summary, it advises public sector organisations to:
*Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act.
*Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a 'protected characteristic' and those who do not.
*Foster good relations between people who share a 'protected characteristic' and those who do not.
*Remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by people due to their 'protected characteristics'.
*Take steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people.
*Encourage people from protected groups to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is disproportionately low.
What is a 'Protected Characteristic'?
Under the Equality Act 2010, a 'protected characteristic' is defined as:
*age
*disability
*gender reassignment
*marriage and civil partnership
*pregnancy and maternity
*race
*religion or belief
*sex
*sexual orientation
It is not unreasonable to assume a Local Authority will have internal grievance procedures in place to deal with discrimination against 'protected characteristics'. But the question here asks about "safeguarding for constituents". The argument therefore, may rest on the line between a Local Authority's duty of care to the public when delivering its services and where discrimination occurs outside of the Local Authority's remit.
The Public Sector Equality Duty part of the Equality Act 2010 is essentially, an addition to existing legislation which in itself, should be fit for purpose to protect people outside of the sphere of a Local Authority's duty of care. A Local Authority may indeed, have a cut-off point where the obligation for "safeguarding (for) constituents" moves under the protection of Civil Law. But let's see what WBC say...