APPENDIX B

LIST OF ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS WHO MADE COMMENT ON THE DRAFT EQUALITY SCHEME

Age Sector Reference Group

Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union

Banbridge District Council

Barnardos

Children’s Law Centre

Committee on the Administration of Justice

Community Relations Council

Council for Catholic Maintained Schools

Craigavon Borough Council

Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure

Department of Education

Disability Action

Equality Commission

Equality Forum NI

Gaeloiliuint

Include Youth

INTO

Lesbian Line

NAHT

NASUWT

Newry & Mourne District Council

NIPPA

Northern Ireland Assembly - Education Committee Chairman

Northern Ireland Association of Youth Service Officers

Northern Ireland Council for Ethnic Minorities

Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education

Northern Ireland Women’s European Platform

NSPCC

Probation Board for Northern Ireland

Putting Children First

Save the Children

SDLP

Southern Travellers Early Years Partnership

UNISON

West Belfast Economic Forum

Women’s Aid Federation

Women’s Forum (re Transfer Procedure)

Women’s Resource & Development Agency

Youth Council for Northern Ireland

Youthnet

Comment: In the Foreword the phrase "appropriate resources" should be replaced by " necessary resources"

Response: The Scheme has been amended accordingly.

Comment: Commitment of resources should be explained in greater detail

Response: Details of resources required are not fully known at this time. The Scheme does indicate some of the specific resources that will be necessary e.g. the Equal Opportunities Promotional Unit.

Comment: Para.1.1.1 Request that mention be made of Irish medium education in this paragraph

Response: The Board has varying responsibilities to grant-aided schools depending on their employing authority which includes those Irish medium schools that are grant-aided. All such schools are included within this paragraph.

Comment: Paras. 1.3 & 1.4 – Request for additional categories to be included to those already listed

Response: The Scheme has listed all categories required under Section 75 of the Act.

Comment: The Board should make a commitment to the distinct needs of children and persons with learning difficulties

Response: Children and persons with learning difficulties are included in the 9 categories of Para. 1.3 of the Scheme. Specific attention has been paid to them by identifying them as risk areas (Para. 5.2 amended ) and there is a commitment given to assess the arrangements of providing information for them in Para.5.3.

Comment: Para. 1.5.2 – Procurement and employment should be included as functional areas

Response: The Scheme states in Para. 1.5.3 that procurement and recruitment of staff are included within the concept of "functions".

Comment: The provisions of the Fair Employment and Treatment Order 1998 should be included in the Scheme.

Response: Whereas the Board would seek to abide by all legal obligations in relation to employment it does not agree that it is appropriate to include the provisions of this Order in the Scheme.

Comment: Appendix A – Requests for additional organisations and groups to be added

Response: The names of all additional organisations and groups will be added to Appendix A.

Comment: Paras. 3.2 & 3.3 – Request that the phrase "as far as practical" be removed

Response: This phase has been removed from both paragraphs in the Scheme.

Comment: Paras. 3.4 & 3.5 – Request for more detail on the structure of the Unit and its relationship to the rest of the Board.

Response: There is a commitment in the Scheme to the development of a Unit and this is being progressed but the detail requested is not yet available.

Comment: There should be a commitment to ensuring that internal arrangements are adequate to meet the duty

Response: The details described in paras. 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, and 3.5 should ensure this throughout the organisation.

Comment: Para.3.6 – Screening should apply to all existing policies

Response: The Board is committed to screening all existing policies as expressed in Para. 7.3 of the Scheme.

Comment: Para. 3.9 – Request that quarterly progress reports be made public

Response: The reports will be presented to a Board meeting and thereafter will be in the public domain. The Scheme has been amended to include the phrase " such documents then become a matter of public record."

Comment: Para.3.11 – Request that outline sanctions to be applied to staff who fail to meet the obligations of equality duty be stated in the Scheme.

Response: Staff are bound by code of conduct and, where necessary, the disciplinary procedure can be invoked.

Comment: Para.3.11 – Request that teaching staff and governors receive training in equality matters.

Response: The Board understands that schools are not, as yet, listed within the terms of the Act. Should this situation change a review will be undertaken in relation to the training needs of staff and governors.

Comment: Para. 4.5 – Request that any reduction in time-scale of consultation process be reported as part of the monitoring process.

Response: The Scheme has been amended to include this comment.

Comment: Para. 4.5 – Concern expressed that organisations may not be given time to consult amongst themselves.

Response: The Scheme has been amended to take into account this concern.

Comment: Para. 4.6 – Criticism that the Scheme does not adequately demonstrate a commitment to consult with children and young people and that methods of consultation listed are not appropriate to all young people.

Response: Para.4.9 has been added to take into account the Youth Council for Northern Ireland’s guidance on consulting with young people, when it becomes available, making use of schools, the youth service, and projects engaging young people being educated other than at school.

Comment: Para. 4.7 - Request that accessibility of venue be included.

Response: The Scheme has amended (b) to include accessibility

Comment: Request that assurance will be given that consultation will be meaningful.

Response: The Scheme commits the Board to meaningful consultation as stated in Para. 4.8

Comment: Concern that persons not fluent in English will not be able to be part of the consultation process.

Response: The Scheme has been amended by the addition of para.4.10 which embraces this concern.

Comment: Requests for information should not be restricted to those in writing.

Response: The Scheme has been amended by adding Para.4.10 where requests are not restricted to those in writing.

Comment: Para. 5.2 – Request that children and young people should be included as a risk area.

Response: The Scheme has been amended to include this additional risk area.

Comment: Para. 5.3 - Information should be made available in languages other than English.

Response: A commitment has been made to research the matter in the context of para. 5.2 and 5.3

Comment: Lack of information on how communication and provision of information will be carried out with people with learning difficulties

Response: The Board has made a commitment to address these problems in Para. 5.3 of the Scheme

Comment: Para. 5.6 – does not indicate that all staff will be provided with a copy of the Scheme.

Response: This matter is addressed in para. 8.8 of the Scheme.

Comment: Commitment to identify gaps in data to be better informed about particular groups.

Response: This is covered by the use of the sources listed in Para. 6.5.

Comment: Para. 6.6 – request that no charge be made for Board documents.

Response: The Scheme has been amended so that references to any charges have been deleted.

Comment: Para. 7.1 – Concern expressed about "ownership" of policies coming from another public authority.

Response: The Scheme has been amended to acknowledge that policies which entail overlap with another public body should be dealt with through a partnership arrangement.

Comment: Policies to be addressed should include informal ones.

Response: Para. 7.1 of the Scheme includes these policies

Comment: Para. 7.3 – Consultation should be part of the screening process

Response: The Scheme has included consultation as described in para. 7.6 when organisations will have an opportunity to make comment on the screening of policies.

Comment: Policies have not been screened

Response: A commitment is made in Para. 7.3 of the Scheme to the screening of all existing policies.

Comment: Para. 7.4 – Concern at how ‘significant risk’ will be assessed.

Response: This will require consideration on an individual basis. It is not possible to be more specific within the terms of the Scheme.

Comment: Para.7.4 – There should be a systemmatic review of all existing policies

Response: The Scheme states that this will take place.

Comment: Para. 7.6 – Request that children and young people be included in the consultation process.

Response: see ISSUE 14

Comment: Para. 7.6 – Suggestion made that the Board should consult with representative groups on the best way to consult with their clientele.

Response: The Scheme has been amended at para. 4.5 to take this suggestion into account.

Comment: Para. 7.9.1 – "the process may include" should be made more definite

Response: This suggestion has been considered and the Scheme amended at para. 7.9.1.

Comment: Para. 7.13.3 – Criticism that this para. was unduly negative

Response: The suggestion has been considered but it is felt that the Scheme already contains positive references to its commitment.

Comment: Para. 7.17.1 – Alternative methods of dissemination should be considered including suitable ways of communicating with children and young people.

Response: This suggestion has already been addressed by the amendment to paragraph 5.2 (see also paragraph 5.3)

Comment: Para. 8.3 - Training should include staff and governors in schools.

Response: See ISSUE 11.

Comment: The Board should undertake the training of all staff.

Response: The Board has made this commitment in para. 8.6.4 of the Scheme.

Comment: Suggestion that staff involved on consultation exercises should be trained in appropriate methods.

Response: This aspect of training is included in paras. 8.6.3 and 8.7.4. of the Scheme.

Comment: Para. 9.2 – The Board should not be restricting itself to dealing only with written complaints.

Response: References to written complaints in the Scheme have been deleted.

Comment: Para. 9.2 – Concern that persons who find it difficult to converse in English will not have an opportunity to voice complaints

Response: The matter will be considered through para. 5.3.

Comment : There should be a named person responsible for dealing with complaints.

Response: The Scheme has been amended in Para. 9.2 to include this concern.