County Council fails to meet Equality Standards

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 13th Aug 2008

Northamptonshire County Council's Cabinet will this week be discussing a report on the Council's Equality Standard which states that the Council does not currently meet the requirements of Level 1 of the new frameworks for Equality Standard of Local Government.

Describing the report as "devastating" Councillor Jane Hollis, Deputy Leader of the Lib Dem County Councillors says: "The Council was assessed in 2006 as achieving level 3 of the Equality Standard for Local Government. (ESLG). In November 2006 when the Council introduced its Corporate Equalities Scheme the Liberal Democrats warned the Cabinet that the scheme was inadequate. We have proved to be right."

The report states:

• "Since the achievement of level 3 there has been a lack of continuity in equality and diversity work and this meant that the council has been unable to sustain the level achieved." (3.7 page 12)

• "Whilst there are pockets of good practise within the authority, there are also areas for fundamental development and because of this if the council was reassessed it would not be able to demonstrate that this is still a level three authority." (3.7 page 12)

• "At present the Council does not currently meet the requirements for Level 1 of the new frameworks for ESLG" (3.8 page 13)

In October 2007 a new framework was introduced against which local authorities are now assessed. However the County failed to pick up on this, and failed to adopt an Equalities and Diversity Policy. It also failed to ensure that there was a dedicated Human Resources Equality and Diversity Officer.

Councillor Jane Hollis says: "The Council has continued to be badly managed by the Conservative Administration with a downward slide on services. From 3 stars to 1 star on Older Peoples Services, with the Audit Commission placing it in the bottom league of County Councils in England as a two star council, and now we see that we no longer qualify for even level one on equality standards. How much lower will this Conservative Administration take this council?"

END.