Minutes: August 2007

1.

Present: PG, MC-W, RC-W, JW, NB, RH, CR, KW, SN, HT, Councillors P Sharp, D Dart, R Bluh, Nick Stephenson, Kati Wood and Kathleen Daley - SBC

Apologies: Robin Stannard, SH

Paul welcomed everyone and introductions were made around the table.

2.

Sheila Roberts - Community Strategy

Nick gave Sheila Roberts' apologies as she was on leave and unable to attend. He would tell the Coalition about the Strategy.

The Community Strategy would last about 20 years and was about where Swindon wanted to be in 2030 and what the Council aimed to do in and around Swindon. The important thing was that the new document was put together and approved by the Community. There was a significant consultation period and road shows were being held around Swindon and there would be as many community workshop meetings as possible.

We do have a Community Strategy and a lot of the targets within it have been met but there have also been some very significant changes and we need to have a sustainable Community Strategy.

The Swindon Strategic Partnership started the process last November and since then over 300 residents have worked together to produce the draft document. The consultation was launched in June and Nick was here to ask the Coalition to participate in that. The document was not very heavy, it contained the views and opinions from people in Swindon. It was very important that Coalition members completed the consultation and returned it to the addresses listed. Copies of the Strategy were available to take away.

3.

Nick Stephenson - Diversity Impact Assessments

Nick said this was not an issue for consultation; he just wanted to advise the Coalition of the change in processes that could have a significant effect on the work of the Council.

The Council had had a duty to check that none of their policies or services had an adverse impact on people of ethnic origin. This had now been changed to include disability and gender and the Council had made the formal decision to also include the other 3 equality strands.

Nick said Diversity Impact Assessments were about trying to make sure equalities and diversity were considered in the Council's policies. In practice when a significant decision about policy changes was being made we should ask if it was relevant to any particular groups and if 'yes' we had to do an impact assessment. This Coalition was likely to be involved if there was a significant issue around services and whether LGBT people were able to access them. Coalitions can also start asking if there has been an Impact Assessment done and if so can they see it.

Nick said he was concerned that the Coalitions might start getting too many requests from Officers and said they should suggest they might be better going to a particular group or organisation etc.

4.

Minutes of last meeting: Agreed as a true record.

5.

Matters Arising:

5.1

Children Services Action Plan - Paul said the information that was going to be provided to Rita had not been sent and he apologised on behalf of Pride Youth Management Committee. It had been done and would be sent this week.

5.2

Issue Sheet - Representation of LGBT Community on the Children and Young People's Partnership Board - reply circulated.

Paul said the response was that no one represented us and he proposed we should think about how best we could be represented on the Board and have as an agenda item at the next meeting.

6.

EAF Meeting Feedback and Issues to be raised at EAF Interim Meeting:

Paul advised that the EAF was now going to become a public meeting and the Terms of Reference were being reviewed.

Nick said they were instigating a review of the Coalitions and the relationship between the Coalitions and the Council. Did we need to make changes to structures or just need to be aware of what we expected from each other? Members could feedback through Helen or Paul any issues they would like to be included in the review.

The commitment was to go to September EAF with a proposal about a possible way forward. Chris Sivers, Director of Community was the Lead Director and she had asked Nick and Paula Harrison to start to bring people together to look at the issues.

Cllr Bluh said we were moving forward but had to move forward faster if Promise 6 was to be achieved. He said he intended to deliver on that promise so it was important we made sure these issues were dealt with. He said he was quite positive but there was a lot more to do.

Paul said he had raised an issue about the ethnicity and gender of School Governors and someone from Governor Support would speak at a future meeting.

7.

LGBT Youth Welfare - Feedback from Pride Youth

Paul said no one from Pride Youth was available tonight but he did get an apology.

Helen attended a meeting on 21 June talking about the launch of Transgender Group South West in November. Date had not yet been confirmed. Next meeting was on 29th of this month.

8.

Terms of Reference - agreed

9.

PRIDE update:

• Pride Festival will be held on 16 August 2008 from 12noon - 10.30pm.
• At end of this month will be holding Pride Idol contest, winner will be first act on stage at the Festival, win a cash prize and cut a disc.
• Lot of things for children during the day then after the Parade until 10.30pm it will be mainly stage based entertainment.
• Phil Woodward and Robin Stannard dealing with security and site meeting being held on Friday.
• Once Logo and letterheads are printed can start selling plots to bring in money.
• Kati is in charge of fundraising. Steve Bryce is Chair of Sub Group.

10.

Hate Crime Report -

Mark raised an issue of incidents not being referred to them so they were unable to put support mechanisms in place and confirm the right guidelines were being followed. Also unable to make them aware what GLO role was.

Gay Men's Health was now Wiltshire & Swindon Gay Men's Health Service. They would be offering a wider range of services and were due to be launched at the end of September. They would have more funding and additional staff.

Paul asked Mark to take to GPI and feed back to the Coalition.

11.

Any Other Business

Copies of the consultation document from Central Government about Single Equality Bill - 'A Framework for Fairness' were available. Nick said it was important for the Coalition to be involved in the consultation process.

Paul said this document was published in June 2007 and if the Coalition had received a copy of the document earlier a joint response to the Consultation could have been discussed at this meeting.

12.

Dates of future meetings:

Mon 22 Oct, Council Chamber: 7-9pm
Wed 12 Dec, CR2: 6-8pm
 
2008
Wed 13 Feb, CR2: 6-8pm
Wed 9 Apr CR2: 6-8pm