1. Objective

The Council Equalities Board shall be responsible for ensuring the strategic development, monitoring and review of mainstreamed equalities action planning within each service delivery and employment area of the Directorates to ensure compliance with equalities legislation and EU Directives related to equal rights.

2. Scope

The Equalities Board shall be responsible for the following areas of the Directorate’s activities:

a) Monitoring and reviewing service delivery and employment compliance with equalities legislation, such as the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, The Race Relations Act 1976, The Disability Discrimination Act 1995, the Human Rights Act 1998, The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and related codes of practice .

b) Monitoring and reviewing service delivery and employment compliance with EU Directives related to equal rights.

c) Ensuring that equality objectives are established, mainstreamed, monitored and reviewed for each service delivery and employment area of the Directorate.

d) Ensuring that contractors are monitored and reviewed by appropriate means for their compliance with equalities legislation and with EU Directives.

3. Membership

The Membership of the Council Equalities Board shall consist of:

a) Head of Service as Chair.

b) Chairs of Directorate Equality Boards

c) Staff representatives who reflect as far as possible the diversity of the local community.

d) Trades Union representatives.

e) Specialist Equalities Adviser.

f) Human Adviser.

g) Legal Adviser

4. Relationships

a) The Council Equalities Board shall inform the work of the Directorate’s Equalities Board.

b) The Equalities Board shall also inform the work of Council Equalities Board

c) The Directorate Equalities Board shall refer to the Council Equalities Board  quarterly reports on their Equalities Action Plan.

5. Board arrangements

The Council Equalities Board shall have a meeting of the full membership on a 6-weekly basis.

Each meeting shall have a structured agenda circulated in advance. The meetings shall be minuted and minutes circulated to all Board members, EDMT, all Unit services, and posted on the Directorate’s Intranet site within five working days of the meeting.

Each meeting shall include on its agenda the following as standing items:

a) Progress on Equalities Action Plan.

b) Budget issues.

c) Training issues.