Issue - meetings

(a)       That the actions being taken to eliminate discrimination and promote

equality for disabled people be noted; and

(b)       That the Committee receive the Strategic Equality Plan annual report 2020/21 prior to approval by Cabinet.

The Strategic Policy Advisorintroduced the report which provided an overview of disability discrimination.  She outlined the activity underway to promote equality for disabled people regarding the following issues which had been previously raised by the Committee:-

·         Reassurance that no discrimination takes place for housing, job and education aspects of life, both for seen and unseen disabilities;

·         Reluctance to help older disabled people;

·         Transport;

·         Disabled Facilities Grants.

The Chair confirmed that the comments made by the Strategic Policy Advisor about the closure of the Queensferry surgery would be included in the letter to Betsi Cadwaladr.

Councillor Mackie stated this report and the report commencement of the social economic duty both make it clear that, when making strategic decisions, public bodies when must have due regard for the impact they may have on people with protective characteristics which he felt they would do any way.

Councillor Wisinger added that with disability in mind when developers were building new big developments then they should put forward new Doctors Surgeries at the planning stage to accommodate the extra people as many surgeries were outdated and at capacity.  Councillor Mackie agreed and said that he raised it at a CHC meeting that he attended and advised the Committee that there would be a consultation with all patients for them to put their comments forward.

Councillor Marion Bateman shared with the Committee that when a new development was being built in Sychdyn, it was requested that four affordable houses were bungalows due to the lack of new housing for disabled people.  These were gifted by the Developer.  She also suggested that, when able to, the Committee should walk around town centres to experience the everyday problems that a disabled person has to contend with.  The Chief Officer (Social Services) agreed that this was an excellent idea.

The Deputy Leader for Partnerships and Cabinet Member for Social Services advised the Committee that they had been pushing for this to be included in planning policy for future town regeneration programmes to have facilities for everyone with disabilities.

Councillor Healy stated that there was a percentage of people that do not declare that they are disabled because the pay was not equal.  In response, the Strategic Policy Advisorconfirmed that HR were working with employees to encourage them to fill in their equality monitoring data on iTrent which would enable them to complete Equal Pay audits.  The Chief Officer (Social Services) added that the Project Search Development was a small but important part of this to address access to work for people with disabilities and were currently looking for placements within the Council for Project Search Students.

The recommendations in the report were moved by Councillor Lowe and seconded by Councillor Davies.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the actions being taken to eliminate discrimination and promote

equality for disabled people be noted; and

(b)       That the Committee receive the Strategic Equality Plan annual report 2020/21 prior to approval by Cabinet.