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Equality Works London

Shepherdess Walk Buildings
2 Underwood Row
London N1 7LQ
Tel: 0207 251 4939

Equality Works Manchester

10th Floor, Bridgewater House
Whitworth Street
Manchester M1 6LT
Tel: 0161 200 8540

Equality Frameworks and Performance Assessment

 

We’ve been involved recently on a number of interesting projects relating to Equality Frameworks and approaches to measuring equality performance. As well as working with several agencies making the transition from the Equality Standards for Local Government to the new Equality Framework, we’ve also been working on building Equality and Diversity Standards to match specific sectors and agencies.
 
Most of our Local Authority readers will already be familiar with the Equality Framework for Local Government - and some of you may be familiar with the Diversity Works for London standards which are being promoted by the Mayor of London to engage the private sector more actively in delivering equality outcomes for Londoners.
 
We have been working with several local authorities and agencies - including Kent County Council and the Greater Manchester Employer Coalition, as well as some other large public sector agencies such as Transport for London - in a variety of ways to help them achieve improved performance against the Equality Framework.
 
Some of the challenges link to key framework requirements in relation to:
  • Moving from a more process oriented approach to focusing on delivering more equitable outcomes;
  • Engaging leadership teams and local members in the equality and diversity agenda;
  • Working with partner agencies in creating a common language, approach and performance measures in relation to equality outcomes; and…
  • Working effectively with data – identifying, collecting, analysing and sharing information that actually makes a difference.
 
As one client commented:
 
 “If we are spending thousands of pounds just to confirm what we already know, then there’s something missing in the process.”
 
Users of the framework are also reporting a really positive response to the new and expanded definition of equality as it is described in the framework.
 
 
“An equal society protects and promotes equal, real freedom and opportunity to live in the way people value and would choose, so that everyone can flourish.
 
An equal society recognises people’s different needs, situations and goals, and removes the barriers that limit what people can do and be.”
 
                                                      Originally set out in ‘The Equality Review’. 2007
 
For those agencies where there isn’t an existing standard, we have been involved in a number of projects recently with agencies developing their own frameworks for managing and measuring improvement and equality outcomes.
 

We were commissioned recently, for example, by The Financial Ombudsman Service who currently deliver a range of excellent initiatives to ensure their service is accessible to as broad a range of community members as possible. They are demonstrating real leadership in creating a set of equality standards to ensure they continually measure and improve their own performance.