North West Gateway Projects
The Equality and Diversity Gateway
The Gateway will provide a co-ordination point, networking opportunities and a range of support including:
- An interactive and informative regional website.
- Support for existing and developing sub-regional equality networks.
- Sharing good practice, and the development of good practice case studies and podcasts on key issues.
- Sub-regional workshops to support authorities reaching Level 3 of the Standard and a starter pack for authorities currently below Level 3.
- Workshops for Elected Members to support equality leads and equality champions.
- Scoping and developing peer support mechanisms.
- Providing advice on Local Area Agreement (LAA) development and disaggregating equality data.
- Working with authorities to develop a regional and sub-regional strategy and local indicators.
Peer Support
To spread good practice, and to facilitate critical and constructive challenge for authorities, we have established a North West Equality Support Pool. Equality practitioners can register to provide support to other authorities and/or receive support from peers in other authorities on issues of challenge and concern. For more details and/or to register, click on the forms below.
Peer Support
Peer Support Pool Application Details
Women in Governance
A new report called ‘Women in Governance: listening to the voices of female Councillors and learning from their journeys’ has been released as a result of research carried out by the GAP Unit and funded by North West Together We Can, the regional empowerment unit. The report is intended to lead to reflection and action within local authorities and other areas of governance, resulting in a more balanced representation of women at all levels of decision-making. To view this report, click here.
Women remain greatly underrepresented at most levels of government and decision-making in the United Kingdom. At present, only 31 per cent of local Councillors are women. In their opinion, governance cannot be effective unless women, who make up half of the population, are able to participate equally in the decisions that affect their lives. The aim of the research, which involved 62 female Councillors from across the North West, was to identify the factors that deter women from participating on a more equal basis in local government, as well as to explore what motivates them to become and stay involved.
If you would like further information, click below.
The Gap Unit
North West Together We Can
Disaggregating Data Report
This is a research report produced by the North West Improvement and Efficiency Partnership (NWIEP) and North West Employers. The research was conducted on our behalf by the University of Manchester Institute of Political and Economic Governance. It looks at how three local authorities - Cumbria County Council, Sefton MBC and Stockport MBC - are using equality data and evidence to understand customer needs and make improvements to services.
The Equality and Diversity Gateway will continue to work with the three local authorities' pilot group to monitor progress and disseminate good practice across the North West region, and report back to authorities and partners. Click here to view the full report.
Disaggregrating Local Equality Data
Click here for more information.
Focus Groups and Targeted Sub-Regional Support
We recently held focus groups across the five sub regions and also a focus group for Elected Members, to help determine sub-regional and regional needs so that we can tailor our support and assistance.
We will be working over the coming few months with the Merseyside Equality Officer Forum to assist with the development of their sub-regional equality and diversity action plan. Cumbria County and District Councils are to develop a work programme to move towards a joint assessment against the equality standard in 2010.
Participants at the focus groups were asked to consider:
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How best to shape the new Gateway offerings, and make it relevant.
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The needs of each sub region, and how the Gateway could best offer support to local authorities and their stakeholders.
Click here for a copy of the focus group's summary document.
Equality and Diversity in Lancashire
In Lancashire recently, it was decided to undertake a scoping exercise to identify current challenges in the sub region and some initial examples of how different authorities have addressed these. Click here to view the report that summarises the results of this research.