Level three

Policy and planning

Prompts

• Are the results of consultations with employees and service users fed into reviews and target-setting exercises?
• Have (racial) equality targets that are specific, measurable, realistic and timetabled been defined and agreed?
• Are targets monitored and fed into the existing policy review mechanism?
• Do (racial) equality policy and monitoring systems include suppliers through the contracting procedure?
• Are management training programmes delivered to reinforce commitment to and effectiveness of the policy?
• Do (racial) equality policies make provision for the needs of (ethnic) minorities who may also experience multiple discrimination (for instance, on the grounds of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation etc)?
• What documented evidence is available to demonstrate the above?

Sources of evidence

• Minutes from management/ team/policy review meetings
• User/ staff consultation reports/ minuted discussions
• Action plans showing equality targets
• Information about policy requirements for external providers/ suppliers of services
• Monitoring systems showing data on external providers/ suppliers of services
• Management training programmes, reports and evaluations

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Service delivery and customer care

Prompts

• Is it standard departmental procedure to monitor (ethnic) take-up of all services?
• Is this data used to inform policy review and target setting?
• How does the department monitor the effectiveness of community consultation and its influence on service delivery?
• Is (ethnic) demographic data from the Census used to establish targets and plan services?
• What procedures are in place to review the implications for (ethnic) minority service users of any decisions to increase, decrease or reallocate funding?
• How does the department take account of the needs of (ethnic) minority users when planning new services?
• What procedures are in place to consult with the relevant community organisations about the suitability of service provision?
• Do staff job descriptions and contracts with external suppliers specify their obligation to deliver effective, appropriate services fairly and without unlawful discrimination?
• Has the authority/ department established and publicised its procedures for dealing with complaints of (racial) discrimination from members of the public?
• Do contracts with external supplies include standard conditions requiring compliance with the CRE’s Code of Practice in Employment and systematic checks on the (racial) equality component of service delivery?
• Is contract compliance guided by pre-contract evaluation?
• Is staff training in (racial) equality formally linked to performance appraisal?
• What documented evidence is available to demonstrate the above?

Sources of evidence

• Internal monitoring data and performance indicators showing an increasing percentage of (ethnic) minority take-up of core services
• Reports/minutes/evaluations/other documented feed back from consultations with service users
• Minutes from planning and target-setting meetings showing active use of (ethnic) Census data
• Minutes from service planning, review and target-setting meetings showing active use of feed back from service users and relevant community organisations
• Effective procedures for reviewing resource/ funding allocations
• Staff job descriptions
• Procedures for dealing with complaints of (racial) discrimination from members of the public
• Procedures for evaluating contract compliance by external suppliers
• Contracts with external suppliers and related documentation

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Community development

Prompts

• Have authority-wide standards been established for providers of translation and interpreting services?
• What mechanisms are in place to measure and review the quality of translation and interpreting services, community care provision and other services purchased from outside agencies?
• Does the authority provide information and training to (ethnic) minority community groups and voluntary organisations on the decision-making process and how to access it?
• What specific steps have been taken to ensure that (ethnic) minorities have full and equal access to the electoral register?
• Does the authority/ department publish its procedures for responding to (racial) harassment, and encourage victims to report incidents?
• What documented evidence is available to demonstrate the above?

Sources of evidence

• Standards, review procedures and other relevant documentation relating to the provision of translation and interpreting services
• Training programmes, reports and evaluations and other information targeted at (ethnic) minority community groups and voluntary organisations which promote access to decision-making and democratic structures
• Corporate/ departmental procedures for reporting and responding to (racial) harassment

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Employment (recruitment and selection)

Prompts

• Are (ethnic) data on applications and appointments by grade analysed and used when reviewing appointments and establishing targets?
• What positive action is taken to deal with the causes of disparate impact? (For example, are selection tests based on criteria that are empirically validated? Are all candidates properly prepared for tests, and offered guidance, training or practice materials, where appropriate?)
• What documented evidence is available to demonstrate the above?

Sources of evidence

• (Ethnic) data on job applications and appointments by grade
• Selection tests and assessment criteria
• Guidance given to candidates

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Employment (developing and retaining staff)

Prompts

• Has training been provided for managers on the detailed implications of the (racial) equality programme, including individual action plans and updates of legal and other developments?
• Is personal/ professional development training provided to meet the particular needs and enhance the skills of under-represented (ethnic) groups?
• Is (ethnic) data used to monitor the number of staff leaving the authority’s employment, and their reasons for leaving?
• What documented evidence is available to demonstrate the above?

Sources of evidence

• Management training data, programmes and evaluations
• Individual action plans
• Management appraisal reports and criteria
• Corporate/ departmental policies that address staff religious/ cultural needs
• (Ethnic) data on staff turnover

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Marketing and corporate image

Prompts

• Is the authority’s/ department’s successful (racial) equality work and policy implementation promoted in the media?
• Do chief officers ensure that the authority’s commitment to (racial) equality is reflected in internal and external communications?
• Is the (ethnic) minority media used as a matter of course to place advertisements and news items?
• Has the authority/ department sponsored or funded community events, which reflect its commitment to (racial) equality values?
• Does the authority/ department make full use of translation and interpreting services, where appropriate?
• Do public events organised by the authority/ department reflect and reinforce its commitment to (racial) equality?
• What documented evidence is available to demonstrate the above?

Sources of evidence

• Press releases and media reports
• Internal and external communications
• Data relating to the placing of advertisements and news items
• Literature in which translation and interpreting services are promoted
• Reports and other relevant documentation about public events

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