Equalities Impact Assessment - Sheltered Housing

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• Equalities Impact Assessment - Sheltered Housing

Is this a new function or a review of an existing function?

This is a review of an existing service to ensure that the service is equality compliant.

What are the aims/purpose of the function?

• To ensure that appropriate level of support is provided to maintain independence and to remain at home.
• To ensure that a tenant aged 55 and over who requires Sheltered Housing is assisted in obtaining relevant help when and if required.
• To ensure that specific referrals are made, where necessary, to community care services and other statutory or voluntary sectors.
• To liaise with other agencies when appropriate.

Is the function designed to meet specific needs such as the needs of minority ethnic groups, older people, disabled people etc?

Yes, the service is designed to meet the needs of people aged 55 and over that have been identified as having a housing need for which we can provide support.

What information has been gathered on this function? (Indicate the type of information gathered e.g. statistics, consultation, other monitoring information)? Attach a summary or refer to where the evidence can be found.

Sheltered Housing has a variety of forms in place to gather information.

• Records are kept as to who is assessed and who is accepted or refused Sheltered Housing.
• Allocations collect information as part of the application process.
• People approach Sheltered Housing to seek help with their housing needs.
• Senior Housing staff look at various statistics including BME Housing strategy and overcrowding strategy.

 

Does your analysis of the information show different outcomes for different groups (higher or lower uptake/failure to access/receive a poorer or inferior service)? If yes, indicate which groups and which aspects of the policy or function contribute to inequality?

At present housing services have a manual and electronic system for collation of data. We have increased the monitoring information to be collected to include all six equally target areas.

The service is aware that the service users are from the older community and this is due to the service being available to people over 55.

The service has a take up of older people and people with disabilities and or frail.

Are these differences justified (e.g. are there legislative or other constraints)? If they are, explain in what way.

The service is restricted by age otherwise there are no known reasons for any differences. As stated above the service is unable, at present, to definitely comment on any differences (see action plan).

What action needs to be taken as a result of this Equality Impact Assessment to address any detrimental impacts or meet previously unidentified need? Include here any reasonable adjustments for access by disabled people. Include dates by which action will be taken. Attach an action plan if necessary.

The Sheltered Housing’s information is, at the moment manual and not electronically available.

The department is looking to collate this information on a spreadsheet so that the information required is easily accessible.

We will be looking at implementing a more robust monitoring system in place and to initially collect all equality and relevant information on new service users and over 6 months work on the data of existing services to have better information to carry out the analysis to see if there are any differences in service take up.

We will work with Allocations and other service areas in housing to share relevant information to enable us to have a better understanding of the make up of our service users.

Whilst it is appreciated that there is a time limit to collate information, the department is still awaiting the relevant, agreed housing form to be distributed to enable the collation of information to start. This form has not been forthcoming to date but when distributed will be the form that the whole of the Housing Department will work from.

The manager will meet with the IT section to ensure all the information that needs to be collected and analysed is integrated into Sheltered Housing.

When will you evaluate the impact of action taken? Give review dates.

Initially at three monthly intervals

It is planned that equalities is to be included in all monthly team meetings.

Assessment completed by:

Name:          Joyce Smith          

Service:     Sheltered Housing

Date:          08 09 08