DD2481 Social Integration short-term delivery of key programmes

This decision seeks approval for expenditure of £106,000 for the Social Integration Team to deliver key ongoing programmes of work relating to the Mayor’s Social Integration Strategy All of Us.

The Social Integration Team is reviewing its long-term programme in response to COVID-19. However, there are a number of ongoing programmes which need to continue in parallel which require expenditure. Approval is being sought through this director’s decision (DD) for the necessary expenditure for the delivery of this immediate, ongoing work.

The activity described in this decision will build on work carried out in 2019-20 and approved by the following related decisions: MD2461, ADD2388, ADD2399.

Summary of approvals sought

A breakdown of the expenditure proposed for approval is summarised below.

The Social Integration programme is adapting to the emergency response to COVID-19 and, where appropriate, work is being adapted accordingly for 2020/21. This section provides a breakdown of the above decision. This includes summaries of project deliverables and impact. For projects which involve grants and/or procurement, standard funding agreements or contracts and project management plans will be put in place with external partners/suppliers. As noted in Section 6, procurement of services and grant funding will be conducted in accordance with GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code.

English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Plus: This DD seeks approval for the expenditure of £35,000 for planned milestone payments as part of the ESOL Plus Arts programme (approved in MD2461 and ADD2388, which covered expenditure in 2019/20). Expected outcomes of this programme are:

• more providers considering social integration aims when assessing learner outcomes;
• robust evaluation findings used as evidence to inform the Adult Education Budget;
• more English language learners participating in creative, cultural or heritage-focussed activities;
• more provision in London to better meet the needs of excluded groups; and
• model for voluntary language teaching that is well evidenced.

London Voter Registration Week: This DD seeks approval for the expenditure of £10,000 for planned milestone payments to develop campaign assets for London Voter Registration Week 2020 (ADD2399 approved initial planning phase of work on LVRW 2020 but set out that further approvals would be needed for work in 2020/21). This payment covers the first 2020/21 milestone in June; further approval will be sought for the final milestone payments of £24,000 to deliver LVRW 2020 in the full Communities and Social Policy budget MD for 2020/21.

Workforce Integration Network: This DD seeks approval for the expenditure of £10,000 for the ongoing delivery of the Workforce Integration Network programme, including two employability pilots in the construction and digital/technology sectors. MD2461 provided approval for spend in 2019/20. This is seeking approval for the first milestone payment for the pilots in 2020/21.

Citizenship Ceremony: This DD seeks retrospective approval for the expenditure of £6,000 for committed payments from the annual Citizenship Ceremony that took place in February 2020, which was covered by MD2461. Due to administrative error, these costs were not met in the 2019/20 budget.

Translation of NHS guidance on COVID-19. In addition, the Social Integration team is seeking approval for the grant expenditure of £45,000 provided to support the translation of NHS guidance on COVID-19. Doctors of the World, a civil society organisation who operate medical clinics in London, have translated guidance into more than 50 languages, including audio and video resources, but have so far done so primarily through pro-bono support from a number of stretched frontline organisations. This £45,000 funding will support the capacity of Doctors of the World to maintain the accuracy of and sustain rapid translations of a summary of relevant NHS and Public Health England guidance on COVID-19, and to improve the reach of these resources and key messages on COVID-19 to London’s multilingual communities.

Under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, as a public authority, the GLA must have ‘due regard’ of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), that is the need to:

• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation;
• advance equality of opportunity; and
• foster good relations between people who have a protected characteristic and those who do not.

Equality is a key driver of the Social Integration team’s programme. The work within the programme is specifically targeted at advancing equality of opportunity and fostering good relations between people who have protected characteristics and those who do not. Consideration of the PSED will be taken into account in the awarding of contracts and grants through any tender process.

The programme of work for which this DD seeks approval is made up of a number of individual projects and workstreams that will themselves contribute to the fulfilment of the equality objectives set out in the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Inclusive London.

The Social Integration programme explicitly contributes to the Mayor’s equality objective to “work with others to address the inequalities and barriers that limit some Londoners’ ability to build strong relationships and be active citizens” (Objective 35).

The voter registration project has a focus on tackling inequalities and barriers to civic participation among groups of Londoners who are currently less likely to be engaged by identifying them as a key audience for the project. Many of these groups share protected characteristics and therefore reflects the requirements of the PSED regarding removing or minimising disadvantage and encouraging participation in public life.

The decision requested by this DD also builds on the initial work of the Workforce Integration Network to address underrepresentation in London’s workforce and will contribute to the Mayor’s equality objective to work with others so that “as many Londoners as possible can participate in, and benefit from employment opportunities in London” (Objective 19). This objective is underpinned by evidence of the wide range of groups – including disabled people, young black men, veterans, carers, care leavers, mothers, older Londoners and homeless people – that are under-represented in the workforce. The Workforce Integration Network is currently focused on supporting young black men.

a) key risks and issues

b) links to Mayoral strategies and priorities

The projects listed in this DD directly address objectives from the Mayor’s Strategy for Social Integration, All of Us, approved under MD2250, and launched by the Mayor in March 2018.

Work proposed within this Decision which relates to other areas of GLA work, including the Skills Strategy, Culture and Creative Industries, and Team London and Sports programmes, will be coordinated with the relevant officers from other GLA units.

There are no conflicts of interest to note for any of the officers involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision form.

Approval is sought for expenditure totalling £106,000. This expenditure is towards the following Social Integration programmes; English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Plus (£35,000), London voter registration week (£10,000), Workforce Integration Network (WIN) (£10,000), Citizen Ceremony (£6,000) and NHS Guidance translations (£45,000).

This expenditure will be contained and funded by the 2020/21 Social Integration Budget, within the Communities and Social Policy Unit.

The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions requested of the Director concern the GLA’s exercise of its general powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation in Greater London and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:

- pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people;

- consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom; and

- consult with appropriate bodies.

In taking the decisions requested, the Director must have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty; namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). To this end, the Mayor should have particular regard to section 3 (above) of this report.

Section 1 of this report indicates that the GLA intends to procure services. Section 9 of the GLA Contracts & Funding Code requires the GLA to engage with TfL Procurement, develop a procurement strategy with TfL Commercial (if valued over £100,000) and seek a call-off from a suitable framework where possible or, if not, undertake a formal tender process to procure such services in relation to all contracts for services with a value above £150,000 before the commencement of the services.

Section 1 of this report indicates that part of the sought budget will amount to the provision of grant funding and not payment for services. Officers must ensure that the funding is distributed fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equality policy, State Aid rules and in manner which affords value for money in accordance with the GLA Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must ensure that an appropriate funding agreement is put in place and executed by the GLA and the recipient before any commitment to funding is made.