Key information
Executive summary
This MD seeks approval for delivery of the Equality and Fairness team’s annual work programme for 2018-19, with associated expenditure.
It should be read alongside MD 2296 – Economic Fairness programme.
Note further decision forms, at Assistant Director level, will be brought forward to approve detailed expenditure proposals for certain elements of the work programme (as indicated in the table at 2.2).
Decision
Part 1: Non-confidential facts and advice
1.1 Despite London’s prosperity, many Londoners experience a range of long-standing inequalities and discrimination, and too many Londoners live in poverty.
1.2 The Equality and Fairness Team (within the Communities and Social Policy Unit) delivers interventions to address some of the causes and effects of poverty and unfairness, and helps the GLA to mainstream equality by supporting other teams to identify equality issues in their work, develop and deliver objectives to tackle these, and monitor impact (thereby meeting its statutory equality obligations). The team is also leading aspects of the Mayor’s Economic Fairness work, in particular initiatives aimed at the city’s most vulnerable. Further detail on the Mayor’s Economic Fairness programme can be found in MD 2296 – Economic Fairness programme.
1.3 This MD approves the expenditure of up to £420,000 of the total £490,000 budget to deliver the equality and fairness programmes in 2018-19. The remaining £70,000 has been approved by previous decisions (indicated in paragraph 2.2. below)
1.4 This MD builds on the following previous decisions (as indicated in paragraph 2.2 below):
• ADD 2198 – Child poverty and schools
• ADD 2212 – Understanding non-continuation and degree transfer of undergraduates in London
• MD 2212 – Publication of Inclusive London: the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
• MD 2254 – A world-leading social evidence base
• MD 2296 – Economic Fairness programme
The programmes approved by this MD will contribute to delivering the Equality and Fairness team’s 2018-19 objectives, which are:
- To deliver pilot initiatives that help us identify better ways to address the causes and effects of poverty in London;
- To co-ordinate, support or deliver a range of initiatives that will increase economic fairness in London, with a specific focus on support for low-income Londoners;
- To launch and implement the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy; and
- To establish a new equality, diversity and inclusion advisory group to lead stakeholder engagement and establish partnership working on these issues.
2.2 Specifically, these objectives will be met via the following projects and programmes:
3.1 This MD allows the Equality and Fairness team in the Communities & Social Policy Unit to implement a number of pieces of work to directly implement the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, including the publication of the Mayor’s Annual Equality Report and engagement with external stakeholders through the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion advisory group.
3.2 This MD will also allow the Equality and Fairness team to deliver a number of policy interventions that would deliver against objective 13 in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion strategy, relating to poverty and child poverty.
Child poverty and schools
3.3 Delivery of this intervention will respond to evidence of the scale and nature of child poverty in London, specifically that child poverty is increasingly characterised by ‘in work’ poverty and by families living in private rented accommodation. We also know that some BAME groups, migrants and families with non-working mothers are at greater risk of living in poverty.
Welfare reform
3.4 Delivery of interventions on welfare reform will respond to evidence of the groups we know to have been affected by welfare reform, particularly women and children from BAME groups, and disabled people. In addition, the cumulative impact assessment will give us more information on how specific groups have been affected.
Food poverty
3.5 Again, research into household food insecurity will yield better information on which groups are at greatest risk of being in, or falling into food poverty. We know that asylum seekers and undocumented children can be at particular risk of food poverty as a result of being ineligible for free school meals.
Employment rights
3.6 Those vulnerable to exploitation in the workplace will be largely – but not exclusively – workers in low-paid or insecure employment or self-employment. Research has indicated that workers in the following sectors are particularly at risk of experiencing breaches of their rights, such as the non-payment of wages:
• Creative, arts and entertainment activities
• Food and beverage service activities
• Other personal service activities
• Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities
• Libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities
• Other professional, scientific and technical activities
• Education
• Advertising and market research
• Repair of computers and personal and household goods
• Security and investigation activities
3.7 London’s high levels of employment in the service sector (where levels of unionisation are lower) and higher proportion of migrant workers mean that the capital’s workers potentially face specific barriers to understanding (and therefore enforcing) their employment rights.
Income maximisation
3.8 A benefits check service will potentially be of benefit to a wide range of low-income workers, and will vary according to the referral route. For example, households most likely to be fuel poor are families with children (particularly single-parent families), disabled Londoners and people from BAME groups. Older people and certain BAME groups are at particular risk of ill-health as a result of being unable to heat their homes.
Higher education
3.8 Previously published research has already established that there’s a link between a higher education institution’s proportion of black or low socio-economic status students and its non-continuation rate. The research we are commissioning will explore this link in greater depth and will include specific qualitative research with black students who have dropped out of higher education.
Major risks and issues
Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities
4.1 As well as supporting the implementation of the Mayor’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, a number of programmes approved by this MD would contribute to other mayoral priorities, including the programme of work around economic fairness and the Mayor’s Social Integration Strategy. Further detail of the former can be found in MD 2296.
4.2 Initiatives around poverty and inequality are also cross-referenced in the following strategies and documents:
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- Health Inequalities Strategy
- Economic Development Strategy
5.1 Expenditure of up to £420,000 is being sought for the Authority’s Annual Equality and Fairness Workplan.
5.2 The expenditure will be funded from the 2018-19 Social Mobility Budget within the Communities and Social Policy unit.
6.1 The foregoing sections of this report indicate that:
• The decisions requested of the mayor (in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code) concern the exercise of the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory 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, social development or the promotion of the improvement of the environment in Greater London; and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought officers have complied with the Authority’s related statutory duties to:
a) pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
b) 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
c) consult with appropriate bodies.
6.2 In taking the decisions requested, the mayor 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 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 and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic 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.
6.3 Officers have indicated in paragraph 2 that a significant proportion of the proposed expenditure in relation to the equality and fairness programme will amount to the provision of grant funding. Officers must ensure that:
• The funding is distributed fairly, transparently, in accordance with the GLA’s equalities and in manner which affords value for money in accordance with the Contracts and Funding Code; and
• Appropriate funding agreements are put in place between and executed by the GLA and the recipient of the funding before any commitment to fund is made.
6.4 All other services or supplies required must be procured by Transport for London Procurement (who will determine the detail of the procurement strategy to be adopted) in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code. Officers must liaise with Transport for London Procurement in this regard and ensure that appropriate contracts are put in place between and executed by the GLA and the successful bidders before the commencement of any such services or provision of supplies.
Signed decision document
MD2314 Equality and fairness workplan 2018-19