Strategic Equality Plan - swfrs

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
Strategic
Equality Plan
2011 - 2015
RAISING AWARENESS - REDUCING RISK

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Equality Statement
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) aims to mainstream equality
and diversity in everything that it does, celebrate the diversity of its staff and
develop and deliver citizen centered services to the people of South Wales. The
Service will promote equality of opportunity, take steps to prevent unlawful
discrimination, promote good relations between people and will endeavor to take
an integral role in facilitating social justice and regeneration in Wales.
Huw Jakeway Sally Chapman Anthony Ernest
Acting Acting Chairman
Chief Fire Officer Deputy Chief Officer Fire Authority
Corporate Service
We are proud of our equality objectives. They are informed by community and
staff engagement and an analysis of our employment and service delivery data
as well as impact assessments. Approximately 1000 people were involved in
developing these priorities which means we have a lot of people working
towards making them a reality.
To see how we are working to making equalities real in the Fire Service, please
look at our Risk Reduction Plan, Improvement Plan, and Corporate Objectives
which can be found on our website: southwales-fire.gov.uk
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Contents
Page
1. Who we are 3
2. Good news and current practice 5
3. The Equality Act 2010 and Specific Equality Duties
for Wales
4. Regulation 3: Equality objectives
7
8
Regulation 4: Preparation and review of
equality objectives
Regulation 13: Review of arrangements
Regulation 14: Annual reporting on
compliance with the general duty
5. Regulation 5: Engagement provisions
9
Regulation 7: Arrangements for collection of
information about compliance with the
general duty
6. Regulation 6: Accessibility of published
information
7. Regulation 8: Impact and monitoring of
policies and practices
8. Regulation 9 and 10: Collection and reporting
of employment information and training
10
11
11
Regulation 11and 12: Pay and Action Plans
9. Regulation 18: Public Procurement 13
10. Regulation 14 and 15: The Strategic Equality
Action Plan 2011-2015
14
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
1. Who we are
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (SWFRS) covers 10 Unitary Authorities. It
is one of the largest fire and rescue service areas within the UK and is made up
of rural, coastal and urban areas. In 2010/2011 approximately 47,000
emergency calls were received, resulting in approximately 23,200 incidents
attended, this is an increase of over 3,000 calls and 600 incidents attended on
the previous year. Emergency calls are managed by the Service in our Fire
Control based in Pontyclun. We currently employ approximately 2000 staff,
which is made up of fire fighters, control operators and support staff. We have
50 fire stations and deploy 64 front line fire engines and a range of specialist
vehicles to a wide range of emergency incidents.
The management of South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is split into five
Directorates. The Improvement Plan available at www.southwales-fire.gov.uk
sets out the most up to date organisational structure.
Area: Nearly 1,159 square miles
Population: 1.4 million
Dwellings: 620,000
Non-Domestic Properties: 42,000
(Approximate figures)
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Our Core Values are:
Service to the Communities
We value service to the community by:
People
• Working with all groups to reduce risk
• Treating everyone fairly and with respect
• Being answerable to those we serve
• Striving for excellence in everything we do
We value all our employees by practicing and promoting:
Diversity
• Fairness and respect
• Recognition of merit
• Honesty, integrity and mutual trust
• Personal development
• Co-operative and inclusive working
We value diversity in the service and the community by:
• Treating everyone fairly and with respect
• Providing varying solutions for different needs and expectations
• Promoting equal opportunities in employment and progression within the
service
• Challenging prejudice and discrimination
Improvement
We value improvement at all levels of the service by:
• Accepting responsibility for our performance
• Being open-minded
• Considering criticism thoughtfully
• Learning from our experiences
• Consulting others
The Service involves the communities of South Wales, its staff and trade unions
in the development and delivery of services and employment practices. This
informs the decisions that the Service makes enabling it to deliver a citizen
centred service.
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
2. Good news and current practice
Progress towards our equality objectives will be reported in the Annual
Improvement Plan. Staff are also encouraged to share their ‘good news’ stories
on the intranet. Whilst this plan is forwarding looking it is important we recognise
the good work that has already been achieved. Looking back some of our
equality and diversity achievements are:
The Equality Risk Assessment (ERA) process informed the specifications
of special appliances (fire engines) so all staff can access ladders and
equipment.
An ERA informed the specifications for the new HQ in Forest View
Business Park, this included accessible premises and parking, audio
loops in main meeting areas, accessible signage, catering that
accommodates individual dietary requirements and open plan areas to
foster a culture of inter department working, as well as improved
communications.
Engagement with the Sikh community informed knowledge and
understanding of cultural issues when redesigning breathing apparatus
equipment.
Profile data of business owners that came into contact with legislative fire
safety highlighted that Chinese business owners were the highest ethnic
minority at risk of fire on their premises. As a result, an outreach worker
was engaged to assist in relations with the Chinese Community.
A staff survey identified that:
o The majority of staff would recommend SWFRS as an employer
o Staff workloads mostly allowed a good work/life balance
o Staff felt encouraged to carry out tasks to develop their potential
o Staff felt information was readily available to them and was
regularly passed on
o Staff understood the FRS core values
o Female (0.02%) applications for employment are very similar to
males (0.03%) compared to 2001 Census numbers
o Successful recruitment of males and females to support staff roles
are very similar at around 5.5% of total applicants
o Staff generally agreed with the statement ‘I feel valued as an
integral asset to the organization’
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
99% of LGB people surveyed at the Mardi Gras reported they had smoke
detectors and were aware of the risks of fire
The majority of Black Asian and Ethnic Minority people spoken to had
smoke detectors
Community Safety work has targeted communities most at risk using a
range of tools including a computer software package MOSAIC. . At risk
groups include older and disabled people. Staff are trained and equipped
to provide tailored specialist advice and information.
There has been very little recruitment activity but positive action initiatives
are being developed in readiness for future recruitment drives. A number
of work experience placements have benefitted from time at HQ including
a number of women from Women Connect First.
Fleet and engineering are engaging in positive action work in the
recruitment of their apprentices. Working with the Black Voluntary Sector
Network Wales 10 young people, 5 boys and 5 girls will be offered the
opportunity for work experience in SWFRS workshops.
The procurement process has been reengineered and equality and
diversity mainstreamed through it. Evidence proportional to the size of the
contract is required from suppliers to ensure they are working towards the
general equality duty. In order to widen access to contracts, tenders have
been advertised via the Welsh Council for Voluntary Action.
We supported internationally celebrated days in partnership with Cardiff
Council, Cardiff University, Black Voluntary Sector Network, Race
Equality First, LGBT Excellence Centre and Stonewall Cymru.
We introduced the People Ambassador pilot and ran Practical Equalities
awareness raising sessions.
The Equality Task Group was established in 2009 to assist with the
development of this plan. The group will continue to meet and evolve by
holding meetings on stations, involving station staff, inviting speakers as
well as overseeing the progress of this Strategic Equality Plan.
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
3. The Equality Act 2010
In February 2005, the United Kingdom Government set up the Discrimination
Law Review, to look at inconsistencies in the discrimination law framework and
to consider how best to achieve clearer and more streamlined equality
legislation, that results in better outcomes for those who experience
disadvantage.
The resulting Equality Bill received Royal Assent in April 2010. The Equality Act
2010 came into effect the1st October 2010 and repealed all the primary
discrimination legislation (including the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, the Race
Relations Act 1976, the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and the Regulations
concerning protection from discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation,
religion or belief and age) as well as many secondary pieces of legislation,
bringing equality laws under one Act.
Key areas
The new Act:
Provides powers to extend age discrimination protection outside the
workplace
Clarifies protection against discrimination by association, for example in
relation to a mother who cares for her disabled child
Extends protection from discrimination on the grounds of gender
reassignment to school pupils
Extends discrimination protection in the terms of membership and
benefits for private clubs and associations
Creates a unified public sector duty, intended to promote equality in
public policy and decision-making, existing provisions being extended to
the protected characteristics of sexual orientation, age and religion or
belief, and proposes a new public sector duty related to socioeconomic
inequalities
Provides for legislation requiring that employers review gender pay
differences within their organisations and publish the results
Provides for changes to the way that individual claims are enforced, and
gives employment tribunals wider powers to make recommendations for
the collective benefit of employees
Allows a UK Minister of the Crown to amend UK equality legislation to
comply with European law without the need for primary legislation
The Act also provides definitions for: direct discrimination, discrimination arising
from disability, discrimination by perception, discrimination by association,
indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimisation.
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
There are now nine “protected characteristics” (they used to be referred to as
equality strands), namely: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and
civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and
sexual orientation.
The Equality Act and specific equality duties for Wales ensures that public
bodies, including Fire and Rescue Services, will have a duty to promote equality
on eight of these grounds (not marriage or civil partnership).
The Act introduces a new general public sector equality duty that came into
force in April 2011. This means that the public sector, including Fire and Rescue
Services must:
Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct
that is prohibited under the Act;
Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant
protected characteristic 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
The Welsh Government has set out specific equality duties for the public
sector in Wales. The regulations are set out below and are based on our needs
as a Country. The specific equality duties should help us meet the general duty.
The following section sets out an overview of the regulations, what we have
done so far to meet those requirements as well as our intentions set out in the
Action Plan at the end of this document.
4. Regulation 3: Equality objectives.
Regulation 4: Preparation and review of equality objectives.
Regulation 13: Review of arrangements
Regulation 14: Annual reporting on compliance with the general
duty
We are required to publish this Equality Statement and a Strategic Equality Plan
by 2 April 2012 and review it within 4 years. The objectives within this Plan are
evidence based and informed by engagement and consultation with staff and
communities (targeting people who represent and or share the 9 equality
protected characteristics).
The objectives will be kept under review to ensure relevance and
appropriateness and progress against the objectives will be reported annually
via the Improvement Plan.
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
What we did and will do..
Our equality objectives support our overarching improvement objectives and
take into consideration the fairness objectives set out in the Local Government
(Wales) Measure 2009.
The Strategic Equality Plan is performance managed via directorate and
departmental business plans and progress reported in the Annual Improvement
Plan. The Plan will be kept under review, but will receive a full review in 2014
and relevant equality objectives published by 2015.
Our Improvement Objectives are:
●
●
●
●
●
Our Communities
Our People
Our Resources
Our Organisation
Sustainability
5. Regulation 5: Engagement provisions
Regulation 7: Arrangements for collection of information about
compliance with the general duty
The involvement of, and consultation with people affected by the decisions taken
by public authorities as they exercise their public functions is a fundamental
principle within the specific duties. The development of our equality objectives
and Plan as well as the assessment of the impact of any proposed policies,
projects, decisions or initiatives depend on effective engagement, involvement
and consultation.
What we did…
● We established a middle manager Equality Task Group which
commissioned and carried out equality research through 2010 and early 2011
which informed our equality objectives and Strategic Equality Plan.
● In partnership with Cardiff and Vale Coalition of Disabled People (CVCDP)
and Cardiff Council we coordinated two Disabled and Older People
Involvement Days in Merthyr and Cardiff attracting over 200 people.
● In partnership with the Black Voluntary Sector Network Wales (BVSNW),
Communities First Pill and Grangetown and Race Equality First we coordinated
two Black, Asian and Ethic Minority fun days in Newport and Cardiff also
attracting over 200 people.
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
● We coordinated interactive sessions between SWFRS managers and a
group of critical friends from Stonewall Cymru, BVSNW, CVCDP, Novas
Scarman, AWETU Mental Health Charity, Age Cymru and independent equality
practitioners to discuss and debate directorate and departments 3 year
business goals and objectives. Effectively carrying out equality impact
assessments of work plans.
● Surveys were carried out at the Wales Mardi Gras 2009 and 2010
● Glamorgan University were commissioned to carry out independent staff
interviews which informed a staff survey in 2010.
● Employee data relating to recruitment, promotion and annual appraisal
were analysed by the statistics department.
● Service delivery data relating to fires, special call incidents, legislative fire
safety were analysed by the statistics department. Road traffic collisions are
analysed by the Police.
ETG members were trained in Action Learning Set facilitation to work with
small groups of managers, staff and critical friends to identify equality and
diversity priorities from the data and information gathered and analysed.
6. Regulation 6: Accessibility of published information
One of the main barriers to effective engagement and service delivery is the
lack of accessible information. The duties require public authorities to take all
reasonable steps to ensure that information that an authority is required by the
regulations to publish, is accessible by persons who share one or more of the
protected characteristics. In doing so, the transparency of the work and
services provided by the public sector will be improved.
What we did……
By involving the community and staff in the development of our equality
objectives we developed relationships with people and encouraged them to
make SWFRS accountable for implementing its equality objectives directing
them to our website for information www.southwales-fire.gov.uk
The Strategic Equality Plan, Annual Improvement Plan, the People Plan, the
Medium Term Financial Plan and Equality Impact Assessments are accessible
via SWFRS website. The website is bilingual, font size can be increased, and
audio information is available as well as BSL videos. We promote the
availability of our information in any format or language required and to contact
the business support unit for this service.
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
The Welsh Assembly Government publishes employee data
http://www.statswales.wales.gov.uk/ReportFolders/reportFolders.aspx and service delivery
data http://wales.gov.uk/topics/statistics/theme/communitysafety/fire/?lang=en
7. Regulation 8: Impact and monitoring of policies and practices
Public authorities are required to assess the impact of its decisions as well as
proposed policies and practices that have an impact on its performance of the
general public sector equality duty.
Public authorities are required to carry out equality risk assessments (ERA) and
publish a report setting out the purpose of the policy or practice being
assessed, a summary of the steps taken to assess the likely impact of the
policies and practices of the public authority being assessed, a summary of the
evidence (e.g. in the form of statistical data and research findings) considered
as part of the assessment process, the results of the assessment; and, any
decisions taken following the assessment.
What we did and what we intend to do……
We introduced the ERA process in 2005 and EIA training has continued and
evolved. In 2005 all policies and procedures received retrospective ERAs. The
ERA process is integral to all new policy and project development.
Two ERA audits have been carried out. An audit carried out in 2009 provided
specific and detailed feedback as well as suggestions for further areas for
research and development.
The Diversity Unit receives all Senior Management Team agendas and minutes
and are encouraged to comment or flag up any issues. The Unit is also part of
the internal consultation process for any new policy, project or initiative.
Completed ERAs are available on the intranet and SWFRS website.
A Wales wide project funded by the Welsh Assembly Government will introduce
one ERA process and training for the 3 FRS in Wales. Approximately 300 staff
will access the training between 2011 and 2013, including Fire Authority
Members. The aim is to nurture an ERA mindset accompanied by a focused
audit trail and process.
8. Regulation 9 and 10: Collection and reporting of employment
information and training
Regulation 11 and 12: Equal pay and Action Plans
An authority must, in each year, collect and publish the following information by
protected characteristic and those who share the protected characteristic
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
including male and female. An authority must publish a plan to address any pay
differences.
the number of persons employed by the authority at the relevant date in
that year;
the number of persons employed by the authority at that date broken
down by
(i) Job;
(ii) Grade but only where an authority operates a grade system in
respect of its employees;
(iii) Pay;
(iv) Contract type (including, but not limited to permanent and fixed-term
contracts); and
(v) Working pattern (including, but not limited to full-time, part-time and
other flexible working arrangements).
An authority is required to promote knowledge and understanding of the
general duties and duties in the regulations amongst employees and use
the personal development process to identify and address the training
needs of staff in relation to these duties. For example setting individual
equality and diversity objectives.
What we did and what we intend to do…
Data has been collated and analysed in these areas for some years, and has
been used to inform the Strategic Equality Plan 2011- 2015. Debate ensues
relating to personal data for sexual orientation. The employee data as well as
issues identified as part of an Equal Pay Review will be published as part of the
People Plan, the Annual Improvement Plan as well as Welsh Assembly
Government reporting via Human Resources Forms available on their website.
The ACO of People Services carried out a comprehensive review of pay as well
as terms and conditions and no adverse differences have been identified as
there are 4 separate conditions of service operating within the Service.
Research findings and an action plan to address any differences in pay will be
reported to the Fire Authority and published on the website.
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
9. Regulation 18: Public procurement
Where an authority wishes to procure goods and services and assess the
performance of a relevant agreement it must have due regard to whether the
award criteria or conditions should include considerations relevant to its
performance of the general duty.
What we did…
The procurement process has developed. Prequalifying questionnaires require
suppliers to provide evidence of equality and diversity practice. The
requirements are proportional to the size of the contract. By widening access to
contracts such as advertising tenders through the Welsh Council for Voluntary
Action and Sell to Wales we are encouraging sustainable local communities
and organisations.
The specific public sector equality duties may only be enforced by the Equality
and Human Rights Commission.
The following section sets out how we will progress our equality and diversity
objectives.
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Regulation 14 and 15:
Strategic Equality Action Plan
2011- 201
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Our Communities
Outcome 1: Risk reduction information and delivery is accessible to all communities and
tailored to their needs
Protected characteristic
Evidence Action
Older and Disabled
Peoples Involvement
Days Cardiff and
Merthyr 2010
BAEM Fun Days
Cardiff and Newport
2010
Identify and tailor key community safety messages to
the community prioritising those most at risk. Specific
consideration to older people and vulnerable adults,
young people and early years, victims of hate crime,
victims of domestic violence and the lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender community.
Lead
ACFO Ops
AM Risk
Reduction
Priority
Resources
And
Timeframe
October 2012
April 2013
October 2013
April 2014
Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Pregnancy & Maternity
Race
Religion / Belief
Sex
Sexual Orientation
Mardi Gras Survey
2009/2010
Critical Friends
Sessions 2010
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
ALS Our Community
Older and Disabled
Peoples Involvement
Days Cardiff and
Merthyr 2010
Critical Friends
Sessions 2010
Continue to monitor the profile of business owners in
relation to legislative fire safety tailoring information
and advice.
GM Fire Safety October 2012
April 2013
October 2013
April 2014
ALS Our Community
Critical Friends
Sessions 2010
Identified during
service delivery data
analysis
Equality and Diversity will be integral to Station Local
Risk Profiling (LRP) work in order to insure all risks to
all communities are understood and that our services
are accessible to everyone.
Local Risk Profiling will be reviewed annually.
ACFO Ops
AM Risk
Reduction & AM
Operations
October 2012
The Diversity Unit will be included in the development
of the LRP framework.
Outcome 2: Tailored, coordinated and sustainable community engagement activity fosters mutual trust and
understanding which informs improvements in service delivery
Critical Friends
Session 2010
Older and Disabled
Peoples Involvement
Days Cardiff and
Review SWFRS attendance at community meetings
such as PACTS and assess if attendance could offer
development opportunities for station and junior staff
ACFO Ops
AM Operations
October 2012
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Merthyr 2010
BAEM Fun Days
Cardiff and Newport
2010
Mardi Gras Survey
2009/2010
ALS Our Community
ALS Sustainability
Older and Disabled
Peoples Involvement
Days Cardiff and
Merthyr 2010
BAEM Fun Days
Cardiff and Newport
2010
Community safety will facilitate 10 workshops at
stations engaging frontline staff in the development of
creative ideas for engaging the community and
tailoring key safety information. Good practice will be
shared across the Service.
Director
Risk Reduction
AM Risk
Reduction & AM
Operations
X2 Jan 2013
X 2 Jan 2014
Mardi Gras Survey
2009/2010
Critical Friends
Sessions 2010
ALS Our Community
Older and Disabled
Peoples Involvement
Days Cardiff and
Merthyr 2010
BAEM Fun Days
Cardiff and Newport
2010
Community Safety Engagement Officer to maintain
relationships with equality organisations.
Director
Risk Reduction
AM Risk
Reduction & AM
Operations
April
2012
February
2013
February
2014
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
ALS Our Community
Older and Disabled
Peoples Involvement
Days Cardiff and
Merthyr 2010
BAEM Fun Days
Cardiff and Newport
2010
Carry out an audit of all community stations to identify
meeting spaces available, accessible parking, public
transport, accessibility; and promote via community
media and SWFRS website.
ACFO Ops
AM Operations
1 st September
2012
Critical Friends
Sessions 2010
ALS Our Community
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Our People
Outcome 3: Staff feel valued and have equal access to development opportunities
Protected characteristic
Evidence Action Lead
Staff Survey 2010
ALS Our People
Legislation
Staff Survey 2010
Critical Friends Sessions
2010
ALS Our Organisation
Staff Survey 2010
ALS Our People
Legislation
19
Promote knowledge and understanding of the
general duties and duties in the regulations
amongst employees.
Via personal development review process,
identify potential leadership skills and foster
them to include exposure to equality and
diversity unit and key equality issues for example
secondment opportunities to the diversity unit,
community engagement activity etc.
Use the personal development process to
identify and set individual equality and diversity
objectives.
ACO People
Services
Head of Training
and All
Managers
Diversity Unit
ACO People
Services
Priority
Resources
And
Timeframe
ongoing
October 2012
October 2012
Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Pregnancy & Maternity
Race
Religion / Belief
Sex
Sexual Orientation

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
ALS Our People
Staff Survey 2010
Critical Friends Sessions
ALS Our People
Examine the processes and structures that
identify development needs
Publicise staff career and progression stories in
Spark magazine
Widen access to the assessment and
development centre for all staff with a focus on
the development aspect for support staff,
enabling them to identify their potential.
Head of Training October 2012
October 2013
SMT to
From April
encourage all
staff
ACO People
Services
Head of HR
2012
Ongoing
Outcome 4: Open, honest and multi directional communication fosters trust, builds relationships and informs
improvements for our staff. This includes transparency and equality relating to pay
Staff Survey 2010
Critical Friends Sessions
ALS Our People
Equality Act 2010 Specific
duties for Wales
ALS Our People
ALS Our People
20
Establish an infrastructure for staff development
via mentoring and secondment opportunities
accessible to all staff – explore via PDR
Relevant equality training activity will be
attended by both operational and support staff in
order to share knowledge and understanding of
the wider FRS.
Publish an action plan setting out what data has
been analysed in order to identify, explain and
address any pay differences.
Staff reviews will inform the positioning of
operational posts in appropriate departments
and assess operational necessity for those
Head of HR October 2012
Head of Training From April
2011
ACO People
Services
ACO People
Services
November
2013
From April
2011

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
posts.
(Head of HR) &
ACFO Ops
ALS Our Organisation Publish results of any staff survey on the intranet ACO People
Services and
Diversity Unit
Staff Survey 2010
ALS Our People
Explore further opportunities for work experience
placements and apprenticeship schemes
Head of HR April 2012
Outcome 5: Staff conflict is resolved quickly
From April
2011
Staff Survey 2010
Critical Friends Sessions
Review conflict policy and procedures to ensure
simplicity, flexibility and consistency.
Head of HR
From April
2012
ALS Our People
Introduce conflict management awareness
sessions for staff
Head of Training
Outcome 6: Opportunities for flexible working enable staff to balance their life and their work
Critical Friends Session
2010
Staff Survey 2010
Raise awareness to Managers about Flexible
Working policies, and encourage them to
evidence work/life balance culture in their teams
ACO People
Services
October 2012
ALS Our People
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Our Organisation
Outcome 7: Leaders are confident in promoting key equality messages both internally and
externally
Protected characteristic
Evidence Action Lead
All ALS
All managers report progress against the
Equality Plan in their returns for the Annual
Improvement Plan.
ACFO
ADCO Corporate
Services
ACFO Ops
ACO People
Services
Priority
Resources
And
Timeframe
July 2012
Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Pregnancy & Maternity
Race
Religion / Belief
Sex
Sexual Orientation
Outcome 8: The practical benefits of carrying out an Equality Risk Assessment are understood by all staff and they are
carried out at the beginning of any activity, decision, and project or policy development.
Critical Friends Session
2010
Equality Act 2010
Work collaboratively across Wales to introduce
one new ERA process and roll out respective
training
CFOA Equality
Group &
People and
From
November
2011
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
EIA Audit 2010
ALS Our Resources
Organisational
Development
Group
CFOs
Outcome 9: Transparent reporting of equality and diversity successes and challenges
Critical Friends Session
2010
All departments include their equality and
diversity objectives in directorate and
departmental business plans. Report progress
as part of the Improvement Planning process.
All Departments Ongoing
Outcome 10: An Authority that seeks out improvements and is willing to reengineer existing and traditional ways of
working to embrace the opportunities of the current economic climate
Critical Friends Sessions
2010
ALS Our Organisation
ALS Our Community
ALS Our Organisation
ALS Our Community
Explore the benefits of modular initial fire fighter
training and combine training and development
activity across Wales
ERAs will be carried out in conjunction with the
diversity unit when reviewing organisational
practice.
Equality and diversity will feature on meeting
agendas.
Head of Training March 2013
Head of Special
Projects
From April
2011
All Managers From April
2011
Outcome 11: Equality data is collated, analysed and used to inform improvements
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Equality Act 2010
legislation
Map and publish employment and service
delivery data, by protected characteristic and
use to indentify gaps
Review and update equality objectives regularly
and at least every 4 years. Publish amendments
or new objectives as a Strategic Equality Plan or
as part of the Improvement Plan
ADCO Corporate
Services
HR Officer
GM Fire Safety
April 2012
April 2014.
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Our Resources
Outcome 12: We use public money in a fair and equitable way, sustaining local communities
and organisations by widening access to contracts by promoting opportunities to SMEs, local
business and the third sector
Protected characteristic
Evidence Action Lead Resources
And
Timeframe
ALS Our Resources
ALS Our Resources
ALS Our Resources
Investigate the development of a procurement
process that improves applications by SMEs.
Make recommendations of improvements to the
Fire Authority to agree changes to the
procurement process.
Invite new suppliers with the same values as
SWFRS, to bid for work.
ADCO Corporate
Services
ADCO Corporate
Services
ADCO Corporate
Services
June 2012
Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Pregnancy & Maternity
Race
Religion / Belief
Sex
Sexual Orientation
December
2012
February
2013
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Sustainability
Outcome 13: Internal and external communications promote key equality and diversity
messages and recognise the diverse communication requirements of staff and the community.
Protected characteristic
Evidence Action Lead Resources
And
Timeframe
Staff Survey 2010
Critical Friends
ALS Our People
ALS Sustainability
ALS Our Community
ALS Sustainability
ALS Sustainability
Equality Task Group
SMT
Adopt and implement an inclusive
Communications Strategy that is informed by an
equality risk assessment and consultation with
staff and stakeholders
Review website, identifying improvements and
responsibilities
Continue work of the Equality Task Group
establishing its terms of reference and
membership
Communications
Manager
June 2012
Head of ICT March 2012
Diversity Officer From April
Age
Disability
Gender reassignment
Pregnancy & Maternity
Race
Religion / Belief
Sex
Sexual Orientation
2011
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
Outcome 14: Achievements and successes are celebrated and promoted internally, locally and nationally.
ALS Sustainability
Staff Survey
Promote in-house equality and diversity good
practice
Equality Task
Group
From
September
2012
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South Wales Fire and Rescue Service Strategic Equality Plan
For further information, to respond with comments, or to obtain a copy in an alternative format, contact:
The Diversity Unit
South Wales Fire and Rescue Service
Forest View Business Park
Llantrisant
CF72 8LX
Telephone: 01443 232000
Text Phone: 01443 232200
Fax: 01443 232180
Email: diversity@southwales-fire.gov.uk
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