Race Equality Scheme 2005 - 2008

1. Foreword by the County Fire Officer and Chief Executive
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is committed to the principles and philosophy within the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and the requirement it places on us to promote race equality.

This is our second Race Equality Scheme and it sets out how we intend to develop and consolidate the good work currently being done in the Boroughs and across the Service to progress race equality both in terms of employment opportunities and the service we deliver to the diverse communities of Greater Manchester.

The Scheme provides a clear focus for race equality issues and is integral to our Equality and Diversity Strategy. All staff will be provided with training to assist them in implementing the Scheme and the objectives outlined in the Race Equality Scheme Action Plan.

We are committed to recognising and meeting the diverse needs of the diverse community we serve. This Scheme is intended to assist us to improve our performance year on year in terms of employment policies and practices and front line service delivery.

If you have any questions or require further information please do not hesitate to contact us at Fire Service Headquarters.

2. Contents

• Section 1 - Foreword
• Section 2  - Contents
• Section 3 - Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service –   About Us
• Section 4 - Introduction
• Section 5 - Meeting the Specific Duties
• Section 6 - Relevant Functions
• Section 7 - Race Equality Scheme Action Plan
• Section 8 - Impact Assessment Toolkit and Guidance

3. About Us
Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service is the second largest Fire and Rescue Service in England. We employ over two and a half thousand people including operational fire-fighters and control staff to provide fire and rescue services across the region which covers an area of 496 square miles and has a population of 2.5 million people.

We have 11 Borough Commands and are committed to improving the social, economic and environmental well being of the inhabitants of those Boroughs.

Since our last race Equality Scheme was published there have been other significant changes which have a bearing on the way the Service operates. The Fire and Rescue Services Act 2004 and the Fire and Rescue Service National framework puts the prevention of fires at the heart of what we do and focuses on working with other partners in the community to achieve this.

Our two primary aims are quite simple:

• We will work to identify and reduce the risk from fire which affects the people who live in, work or visit Greater Manchester.
• We will respond to fires and non-fire emergencies

4. Introduction

The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 placed a General Duty on all public authorities to promote race equality, to eliminate unlawful discrimination and to promote good race relations. In response to the specific duties placed on us by the RR(A)A we have developed our race equality scheme. This document is our second race equality scheme and will be implemented in accordance with the Race Equality Scheme Action Plan which is detailed in Section 7

What is the Race Equality Scheme

The race equality scheme is effectively our race equality strategy in the form of a realistic and timetabled action plan. It states how we plan to meet the specific duties including our arrangements for;

• Assessing
• Consulting
• Monitoring
• Training
• Publishing

Aims of the Race Equality Scheme

The race equality scheme will ensure that we develop robust strategies that recognise and respond to the differing needs of the diverse communities of Greater Manchester and our employees.

Using the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service Impact Assessment toolkit all policies and procedures will be assessed to identify any adverse impact on different racial groups. A copy of the toolkit can be found at Section 8

We intend to achieve the following outcomes through the race equality scheme:

• To provide leadership to positively and proactively address race equality issues. 
• To give priority to and allocate appropriate resources to delivering race equality objectives outlined in the action plan. 
• To develop outreach and positive action initiatives in support of making our workforce more representative of the community of Greater Manchester. 
• To provide appropriate training to all staff on the race equality scheme and race equality issues. 
• To develop employment policies that ensure a welcoming and inclusive working environment free from discrimination, harassment and bullying. 
• To ensure that complaints and issues are resolved as speedily and effectively as possible through the consistent application of the Bullying and Harassment Policy and Procedure. 
• To continue to provide diversity awareness training for all staff. 
• To develop and deliver cultural awareness training for all frontline staff. 
• To continue to participate in positive action and community engagement events. 
• To ensure that all sections of our diverse community have access to the full range of services and information we provide. 
• To enable service users and minority groups to participate in the decision making process through appropriate and relevant consultation. 

It is intended that the implementation of the race equality scheme will be mainstreamed throughout the organisation. Progress against the race equality scheme will be monitored through the Equality and Diversity Steering Group and Equality and Diversity Overview Group.

5. Meeting the Specific Duties

Assessing
Using the Impact Assessment Toolkit we will carry out an initial assessment of all existing and proposed policies and their relevance to race equality. Through the Equality and Diversity Steering Group we have identified relevant functions and each Borough / Department will carry out one full Impact Assessment per annum.

Consulting
It is important that we include everyone who is likely to be affected by our policies in the consultation process in line with the Impact Assessment Toolkit. We will use various methods to consult with people from different racial groups including:

• Focus groups
• Surveys
• In depth interviews
• Pilot schemes
• Reviewing Complaints
• Academic Publications
• User feedback

We will work with staff groups and the Representative Bodies as well as the external representatives on the Equality and Diversity Overview Group. We will also work with other external groups and organisations identified through our outreach initiatives and partnership working.

Monitoring

In accordance with the Impact Assessment Toolkit monitoring consists of continuous scrutinising, follow-up and evaluation of policies. All impact assessments will be monitored through the Equality and Diversity Steering Group. Monitoring is not an end in itself but provides the data for the next cycle of policy review.

Progress in equality and diversity is also planned and monitored through

• Best Value Performance Indicators

Our performance against key equality and diversity indicators in the Community Plan is monitored by the Corporate Support Section and published annually. The Brigade Management Team and the Authority receive regular reports on equality and diversity issues and progress.

• The Equality Standard for Local Government

We are working closely with DIALOG to progress through the levels of the Equality Standard. Progress against the Equality Standard is reported through the Equality and Diversity Steering Group and the Equality and Diversity Overview Group.

• The Corporate Equality Plan

The Equality and Diversity Steering Group has approved the Corporate Equality Plan. The Corporate Equality Plan has been developed to deliver the objectives of our Equality and Diversity Strategy.

• Employment Targets

We continue to work towards achieving the targets set by the Government in relation to the employment of black and minority ethnic staff. Our target is 7% of operational staff by 2009. Progress against the target is reported annually.

Training

Equality and Diversity Awareness training plays an important part in the implementation of our race equality scheme. Such training will equip staff with the knowledge they need to promote equality of opportunity and good race relations between colleagues and in meeting the diverse needs of the communities they work in.

The Brigade Management Team were provided with training in December 2005.

Equality and Diversity Awareness Training for Fire-fighters has been developed and delivery of the training started in January 2006. Training for middle managers both uniformed and non-uniformed will be designed and delivered by an external provider and is due to roll out with effect from June 2006. Awareness training for other non-uniformed staff and Control is currently being designed for roll out in 2007.

Training will also be provided to those managers carrying out Impact Assessments. The training is designed and delivered by an external provider and provides managers with the skills and knowledge required to undertake impact assessments in accordance with the Toolkit.

Monitoring and evaluation of the training will identify future training needs. The Equality and Diversity Steering Group will receive regular reports on training and training evaluation.

Publishing

The results of Impact Assessments will be published in line with the Impact Assessment Toolkit. We will ensure that our results are clear and understandable to the public and we will make the information available, on request, in other languages, Braille, large print and audio versions.

6. Our Relevant Functions

In line with the specific duty we have assessed and reviewed all our functions and their relevance to race equality. We will prioritise the following functions

Employment

Service Delivery

• Community Fire Safety (Prevention)
• Fire Safety Enforcement (Protection)
• Operations (Intervention)

Tendering and Contracting

7. Race Equality Scheme Action Plan

8. Impact Assessment Toolkit