Tameside Council Unveils New Equality Strategy

TAMESIDE Council has adopted a new equality strategy to reflect changes that have taken place since the last one was compiled (in collaboration with NHS Tameside and Glossop Clinical Commissioning Group) in the pre-pandemic times of 2018.

Approval, which was given by the authority’s executive cabinet on February 8, came after a period of consultation conducted through the partnership engagement network (PEN). Under the Equality Act 2010 the council is obliged to publish specific and measurable equality objectives at intervals of no more than four years.

The new strategy makes a commitment to more stringent monitoring of the council’s performance in relation to equalities than was previously the case. This includes its approach to equality impact assessments.

It features many examples of Tameside’s diversity, with a desire to do even more to celebrate that diversity, and to continue to gain national recognition as through the role model accreditation the council received from the All Equals Charter – Manchester Pride’s equality, diversity and inclusion programme.

High praise was offered for exceptional efforts to improve equality and inclusion and to support diversity.

It’s also proposed the strategy, which includes the findings of an independent assessment, forms the basis of an action plan enacted in partnership with the health and wellbeing board and the inequalities reference group.

Additionally, executive cabinet has accepted the annual report of the Tameside Inequalities Reference Group, which sets out the work done in fields such as community cohesion and digital inclusion, with young people and people with learning disabilities, to remove barriers to accessing information, and to help the lonely and isolated.

Cllr Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council’s executive member for education, achievement and equalities, said: “In developing the new equalities strategy we have reflected on a tumultuous few years where covid-19 made the inequalities in society much more apparent.

“Our intention is to go further in addressing barriers to accessing services than was previously the case, and meaningfully respond to the comments about accessibility we received through consultations and engagements.

“We want to ensure we’re cultivating the views of seldom-heard communities by continually improving our organisational culture and acceptance of different requirements. There’s also an urgent need to improve the lives of Tameside’s most vulnerable and poorest residents while understanding the challenges disadvantaged communities face.

“The new strategy, which recognises people are different with complex needs, will help us ensure equality is considered at all levels of council decision-making, policy, and service-provision.

“We’re confident it sets out how we’ll achieve real and lasting progress for diverse groups and individuals alongside everyone else in the borough.”

The 2023-27 strategy is available at www.tameside.gov.uk/equalities-strategy