EHRC WC 4407 EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION MINUTES

EQUALITY MONITORING FORM WHY WE NEED THIS
05 PROMOTING INCLUSION EQUALITY AND VALUING DIVERSITY POLICY ALONGSIDE
11 OF EQUAL VALUE POVERTY AND INEQUALITY IN THE

1511 GENDER EQUALITY ACT NICHT LÖSCHEN BITTE
18 THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON INCOME INEQUALITY
2 AUGUST 2007 STRENGTHENING GENDER EQUALITY PROGRAMMING IN HUMANITARIAN

EHRC WC 44.07

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Minutes of the Forty Third Meeting of the Wales Committee

Wednesday 28 February 2018

Present

June Milligan (Chair)
Alison Parken
Dilys Jouvenat
Faye Walker

Martyn Jones

Rocio Cifuentes

Sophie Howe


EHRC

Ruth Coombs (Head of Wales)
Wayne Vincent (Principal, Wales)
Callum MacInnes (Principal, Corporate Governance)
Rachel Albinson (Senior Associate, Human Rights Promotion)
Geraint Rees (Senior Associate, Wales)


Item 1: Welcome and introductions

WC43/1.1 The Chair welcomed members to the forty third meeting of the Wales Committee. Apologies had been received from Andrew Edwards and Nicola Williams.

The Chair welcomed Rachel Albinson, who would be speaking to Item 5 on human rights promotion and Callum MacInnes, who was observing the meeting.

Item 2: Declarations of interest

WC43/2.1 Beyond the standing declarations of interest, Martyn Jones declared an interest as his employer Tai Pawb had recently won a contract to deliver a product for the Commission, referrred to in the papers for this meeting

Item 3: Reflections on senior stakeholder engagement

WC43/3.1 The Chair invited members to share their learning and reflections on the previous evening’s engagement with senior stakeholders. The Independent Office of Police Conduct was keen to continue the engagement and offered to speak at our Annual Conference on the theme of tackling domestic violence. The Chief Constable of Gwent Police offered the Commission the opportunity to work with his organisation to tackle human trafficking.

WC43/3.2 Members reflected on the learning from Coleg Gwent on tackling the hidden barriers for students from economically deprived backgrounds to continue their education. It was a good example of collaboration between the College and Local Authority. Members suggested that this could be developed into a case study or highlighted via the Equality and Human Rights Exchange Network.

Action A: Follow up contact with IOPC, Gwent Police and Coleg Gwent

Item 4: Update from Chair of the Wales Committee (EHRC WC 43.01)

WC43/4.1 The Chair provided an update to members on recent activities including feedback from the recent Board meeting, a meeting with the Welsh Government Special Advisor on equality and engagement with the Commission’s teams developing Is Britain Fairer.

Item 5: Human Rights Promotion – Presentation

WC43/5.1 The Committee received a presentation from Rachel Albinson, on the Commission’s research into attitudes to human rights and effective messaging. The research was still being finalised so the Committee were receiving the interim findings. Members heard that the research had incorporated a literature review, qualitative and quantitative research, which included an online survey and focus groups.

WC43/5.2 The research findings focused on segmentation, attitudes, and how to influence different audiences. The learning from the research would enable the Commission to develop a targeted communications campaign. Among key findings in the research were that most people agree that human rights are important; respondents in Wales were less likely to have indicated an interest in human rights and that people who identified as being from a marginalised group were more likely to care for the rights of other marginalised groups.

WC43/5.3 Important learning for communicating human rights included the effectiveness of focussing on values rather than myth-busting. Personal narratives were important to create empathy as opposed to sympathy. The Committee heard that the Commission plans to develop a Communications toolkit as one key output from the research.

WC43/5.4 The Committee discussed the findings of the research focussing on the group identified in the research as the ‘Disengaged Neutrals’. This group tended to be younger and were broadly supportive of diversity and minority rights but neutral or disinterested in human rights. The Committee reflected what that told us about human rights education in the education system. The Committee discussed the opportunities to engage with the Welsh Government as it redesigns the secondary education curriculum.

WC43/5.5 The Committee thanked Rachel Albinson for sharing the research with them and agreed that it was important to be well sighted on this work as it developed.

Item 6: Human Rights work in Wales (EHRC WC 43.02)

WC43/6.1 The Committee received a paper outlining the work undertaken in Wales on the Wales Committee priority to ‘Ensure public service providers in Wales include human rights considerations in service delivery.’ This work included two additional projects that the Wales Team developed mid-year from the unallocated funding. One project was commissioned research into the impact of the Rights of the Child Measure in Wales. The other project was a film project to tell the lived experience of asylum seekers and refugees in Wales. Other work completed throughout the year included a Human Rights roundtable; The Annual Conference on the theme of human rights and hosting the Human Rights lecture. A roundtable in North Wales had been planned but had been postponed due to adverse weather. Officers explained that it would be rearranged for later in 2018. Members agreed that when this was rearranged that the North Wales workshop should build on the priorities developed at the South Wales event rather than create a whole new set of priorities for a human rights action plan.

WC43/6.2 The Committee considered the questions posed in the paper on identifying the key priorities for a Human Rights action plan; the most effective tools to communicate human rights messages and how to maximize the impact of the two new projects. The Committee discussed the purpose of our human rights promotion work. They agreed that general promotion and awareness raising work was less likely to have an impact than targeted projects. Members suggested that if the aim was to embed human rights principles more effectively into public service delivery then the type of activities we deliver should change. Members agreed that public service providers were looking for guidance and advice on what a human rights approach looked like. Members agreed that the Commission should develop and promote practical solutions that people could learn from and develop themselves.

WC43/6.3 Following on from the messages shared in the previous presentation members discussed the importance on focusing on young people and embedding human rights promotion into education. Members suggested learning from the Children’s Rights movement that had been successful in embedding human rights narratives into that agenda. Members agreed that we should make good use of the Communications toolkit that the Human Rights promotion team was developing.

WC43/6.4 Members discussed the dissemination of the asylum seekers and refugee films and suggested dissemination via schools and a public screening. Members agreed that they thought a shift of focus away from the annual human rights lecture to a seminar on a specific aspect of human rights aimed at public sector professionals was the way forward. Social Care was suggested as a theme.

Action B: Develop a dissemination plan for the asylum seekers and refugee films

WC43/6.5 In summarising the discussion the Chair concluded that there was an appetite amongst the committee to change the focus of our activities. The Committee agreed that the Commission in Wales should move away from the Human Rights lecture format to more targeted events for public service professionals. The Commission should aim to develop and build coalitions with partner organisations. The Committee requested that the Wales team bring back proposals to the Wales Committee at a future meeting.

Action C: Bring back proposal to future committee meeting on human rights work

Item 7: Tailored Review (EHRC WC 43.03)

WC43/7.1 The Committee received a paper informing them of the Tailored Review process. Members were informed that every government-sponsored public body is reviewed at least once in each Parliament to ensure it is fit for purpose and provides good value for money. The Committee enquired as to the level of risk the review posed to the status of the Commission. The Chair explained that the Commission saw the review as an opportunity to set out arguments that the Commission’s independence as a Human Rights body would be enhanced if it were accountable to the UK Parliament rather than Government departments in Whitehall.

WC43/7.2 Members discussed the key stakeholders in Wales to contribute to the review and agreed to send their suggestions to officers. The Committee asked to be kept informed of developments on the Tailored Review and asked that a discussion be scheduled at a future meeting to explore the potential implications for Wales.

Action D: Members to provide a list of external stakeholders to officer to engage with the Tailored Review.

Action E: Members to be provided updates on the progress of the Tailored Review.

Action F: Schedule a future discussion for the Committee on the implications of the Tailored Review for Wales.

Item 8: Wales Business Plan and Wales Committee Programme 2018/19 (EHRC WC 43.04)

WC43/8.1 The Committee received a paper outlining the draft Wales Committee programme for 2018/19. The Committee were asked to consider the Wales Committee programme priorities, the high level success measures set out in the Annex, the Wales contribution to the GB Business Plan and the outline budget.

WC43/8.2 The Committee were informed that the priority they had identified in the current year to challenge the lack of diversity in apprenticeships had been included in the priority to influence and inform decision and policy making. Members asked that the priority on influencing decision and policy making be amended to reflect previous Committee discussion to provide challenge, as well as to influence and inform decision and policy makers.

Action G: Update the wording in the Wales Committee priority on influencing and informing decision and policy making to reflect discussion

WC43/8.3 The Committee noted with concern the limited resources available to take forward emerging opportunities and reactive work in Wales. Officers agreed that resources were tight. A chart setting out the distribution of the Wales team’s resources was provided to members. Members enquired where promoting human rights sat within these Wales Committee priorities.

WC43/8.4 Members received an addendum tabled on the day which was a draft of how the Wales Committee programme would appear in the published GB Business Plan. Members raised concerns that this text did not provide enough clarity on the content of the Wales Committee programme and requested more detailed text be included.

Action H: Amend the wording for the Wales Committee section of the GB Business Plan to provide greater clarity on the programme of work for 2018/19.

WC43/8.5 The Committee noted the proposed budget for the Wales Committee programme in 2018/19. Members noted the continuing budgetary pressures and in particular the assimilation of the £6K Communications budget and of £10K for legal advice which had previously been shown as separately allocated to Wales. They sought assurances that these services would still be provided. The Head of Wales informed members that teams across the Commission had been asked to inform the budgetary process though not all bids had been met. Members raised concerns about reductions and noted that in this current year at the mid-year point the Wales team had responded positively to requests for the development of new projects to absorb unallocated funds, securing the 2 additional Human Rights projects previously discussed. The Committee questioned how the Commission had gone from that situation, to the current position of proposing reductions for 2018/19. The Committee requested the Chair raise these concerns when the overall Budget was presented to the Board.

Action I: The Chair to raise the Wales Committee’s concern of the budget position to the Board of Commissioners.

Item 9: Highlighting Committee members contributions – verbal update

WC43/9.1 The Committee were informed that Nicola Williams had provided evidence on behalf of the Commission to the Assembly’s External Affairs and Additional Legislation Committee on the implication of Brexit on equality and human rights. Feedback from the Committee had been very positive about Nicola’s evidence. The Committee asked that their thanks be passed to Nicola.

Item 10: Minutes of the previous meeting (EHRC WC 43.07)

WC43/10.1 The minutes of the September meeting were agreed as an accurate record.

Item 11: Matters arising (EHRC WC 43.08)

WC43/11.1 The Committee noted the matters arising paper.

Item 12: Wales Programme – Performance Report 2017/18
(EHRC WC 43.06)

WC43/12.1 The Committee received the Performance Report. The Committee were informed that all bar two milestones were on track to be completed by the end of the business year. The two milestones that would not be met related to the decision not to award a research contract for monitoring the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED), due to a lack of satisfactory bids. The second related to measuring the confidence of public services in understanding of the joint approach between Future Generations Commission and the EHRC. Officers explained that it was difficult to assess confidence at this point. This work would progress and will be assessed after a longer period.

WC43/12.2 The Committee noted the underspend of the Wales Committee programme budget and were informed that this was largely the result of the non-awarding of the PSED monitoring contract. Members were content with the explanations provided by officers.

WC43/12.3 The Committee asked that their concern be noted about the lack of resolution to the absence of a specific Welsh legal resource. Committee members asked that their thanks be passed to the Wales team for their delivery of the programme with such tight resources.

Item 13: Head of Wales report (EHRC WC 43.05)

WC43/13.1 The Committee noted the contents of the Head of Wales report including a staffing update. The Head of Wales reminded members of the impact of the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation. A paper on its implications would be provided at a future meeting.

Action J: Schedule a paper on the implications of GDPR

WC43/13.2 The Committee were informed about plans for the Equality and Human Rights Exchange Annual Conference. Members agreed to provide comments on themes, titles and potential speakers.

Action K: Committee members to provide conference suggestions to the Wales Team

WC43/13.3 The Chair suggested to members that in future the time for formal business be extended by up to 30 minutes to allow sufficient time for discussion reflecting that recent meetings had overrun.

Action L: Officer to reformat the timings of the Committee meetings to allow further time for discussion

WC43/13.4 The Chair and Committee members shared their thanks with Dilys Jouvenat on the occasion of her final Committee meeting. The Committee members commented on the significant contribution Dilys had made to the work of the Commission and the Wales Committee in her role has Vice-Chair. Members commented on the value that Dilys brought to the Committee offering a different and important viewpoint based on her practical experience of delivering on equality in public service. Members commented on the work Dilys had done representing the Committee in many fora, including chairing conferences, speaking on platforms on access to justice and equal pay and sharing her experiences of implementing the PSED with international partners. The Committee thanked Dilys for her service and wished her well for the future.

Close of meeting

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2 MAXWELL POLL ON INEQUALITY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT 2004
5 INFORMAL CONSULTATION ON “STRATEGIES FOR GENDER EQUALITY IS
56 RESCUING JUSTICE FROM EQUALITY1 (SOCIAL PHILOSOPHY AND POLICY


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