Equality Analysis

 

 


Directorate:   Commissioning and Transformation

 

Service Area:  Complaints

 

Lead Officer: Gill Scott

 

Date completed: 3 October 2024

 

 

Service / Function / Policy / Procedure to be assessed:

 

Corporate Complaints Policy

Is this:   

New / Proposed          Existing/Review   

Changing             

 

 

No

Yes

 

Review date:  October 2025

 

 

Part A – Initial Equality Analysis to determine if a full Equality Analysis is required.

 

What are the aims and objectives/purpose of this service, function, policy or procedure?

 

The aim of the Policy is to inform the Council’s customers how we will deal with an expression of dissatisfaction about a Council service.

 

 

 

Please indicate its relevance to any of the equality duties (below) by selecting Yes or No?

 

Yes

No

 

Eliminating unlawful discrimination, victimisation and harassment

Y

 

 

Advancing equality of opportunity

Y

 

 

Fostering good community relations

Y

 

 

 

PART B: Full Equality Analysis

 

Step 1 – Identifying outcomes and delivery mechanisms (in relation to what you are assessing)

 

What outcomes are sought and for whom?

 

 

That all residents know how to raise a complaint about a Council service and can do so using their preferred method.

Are there any associated policies, functions, services or procedures?

 

Complaints procedures for staff

If partners (including external partners) are involved in delivering the service, who are they?

 

None

 

Step 2 – What does the information you have collected, or that you have available, tell you?

 

What evidence/data already exists about the service and its users?  (in terms of its impact on the ‘equality strands’, i.e. race, disability, gender, gender identity, age, religion or belief, sexual orientation, maternity/pregnancy, marriage/civil partnership and other socially excluded communities or groups) and what does the data tell you? e.g. are there any significant gaps?

 

The Council provides a range of services for all residents in or with a link to Spelthorne. The data tells us that all equality strands must be considered in reviewing the Corporate Complaints Policy which is accessible by all residents.

 

General Spelthorne context

 

As of the 2021 census, Spelthorne has a population of 103,000 and is the 14th most densely populated of the South East’s 64 local authority areas with 2,295 of residents per square kilometre.

 

According to the Indices of Deprivation 2019, the most deprived borough in Surrey is Spelthorne. Spelthorne has the highest number of lone parent families and the highest level of child poverty in Surrey; it also has the highest under-18 conception rate in the county. That said, residents are largely healthy, with life expectancy for both males and females slightly above the national average.

 

Spelthorne has a relatively low rate of unemployment: 3.3% of those economically active aged 16 to 64, compared to the South East (3%) and UK as a whole (3.7%). Average wages are £709 per week for full-time employees, slightly above the South East average of £685.

 

Whilst house prices remain well above the national average, most residents are owner-occupiers (68%), followed by private rented (18%) and social rented (13%).

 

Source: English Indices of Deprivation 2019; Authority Monitoring Report for Spelthorne 2022; Nomis – Official Census and Labour Market Statistics 2021-2022; ONS Census, 2021 – Home Ownership and Renting; and https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/constituency-data-wages/

 

Gender / gender identity

 

Census data from 2021 shows that 50.9% of residents in Spelthorne are female, with the remaining 49.1% being male.

 

A White Paper published in December 2018 (Help shape our future: the 2021 Census of population and housing in England and Wales) set out the ONS recommendation for what the census should contain and how it should operate. The White Paper recommended that the census in 2021 include a question about gender identity, asking respondents whether their gender is the same as the sex they were registered as at birth. As a result, 93.98% of people aged 16 years and over in Spelthorne have the same gender identity as their sex registered at birth.

 

The remaining population identify as follows:

People aged 16 years and over who have a gender identity different from their sex registered at birth but no specific identity given

0.19%

Identify as a trans woman

0.09%

Identify as a trans man

0.09%

Non-binary

0.02%

Another gender identity

0.02%

Prefer not to say

5.62%

 

Source: ONS Census, 2021 – Population and household estimates, England and Wales: Census 2021. Gender identity – ONS, 2021; and https://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-8531

 

Age

 

Spelthorne has a slightly lower population of under-30s (33%) compared to the rest of the country (36%), and a slightly higher population of 30-69 year olds (53%) compared with the national average of (51%), The number of 70+ is 14%, which is broadly in line with the rest of the nation.

 

Source: ONS – Population and household estimates, England and Wales: Census 2021.

 

 

Ethnicity

 

The ethnic make-up of Spelthorne is largely in line with the rest of England and Wales, predominantly residents are from a white ethnic background. However, there are slightly more Asian people and those with a mixed ethnic background but fewer people from a black ethnic group compared to the national average.

 

 

 

          Spelthorne

 

England and Wales

Ethnic group

 

Number

%

 

%

Asian

 

13,146

12.8%

 

9.3%

black

 

2,548

2.5%

 

4%

mixed ethnicities

 

3,763

3.7%

 

2.9%

white

 

81,000

78.6%

 

81.7%

other

 

2,503

2.4%

 

2.1%

 

Source: ONS – Ethnic Group, England and Wales: Census 2021.

 

Disability

 

Spelthorne has a slightly lower percentage of residents with a disability compared to the rest of England and Wales.

 

 

 

     Spelthorne 

England and Wales

Disability

 

%

 

%

Disabled under the Equality Act

 

14.4%

 

17.8%

Not disabled under the Equality Act

 

85.6%

 

82.2%

 

As of Oct 2022, there were around 5,159 PIP claimants in Spelthorne. Within Spelthorne, psychiatric disorders were the most common reason for claiming PIP. They accounted for 39% of awards, compared to 36.9% in Great Britain. ‘Psychiatric disorders’ include anxiety and depression, learning disabilities and autism. The second most common reason for awards was musculoskeletal disease (general), which accounted for 15% of awards within the constituency and 20.1% in Great Britain. Musculoskeletal disease (general) includes osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis and chronic pain syndromes.

 

Source: ONS – Disability, England and Wales: Census 2021; and https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/constituency-data-personal-independence-payment-2/

 

 

 

 

 

Religion

 

Residents of Spelthorne predominately identify themselves as either Christian or having no religion. There is a smaller Muslim population compared with the national average, but a larger Hindu and Sikh population.

 

 

 

Spelthorne

 

England and Wales

 

 

Number

%

 

%

Has religion

 

64,959

63%

 

56.9%

of which

 

 

 

 

 

  Christian

 

52,432

50.9%

 

46.2%

  Muslim

 

4,146

4.0%

 

6.5%

  Hindu

 

4,372

4.2%

 

1.7%

  Buddhist

 

703

0.7%

 

0.5%

  Jewish

 

174

0.2%

 

0.5%

  Sikh

 

2,612

2.5%

 

0.9%

  Other

 

520

0.5%

 

0.6%

 

 

 

 

 

 

No religion

 

32,112

31.2%

 

37.2%

Not stated

 

5,884

5.7%

 

6.0%

 

Source: ONS – Religion, England and Wales: Census 2021.

 

Sexual orientation

 

The sexual orientation of Spelthorne residents is largely in line with the rest of England and Wales.

 

 

 

Spelthorne

 

England and Wales

 

 

Number

%

 

%

Sexual Orientation

 

 

 

 

 

  Straight or Heterosexual

 

75,505

90.57%

 

89.37%

  Gay or Lesbian

 

1,088

1.31%

 

1.54%

  Bisexual

 

704

0.84%

 

1.28%

  Pansexual

 

123

0.15%

 

0.23%

  Asexual

 

25

0.03%

 

0.06%

  Queer

 

6

0.01%

 

0.03%

  All Other Sexual Orientations

 

7

0.01%

 

0.02%

 Not answered

 

   5,904

  7.08%

 

7.47% 

Source: ONS – Sexual Orientation, England and Wales: Census 2021.

 

Marriage / Civil Partnership

 

Slightly more people in Spelthorne are married compared to the rest of England and Wales, and fewer people identify as single.

 

 

 

Spelthorne    

UK

 

 

%

 

%

Marital Status

 

 

 

 

Never Married or Registered a Civil Partnership

 

35.1%

 

37.9%

Married or in a Registered Civil Partnership (including separated)

 

49.9%

 

46.9%

Divorced or Civil Partnership Dissolved

 

8.9%

 

9.1%

Widowed or Surviving Civil Partnership Partner

 

6.1%

 

6.1%

 

Source: ONS – Marriage and Civil Partnership Status in England and Wales: Census 2021.

 

 

Has there been any consultation with, or input from, customers / service users  or other stakeholders?  If so, with whom, how were they consulted and what did they say?  If you haven’t consulted yet and are intending to do so, please list which specific groups or communities you are going to consult with and when.

 

No consultation planned. Feedback on accessibility will be sought from complainants.

 

Are there any complaints, compliments, satisfaction surveys or customer feedback that could help inform this assessment?  If yes, what do these tell you?

 

None. No negative feedback to existing complaint policy in terms of being able to access it.

 

Step 3 – Identifying the negative  impact.

 

  1. Is there any negative impact on individuals or groups in the community?

 

Barriers:

 

Accessibility of the Policy

Understanding the Policy

Needing help to make a complaint

 

Solutions:

 

Providing Policy in paper copy as well as online.

Providing tools to read out the online Policy and providing paper copy in an alternative format or language.

Providing contact details for any assistance required.

 

Equality Themes

Barriers/Impacts identified

 

Solutions

(ways in which you could mitigate the impact)

Age

Older people may not have access to the internet.

Policy provided in paper copy.

Complaints may be made by letter, on the telephone or a visit to the Council offices

Disability

Those residents with a visual impairment may need assistance to make a complaint.

Policy provided on website with audio visual tools which can read out text. The Council use ‘Recite Me’ which is a cloud-based software that lets visitors to the website view and use the site in the way that works best for them.

Contact details provided for help in making a complaint or requesting the Policy in another format.

Gender

No barriers identified

None required

Ethnicity

English may not be first language.

Policy provided on website with audio visual tools which can translate into other languages. The Council use ‘Recite Me’ which is a cloud-based software that lets visitors to the website view and use the site in the way that works best for them.

Contact details provided for help in making a complaint or requesting the Policy in another language.

The Council can contact a translator if English is not the first language.

Religion or belief

No barriers identified

None required

Gender Re-assignment

No barriers identified

None required

Pregnancy and Maternity

No barriers identified

None required

Sexual orientation

No barriers identified.

None required.

 

Step 4 – Changes or mitigating actions proposed or adopted

 

Having undertaken the assessment are there any changes necessary to the existing service, policy, function or procedure?  What changes or mitigating actions are proposed?

 

None as revised Policy developed with this assessment in mind.

 

Step 5 – Monitoring

 

How are you going to monitor the existing service, function, policy or procedure?

 

Feedback from complainants and Annual Review.

 

Part C - Action Plan

 

Barrier/s or improvement/s identified

Action Required

Lead Officer

Timescale

None

 

 

 

 

Equality Analysis approved by:

Group Head: Sandy Muirhead

 

 

Date: 03.10.24