The Equalities programme aims to support the reduction of health and social care inequalities in the Eastern region.  It is intended to ensure that statutory, voluntary and independent services in the Eastern region deliver a service which is accessible, appropriate and results in positive outcomes for everyone.


Key objectives

The programmes key objectives are to:

• Support systems to achieve the service outcomes detailed in the 2005 Department of Health policy ‘Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care’ (a five year action plan for reducing inequalities in Black and minority ethnic patients' access to, experience of, and outcomes from mental health services)
• Support systems to mainstream gender equality as detailed in Mainstreaming Gender and Women’s Mental Health (2003) guidance
• Support systems to meet their legal duties under current and impending equalities legislation, including publishing a race equality scheme, as required by the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000, publishing a disability  equality scheme, as required by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and publishing a gender equality scheme, as required by the Equality Act 2006 Amendment Act 2000.
• Support service user involvement
• Support capacity building in the community and voluntary sector in relation to equalities
• Support systems in their service improvement projects emanating from the Healthcare Commission race equality reviews
• Support the SHA Commissioning framework and PCT commissioning plans in respect to equalities
• Support the delivery of CSIP Eastern’s other key regional programmes

Key activities

• Running an annual regional equalities conference and awards , increasing knowledge and expertise regarding the delivery of effective services to marginalised groups
• Designing and facilitating a regional ‘equalities’ development programme for third sector groups representing marginalised groups
• Supporting Community Development Workers across the region via a CDW network
• Development and dissemination of a report outlining the learning from the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Focused Implementation Sites (FIS), which was set up to explore new ways to address racial inequality in mental health care
• Delivering a relevant Race Equality Cultural Competence (RECC) trainer training programme and a trainer’s network, in conjunction with mental health trusts and primary care trust leads
• Engage with and support primary care trusts and mental health trusts around the findings detailed in their race equality reviews, undertaken by the Healthcare Commission
• Jointly with the Strategic Health Authority and Institute of Public Health, develop health and social care profiles containing equalities information, relevant to each PCT area in the region.  This will support SHA’s commissioning framework and PCT commissioning plans.
• Equality impact assessment of the social care programme for the Eastern region.

Key resources

• Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care (2005), Department of Health
  
• Mainstreaming Gender and Women’s Mental Health (2003), Department of Health

Key links

• National Delivering Race Equality Programme Website - www.actiondre.org.uk
  

Key contacts

• Dean Pinnock - Equalities Programme Lead - dean.pinnock@csip.org.uk
• Mita Brahmbhatt - Programme Administrator - mita.brahmbhatt@csip.org.uk