Agenda item

“The City of Doncaster Council notes the campaign to make care experienced a protected characteristic and that Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness, Redcar and Cleveland, Ashfield, Wigan, Manchester, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Sefton and Lambeth councils have already done this already.

 

The City of Doncaster Council notes that Cara, Rebecca, Kanisha, Courtney, Chelsea and Fay from the Doncaster ‘Hear me out’ group have championed this motion in Doncaster and they have asked us as their corporate parents to back them in creating a better future for all care experienced people no matter where they are from.

 

The City of Doncaster Council believes that Care experienced people face significant barriers that impact them throughout their lives:-

 

• Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account;

 

• Care experienced people often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment and in the criminal justice system;

 

• Care experienced people often face a postcode lottery of support;

 

• As corporate parents, councillors have a collective responsibility for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by us as an authority;

 

• All corporate parents should commit to acting as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people and to consider their needs in any aspect of council work;

 

• Councillors should be champions of our looked after children and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society; and

 

• The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, such as councils, to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation of people with protected characteristics.

 

The City of Doncaster Council therefore RESOLVES:-

 

1. When making any decisions in relation to its policies or formulating it’s Council Plan that it recognises that Care Experienced people are an vulnerable group who face discrimination;

 

2. That it recognises that Councils have a duty to put the needs of vulnerable  people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration;

 

3. That in the delivery of the Public Sector Equality Duty the Council includes care experience in the publication and review of Equality Objectives and the annual publication of information relating to people who share a Protected Characteristic in services and employment;

 

4. That this council will treat care experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic so that future services and policies made and adopted by the Council should be assessed through Equality Impact Assessments to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience, alongside those who formally share a Protected Characteristic;

 

5. To formally call upon all other bodies including ‘Team Doncaster’ to treat care experience as a Protected Characteristic until such time as it may be introduced by legislation;

 

6. To formally call upon all other bodies including ‘Team Doncaster’ to adopt corporate parenting for children in care and care experienced people until such time as it may be introduced by legislation; and

 

7. For the Council to proactively seek out and listen to the voices of care experienced people when developing new policies based on their views.”

In accordance with Council Procedure Rule 16.1, a Motion was submitted by Councillor Lani-Mae Ball and Seconded by Councillor Rachael Blake.  In the absence of Councillor Lani-Mae Ball, Councillor Rachael Blake Moved the Motion which was Seconded by Councillor Glynis Smith:-

 

“The City of Doncaster Council notes the campaign to make care experienced a protected characteristic and that Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness, Redcar and Cleveland, Ashfield, Wigan, Manchester, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Sefton and Lambeth Councils have already done this.

 

The City of Doncaster Council notes that Cara, Rebecca, Kanisha, Courtney, Chelsea and Fay from the Doncaster ‘Hear me out’ Group, have championed this Motion in Doncaster and they have asked us as their corporate parents, to back them in creating a better future for all care experienced people, no matter where they are from.

 

The City of Doncaster Council believes that Care experienced people face significant barriers that impact them throughout their lives:-

 

·           Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account;

 

·           Care experienced people often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment and in the criminal justice system;

 

·           Care experienced people often face a postcode lottery of support;

 

·           As corporate parents, Councillors have a collective responsibility for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by us as an Authority;

 

·           All corporate parents should commit to acting as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people, and to consider their needs in any aspect of Council work;

 

·           Councillors should be champions of our looked after children and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society; and

 

·           The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, such as Councils, to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation of people with protected characteristics.

 

The City of Doncaster Council therefore resolves:-

 

1.      When making any decisions in relation to its policies or formulating its Council Plan, that it recognises that care experienced people are a vulnerable group who face discrimination;

 

2.      That it recognises that Councils have a duty to put the needs of vulnerable people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration;

 

3.      That in the delivery of the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Council includes care experience in the publication and review of Equality Objectives and the annual publication of information relating to people who share a Protected Characteristic in services and employment;

 

4.      That this Council will treat care experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic so that future services and policies made, and adopted by the Council, should be assessed through Equality Impact Assessments to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience, alongside those who formally share a Protected Characteristic;

 

5.      To formally call upon all other bodies including ‘Team Doncaster’, to treat care experience as a Protected Characteristic until such time as it may be introduced by legislation;

 

6.      To formally call upon all other bodies including ‘Team Doncaster’, to adopt corporate parenting for children in care and care experienced people, until such time as it may be introduced by legislation; and

 

7.      For the Council to proactively seek out and listen to the voices of care experienced people when developing new policies based on their views.”

 

The Chair afforded all Members in the Chamber the opportunity to speak on the Motion.

 

A vote was taken on the Motion proposed by Councillor Rachael Blake, which was declared as follows:-

 

For - 44

 

Against - 0

 

Abstain - 0

 

On being put to the meeting, the Motion was declared CARRIED.

 

RESOLVED that

 

The City of Doncaster Council notes the campaign to make care experienced a protected characteristic and that Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness, Redcar and Cleveland, Ashfield, Wigan, Manchester, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, Sefton and Lambeth Councils have already done this.

 

The City of Doncaster Council notes that Cara, Rebecca, Kanisha, Courtney, Chelsea and Fay from the Doncaster ‘Hear me out’ Group, have championed this Motion in Doncaster and they have asked us as their corporate parents, to back them in creating a better future for all care experienced people, no matter where they are from.

 

The City of Doncaster Council believes that Care experienced people face significant barriers that impact them throughout their lives:-

 

·           Despite the resilience of many care experienced people, society too often does not take their needs into account;

 

·           Care experienced people often face discrimination and stigma across housing, health, education, relationships, employment and in the criminal justice system;

 

·           Care experienced people often face a postcode lottery of support;

 

·           As corporate parents, Councillors have a collective responsibility for providing the best possible care and safeguarding for the children who are looked after by us as an Authority;

 

·           All corporate parents should commit to acting as mentors, hearing the voices of looked after children and young people, and to consider their needs in any aspect of Council work;

 

·           Councillors should be champions of our looked after children and challenge the negative attitudes and prejudice that exists in all aspects of society; and

 

·           The Public Sector Equality Duty requires public bodies, such as Councils, to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation of people with protected characteristics.

 

The City of Doncaster Council therefore resolves:-

 

1.      When making any decisions in relation to its policies or formulating its Council Plan, that it recognises that care experienced people are an vulnerable group who face discrimination;

 

2.      That it recognises that Councils have a duty to put the needs of vulnerable people at the heart of decision-making through co-production and collaboration;

 

3.      That in the delivery of the Public Sector Equality Duty, the Council includes care experience in the publication and review of Equality Objectives and the annual publication of information relating to people who share a Protected Characteristic in services and employment;

 

4.      That this Council will treat care experience as if it were a Protected Characteristic so that future services and policies made, and adopted by the Council, should be assessed through Equality Impact Assessments to determine the impact of changes on people with care experience, alongside those who formally share a Protected Characteristic;

 

5.      To formally call upon all other bodies including ‘Team Doncaster’, to treat care experience as a Protected Characteristic until such time as it may be introduced by legislation;

 

6.      To formally call upon all other bodies including ‘Team Doncaster’, to adopt corporate parenting for children in care and care experienced people, until such time as it may be introduced by legislation; and

 

7.      For the Council to proactively seek out and listen to the voices of care experienced people when developing new policies based on their views.