Agenda item

Report of Divisional Director, Strategic Commissioning.

The Divisional Director, Strategic Commissioning presented the Annual Equalities Report 2018/19.  He explained that it outlined progress against the Council’s three equality objectives and was reviewed every four years – the next one would be at the end of the forthcoming financial year.  An officer advised that the priorities for the next report cycle would be determined at the Corporate Priorities Group meeting at the end of 2019.

Members asked the following questions and officers provided the following responses:

Page 27:  ‘Harrow Council has the second highest proportion of in-work Housing Benefit households in the country, reflecting the number of low-paid jobs available in the borough.’ – Are these recipients working inside the borough or outside it?

The Divisional Director, Strategic Commissioning advised that the data was based on household income and it was not therefore possible to tell if these people worked in the borough.  However, previous studies had shown that there was in-work poverty in Harrow.

Page 28: ‘In 2011, the census showed that 14.6% of residents in Harrow had a limiting long-term illness or disability.  This was an increase of 13.2% (+4000) since 2001. Harrow’s rate is now higher than the average for London (14.2%).’ – What type(s) of sickness did people have as this could determine what type of resourcing needed to be put into place?

The Director of Public Health stated that these figures referred to census data and not to a local data set.  The census question was: ‘Do you have an illness/disability that limits your daily life?’  Respondents would have answered yes for a variety of conditions such as: ageing, mental illness, infirmity, learning disabilities, sensory impairments and other issues due to ongoing illness (including those that were self-diagnosed).  The Director of Public Health confirmed that Harrow and Leicester had the highest rates of diabetes in the UK and that this was an ongoing challenge.  However, other chronic conditions were not as prevalent in the borough.

Page 30: what was the definition of child poverty that was used to compile the data?

The Director of Public Health clarified that it was the central Government definition which related to low income households in receipt of benefits.

Page 31:  ‘At 10%, Harrow has the second lowest proportion of social housing of any of the London boroughs’.  The Council’s current regeneration strategy will deliver a number of new 2 bedroom flats but the report stated that there is a demand for larger properties.  How will the Council reconcile this shortfall and should it consider building larger family homes?

The Divisional Director, Strategic Commissioning stated that he did not have detailed figures regarding the number and size of homes to be delivered by the Regeneration Plan.  He added that private developers would be obliged to adhere to planning policy.

The Director of Public Health also advised that some of the current overcrowding in the borough was due to people living in extended families because numbers of affordable first-time homes were lacking, as opposed to the availability of larger properties.

The Divisional Director, Strategic Commissioning undertook to ensure that this query was fed back to those responsible for the Regeneration Plan.

Page 22:  ‘Natural change showed 2,177 more births than deaths. International migration to Harrow decreased in 2016-17 with a net gain of 3,035 people into Harrow, lower than the previous year’s level which showed a net gain of 3,831 people into Harrow.’ – Do we have a forecast for future population trends in the next few years to help with the planning of service provision?

The Divisional Director, Strategic Commissioning explained that the Greater London Authority (GLA) predicted the level of development based on the house building targets set by the Mayor of London in the London Plan.  The target was an estimated figure and subject to numerous factors affecting population loss and gain.  The Director of Public Health stated that the population of Harrow was expected to be 259,000 by 2030 (approximately 11,000 more than present), but it was not possible to tell what proportion of this would be elderly given that population forecasting was frequently based on different models and variables.  She undertook to send a link to the information online to Members after the meeting.

Page 23:  ‘9.6% of Harrow’s working age population classified themselves as disabled, a total of 23,900 people.’ – What were the metrics for staff undertaking the Equality Matters training and what is the plan to increase uptake?  The statistics showed that new starters are completing this but existing staff are not.

The Divisional Director, Strategic Commissioning stated that the majority of existing staff had already completed this training and were required to complete refresher training every two years.  Three years ago there was a drive to encourage all staff to undertake the training which resulted in a bulge in the figures at the time. Since then, there had been regular communications in place to remind staff to undertake the training as part of the broader improvement plan.  The officer explained that efforts were underway to provide laptops to staff at the depot and that classroom training would also be considered for shift-workers.

RESOLVED: That the report be noted.