Report to:	People Scrutiny Committee
Date:	17 July 2023
By:	Chair of the Review Board
Title:	Scrutiny Review – Equality and Inclusion in Adult Social Care and Health
Purpose:	To present the outcomes of the Scrutiny Review and make recommendations

RECOMMENDATION:

The Committee is recommended to consider and endorse the report of the Review

Board, and make recommendations to Cabinet for comment and County Council for approval.

1.         Background

1.1       The Adult Social Care and Health (ASCH) Department has developed an ASCH Equality and Inclusion Strategy, which is now in its third year of delivery. In March 2022 the People Scrutiny Committee established a Scoping Board to consider this Strategy, and the ongoing work to deliver it, to help identify any possible gaps in the approach and future priorities for the work.

1.2       A Scoping Board met on 1 July 2022 and heard about the mechanisms ASCH uses for engagement, including its use of consultations and equality impact assessments, and how the Department is trying to improve its engagement with seldom heard communities and people.

1.3       The Scoping Board concluded, based on the discussion with officers, that whilst they were encouraged by the work underway, there were issues that could benefit from closer examination by scrutiny through a review, in particular identifying key barriers preventing seldom heard groups and people from engaging with and accessing ASCH services. The Scoping Board agreed to focus on the following areas, which were subsequently agreed by the committee as the basis for the scrutiny review:

· Identifying key communities that ASCH seldom hears from, but should

· Barriers preventing groups and people from accessing services

· How ASCH can ameliorate those barriers and improve its engagement with those groups

2.         Supporting information

2.1       The Scrutiny Review Board is comprised of Councillors Penny di Cara, Nuala Geary, John Ungar and Trevor Webb. Councillor Ungar was appointed as the Chair of the Review Board.   

2.2       The attached report (Appendix 1) contains the findings and recommendations of the Review Board. Copies of evidence papers listed in the report and other support documentation are available on request from the contact officer.

3.         Conclusion and reasons for recommendations

3.1       The Committee is recommended to consider and endorse the Review Board’s report for submission to Cabinet and County Council on 28 September 2023 and 10 October 2023 respectively.

Councillor John Ungar

Chair of the Review Board

Contact Officer: Rachel Sweeney     Tel: 07561267461

Email:  rachel.sweeney@eastsussex.gov.uk