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Venue: via Microsoft Teams
Contact: Kate Yerbury Committee Manager
Note: If you are not a member of the Panel but are interested in joining to observe the meeting, please contact Kate Yerbury, Equality and Anti-Poverty Officer, on 01223 457046 or Kate.Yerbury@cambridge.gov.uk
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Welcome, Introductions and Apologies Minutes: Apologies were received Cllr Thittala and Cllr Smart, public member Raheela Rehman, and staff members Naomi Armstrong and Alistair Wilson. |
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Declarations of Interest Minutes: No declarations of interest were declared. |
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Minutes of Previous Meeting and Matters Arising PDF 227 KB Minutes: The minutes of the meeting of the 5 July 2022 were noted and there were no amendments made. |
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Public Questions Minutes: There were no public questions. |
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Recruitment update on vacant Equalities Panel positions PDF 82 KB Ariadne Henry, Community Development Officer Minutes: Ariadne Henry informed the Panel that a new public member had been approached and hopes to join the Panel’s next meeting. Officers had run a short recruitment campaign, contacting local equalities groups with recruitment packs and information to attract new members. This was not successful in getting a new public Panel member. The new Panel member was recommended by Graham Lewis who has previously been a public member for a number of years. |
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LGBTQ+ Needs Assessment PDF 4 KB Catherine Meads, Encompass Network Minutes: Catherine Meads, Trustee at Encompass Network, provided an
overview of findings of a needs assessment undertaken across Cambridgeshire and
Peterborough of LGBTQ+ people that Encompass Network undertook. Cambridge City
Council, Cambridgeshire County Council and South Cambridgeshire District
Council contributed funding for the needs assessment to be undertaken.
Catherine shared that the Needs Assessment was started in 2021 and ran for
three months, receiving 249 responses. The full report is available on the Encompass
Website. http://encompassnetwork.org.uk/needs-assessment-2022/ The needs
assessment covered a wide range of topics including demographics, health and
wellbeing, safety and being out, domestic violence and hate crime, issues
within the community and use of council and LGBTQ+ services. The Equalities Panel members were invited to ask questions
on the needs assessment. It was noted
that it would be helpful to present the needs assessment to the Community
Safety Partnership. In response to questions, Catherine shared: • It is likely
that older generations of the LGBTQ+ Community were reluctant to disclose
sexuality and gender identity, because they had experienced the criminalisation
of homosexuality and the impact of Section 28. • There were
trends between age and mental wellbeing. Younger generations reported higher
levels of stress in the needs assessment. At the same time, national statistics
indicate that older generations of LGBTQ+ people have higher levels of mental
health problems. The Equalities Panel members felt that there could be a need
to explore the link between anxiety and feelings of being uncomfortable in
accessing council services. It was though that this would identify any
discrimination or exclusionary practices of local government. Catherine Meads, Trustee at Encompass Network, to present needs assessment findings to Cambridge Community Safety Forum (Keryn Jalli); and City Council to consider opportunities to share the findings to raise public awareness (Comms Team). |
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Cost of Living Council response PDF 168 KB Binnie Pickard, Community Development Officer Minutes: Binnie Pickard, Community Development Officer at Cambridge
City Council, presented information on the council’s response to the
cost-of-living crisis. Cambridge City Council received funding from central
government to provide support. It was thought that some communities of people
from protected characteristic groups are more likely to be impacted by the cost of living crisis than others but there is no local data
to support this understanding. Support the council is offering includes: • Warm and welcoming spaces, best success
where places are doing this already and with funding can now expand • Cost of living support pop-ups – the
council if focusing, wherever possible, on ensuring these are offered in areas
of deprivation. They are running from 3 February onwards. In identifying
venues, the council has taken into account that people
might not feel comfortable visiting churches if they are not religious or have
a religion different to Christianity. • Access to free
clothes for children • Free hot water
bottles • Information
through a cost of living webpage and leaflet • Access to health food – the council has
supported activities of Cambridge Sustainable Food with match funding The team will continue to look at opportunities to provide resources and support to those in need during the cost of living crisis. |
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Refugee support in Cambridge PDF 168 KB Keryn Jalli, Community Safety Manager Minutes: Keryn Jalli, Community Safety Manager, provided a brief
overview of the different schemes Cambridge City Council offers to support
refugees and asylum seekers. As of 2022 the council provided 5 different
schemes. Keryn said that: • It will become increasingly important
that the team of family support workers speak a range of languages and
understand cultural differences. Cambridge Ethnic Community Forum are funded by
the city council to deliver and information and advice service to refugees and
asylum seekers in the city. • The council provides a
multi-departmental response to enhance access to grants, support across
organisations and groups supporting refugees and asylum seekers, and the
voluntary sector. • Ongoing actions include creating an asylum
seeking and refugee team that sits across Community Safety and Housing Advice
within the council. • The council ensures that it considers
equality impacts when delivering refugee/asylum schemes: o Relating to age, there are a large number of children that the schemes support. They
support children to access schools, to go on trips, and attend parties relevant
to their culture. o Around disability and mental health
considerations they are supporting people find accessible housing and offer a
wellbeing session. o Relating to marriage, they are often
supporting people in couples who have been separated in the process of seeking
asylum to navigate trans-national relationships. o For pregnant
women and people with small children it is important to support them to be
connected into health services o Refugees and asylum seekers need support
to learn English as part of re-settlement and interpretation and translation
support is important as people are provided with support. o Relating to faith, the team helps connect
people with different places of worship. Faith groups have supported people
with food provision and have helped the council and partners to host events o For LGBTQ+
people it has been of key importance to connect them with local organisations
that specialise in supporting LGBTQ+ people for support In response to the presentation, an action to was noted to encourage volunteer involvement as part of the Cambridge Resettlement Campaign, including student volunteers. Orla Spivack and Keryn Jalli were going to discuss how to explore the feasibility of this. |
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Community Development updates PDF 82 KB a. Stop Hate Campaign b. Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) c. Celebration of Women d. Gypsy, Roma and Traveller heritage (GRT) e. Community research on health inequalities Ariadne Henry, Community Development Officer Minutes: • Holocaust Memorial Day has been
postponed till June to take place during Refugee Week. However, candle lighting
was planned for 26 January at The Guildhall. • There will be an event at the Corn
Exchange on 9 March, celebrating women of note in Cambridge. A week later,
Cambridge Rape Crisis and Cambridge Women’s Resources Centre will host a talk
on whether women’s equality and rights have progressed since the 1960s. • A Cambridge Health Equalities Partnership (HEP) is being set up. It is still in transition mode as the Vaccine Access project draws to a close but hopes to take forward the partnership working developed from this project. The HEP will be developed by partners, who are being invited to join and event and share ideas and information about the needs within communities. The partnership will feed into the work of the Integrated Care Systems (ICS). |
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Any Other Business Minutes: No other business was discussed. |
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Date of Next Meeting The Next Equalities Panel meeting will be held on 4 July 2023. Minutes: 4 July 2023. |