Concept
In 2018, Dublin City Council (DCC) conducted an equality review of its provision of social housing supports and homelessness services on the ground of racial or ethnic origin. It followed up with the preparation of an Equality Action Plan in 2019 to implement the recommendations made as part of the review.
An equality review involves an examination of policy, plans, procedures, and practices in an organisation. It does this to assess the extent to which discrimination and harassment are prevented, diversity is acknowledged and accommodated, and equality is promoted and achieved in the work and operations of an organisation. Recommendations are made on foot of the review to support the preparation of an equality action plan to improve the performance of an organisation in these areas.
Foundation
This initiative is rooted in the equal treatment legislation that governs service provision. The Equal Status Acts 2000-2015 prohibit discrimination, sexual harassment, and harassment in the provision of goods and services, accommodation, education and in registered clubs. It covers the nine grounds of gender, civil status, family status, sexual orientation, disability, age, ‘race’, religion, and membership of the Traveller community.
The initiative drew from the Irish Human Rights Equality and Human Rights Act 2014 that requires public bodies to have regard, in all their functions, to the need to eliminate discrimination, promote equality, and protect human rights of staff, service-users, and policy beneficiaries.
Progress
The equality review focused on one ground, racial or ethnic origin, and on one area of service provision, social housing supports and homeless services. It started with a desk-based review of relevant legislation and national policy and of relevant DCC plans, policies, procedures, service level agreements, information materials, and data sources. It involved interviews with staff members of DCC and of contracted bodies involved in the provision of services. It included focus group sessions with service users covered by the ground of racial or ethnic origin.
Some recommendations were directed at the government department responsible for national policy in this area. An Equality Action Plan was developed and is being implemented, to address the recommendations to the specific departments responsible for social housing supports and homeless services, those to DCC overall, on strengthening its equality and human rights infrastructure. It is planned to repeat the equality review to cover all the grounds under the Equal Status Acts.
