Agenda item

To consider the report of the LGBT task group.

Councillor Joe Baker, Chair of the Provision of Support Networks for the LGBT Community Task Group, provided a presentation on the Task Group’s final report.  He was accompanied by Councillor Natalie Brookes who also took part in the review.

In addition to the Task Group’s report which appeared in the agenda papers, Members also had before them the minute and recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s meeting on 7th July 2015, which had been circulated as Additional Papers, together with an additional comments sheet which was tabled by Councillor Baker at the meeting.  A display had also been provided by the Task Group as an example of the positive aspects that could be incorporated into any future LGBT History Month.

Councillor Baker gave a detailed presentation to Members on issues faced by the LGBT community, and provided the Task Group’s reasoning behind each of the six recommendations contained in the report and the positive results which could be achieved from their implementation.  In doing so he expressed thanks to his fellow members of the Task Group for their hard work and support in producing the report, and to members of staff and external parties for their help and assistance during the course of the review. 

Councillor Baker went on to highlight the ‘Items to Note’ as detailed in the report, which related to homophobic Hate Crimes and Incidents and the Morton Stanley Festival.

Having looked into the implications of the recommendations which directly impacted on the Borough Council, Members noted that a minor budget of approximately £200 only would be required for the hire of the ‘Room Upstairs’ at the Palace Theatre and arranging to have a stand at the Morton Stanley Festival, which Members did not envisage any difficulties with.  The fine detail contained within the report in relation to the Borough Council’s proposed support, at Recommendation 4, of any groups that were to produce a leaflet advertising the support networks available for the LGBT community in Redditch was noted.     

In a response to Member questions/comments, Councillor Baker stated that in his role as County Councillor he hoped to drive forward Recommendation 2.  This proposed that Worcestershire County Council take part in the Stonewall Education Equality Index, and also that the County Council encourage schools to take part in the Stonewall School Champions Programme and/or use the Birmingham LGBT Schools Toolkit, the latter of which Councillor Baker advised was free to download.  The Chief Executive stated that, from an Officer perspective, the Senior Management Team fully supported these recommendations and were happy to work alongside Members in recommending these to the County Council.  It was agreed that the Leader would write to the County Council Leader supporting the recommendations which had gained cross-party support at both Overview and Scrutiny and the Executive.      

In relation to Recommendation 3 and the proposal for there to be greater celebration of the positive history of the LGBT community during the annual LGBT History Month, Councillor Baker stated that there was a wide range of skills within the LGBT community and that if he were asked to give any assistance or advice in this regard then he would be more than happy to do so. 

The Committee wholeheartedly supported and endorsed the recommendations before them and thanked the Task Group for an excellent report and presentation.  Members stated that this was an informative and valuable piece of work, which had provided them with an insight into both the LGBT community and the problems encountered by its members on a daily basis.

RESOLVED that

1)             Redditch Borough Council should participate in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index every year (Recommendation 1);

2)             in the long-term Redditch Borough Council should commit to introducing a budget to support LGBT History Month (Recommendation 3a);

3)             Redditch Borough Council should support any groups that produce a leaflet advertising the support networks available to the LGBT Community by allowing such leaflets to be made available for residents to collect in public venues, such as Redditch Town Hall, and making this information available to view on relevant web pages of the Council’s website (Recommendation 4a); and

4)             the specific mental health needs of the LGBT community should be addressed in equalities training provided to frontline Council staff.  This should be covered in one of the equalities briefing sessions that the policy team is due to deliver in forthcoming months (Recommendation 5); and

RESOLVED to note the following recommendations to partner organisations:

1)            Worcestershire County Council should take part in the Stonewall Education Equality Index. Worcestershire County Council should also encourage schools to take part in the Stonewall School Champions Programme and/or to use the Birmingham LGBT Schools Toolkit (Recommendation 2 – recommendation to Worcestershire County Council);

2)            there should be a greater celebration of the positive history of the LGBT community during the annual LGBT History Month celebrations with a focus on the specific theme in each given year.  This should include holding events at the Palace Theatre (Recommendation 3 – recommendation to Worcestershire LGBT Hate Crime Forum and LGBT Support Services Redditch);

3)            a leaflet advertising the support networks available for the LGBT community in Redditch should be produced (Recommendation 4 to LGBT Support Services Redditch);  and

4)            local partners should help to promote the following to members of the LGBT community, including on the Redditch and Bromsgrove Wellbeing website:

a)    Gay and bisexual men are eligible for free Hepatitis B vaccinations available at the Arrowside Sexual Health clinic.

b)   Lesbian and bisexual women are entitled and should be encouraged to attend cervical screening tests.

(Recommendation 6 to the Redditch Community Wellbeing Trust).