The aim of the statement of Purpose is to:

Meet the requirements of section 44 of the Children Act 2004 and replace regulations( the Children (Private Arrangements for Fostering) Regulations 2005, which came into force on 1 July 2005.

It is designed to ensure the wellbeing of children who may be living by private arrangement with people other than close relatives.

This is the Stage 1 Equality Impact Assessment - Initial Screening, for the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service Integrated Risk Management Plan 2013-2015.

The Council currently has two separate contracts that provide support and advice to people with

a sensory impairment. The contract supporting people with sight impairment is run by the Isle of

Wight Society for the Blind whilst the other contract supporting people with a hearing impairment

is run by Action on Hearing Loss.

The intention is to bring together both of these services into one single contract and to provide

increased support to people who are deaf blind, children in transition who are not in education

and people with other related sensory impairments.

At this stage it is projected that the financial assistance for the scheme to be provided by Central Government will be some £1.9m less than the amount currently provided to support the existing Council Tax Benefit scheme.  In order to fully or partly meet this funding gap the Council has to consider a reduction of council tax support paid to working age claimants.

Stage 1 Equality Impact Assessment for the Strengthening Families Programme

Stage 2 Equality Impact Assessment for the Strengthening Families Programme

The national Council Tax Benefit (CTB) scheme comes to an end on 31^ST March 2013 to be replaced by a locally determined system of Council Tax Support (CTS). The funding made available by Government for the new scheme will be reduced by 10% nationally and cash limited. The aim of the new support scheme is to provide financial assistance to council taxpayers who have low incomes.  Persons who are of state pension credit qualifying age  are protected under the scheme in that the calculation of the support they are to receive has been set by Central Government.  For working age applicants however the support they receive on the Isle of Wight is to be determined by the Council. 

At this stage it is projected that the financial assistance for the scheme to be provided by Central Government will be some £1.8m less than the amount currently provided to support the existing Council Tax Benefit scheme.  In order to fully or partly meet this funding gap the Council has to consider a reduction of council tax support paid to working age claimants.  This completed EIA sets out the considerations in providing the final Council Tax Support scheme.

The aim of the delegated decision report is to set out the issues associated with joining with our neighbouring authorities (Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth and Southampton City Councils) and the Solent Local Economic Partnership (SLEP) as a member of the Solent Local Transport Body (SLTB) – the sole aim of which is to draw down, prioritise and allocate government money to fund major (£2m+) transport schemes in the SLEP area.

The expected outcome will be that the Isle of Wight Council joins the SLTB and will then be able to attract additional funds to spend on large transport schemes on the Island.

The national Social Fund Discretionary Scheme for Crisis Loans and Community Care Grants comes to an end on 31^ST March 2013 to be replaced by a locally determined system of Local Assistance Scheme (LAS). The funding made available by Government for the new scheme will be cash limited. The aim of the new support scheme is to provide financial assistance to island residents for general living expenses who are in genuine hardship and can not be met through other means. 

This is a pilot year scheme to enable the Council to monitor, evaluate and deliver a responsive scheme of local assistance and will be delivered through the grant funding available of £344K. 

 

EIA Stage 1 - Personal Budgets/Direct Payments Framework for the Strengthening Families Programme

Regulatory and Community Safety Services’ (Licensing, Environmental Health , community Safety and Trading Standards) primary function is to achieve regulatory compliance in order to protect the public, legitimate business, the environment and groups such as consumers and workers. Enforcement action is at the discretion of the Local Authority. The policy applies to all the legislation enforced by officers with delegated enforcement powers employed by Regulatory and Community Safety Services . The purpose of the policy is to enable officers to interpret and apply relevant legal requirements fairly and consistently.

The national Council Tax Benefit (CTB) scheme ended 31^ST March 2013 and was replaced by a locally determined system of Council Tax Support (CTS). The funding made available by Government for the new scheme was reduced by 10% nationally and cash limited. The aim of the new support scheme is to provide financial assistance to council taxpayers who have low incomes.  Persons who are of state pension credit qualifying age  are protected under the scheme in that the calculation of the support they are to receive has been set by Central Government.  For working age applicants however the support they receive on the Isle of Wight is to be determined by the Council.

At this stage it is projected that the financial assistance for the scheme to be provided by Central Government will be some £1.8m less than the amount provided to support the previous Council Tax Benefit scheme.  In order to fully or partly meet this funding gap the Council had to consider a reduction of council tax support paid to working age claimants. 

This completed EIA sets out the review considerations in providing the final Council Tax Support scheme for the second year 2014/15 following the Council decison of 16.1.13 to provide a transitional scheme during 2013/14 to enable residents to adjust to paying the full amount of the contirbutions required (resrticting to maximum of 80% support) from 1 April 2014.

Equality Impact Assessment for the Fire and Rescue Service Integrated Risk Management Plan 2014 - 2020.

The anti-social behaviour case review process is a mechanism for victims of persistent anti-social behaviour to require action, starting with a review of their case. The focus of an anti-social behaviour case review is on bringing agencies together to share information and to take a more joined up, problem-solving approach to find a solution for the victim. Agencies including councils, the police, local health teams and registered providers of social housing will have a duty to undertake a case review when someone requests one and their case meets the defined threshold of the trigger. For the purpose of the anti-social behaviour case review process (community trigger), anti-social behaviour is defined as “behaviour causing harassment, alarm or distress to any member of the public”.

The national Council Tax Benefit (CTB) scheme ended 31^ST March 2013 and was replaced by a locally determined system of Council Tax Support (CTS). The funding made available by Government for the new scheme was reduced intially by 10% nationally and cash limited with further reductions each year expected through the financial setttlement. The aim of the support scheme is to provide financial assistance to council taxpayers who have low incomes. Persons who are of state pension credit qualifying age are protected under the scheme in that the calculation of the support they are to receive has been set by Central Government. For working age applicants however the support they receive on the Isle of Wight is to be determined by the Council.

The level of financial assistance for the scheme to be provided by Central Government has continued to reduce compared the level provided under the former Council Tax Benefit scheme. In order to fully or partly meet this funding gap the Council has had to review the previous CTS scheme provided during 2014/15 and consider whether the scheme for 2015/16 should continue or change in relation to the council tax support paid to working age claimants.

This completed EIA sets out the review considerations in providing the final Council Tax Support scheme for the third year 2015/16 following the Council decisons of 16.1.13 and 16.10.13 to provide a scheme during 2014/15 (resrticting to maximum of 80% support) from 1 April 2014.  Whilst the scheme is proposed to continue as per the 2014/15 scheme, this EIA review has been updated 

The equality impact assessment for the Personal Budget reconciliation of unspent funds. Details the change in the process of reconciling unspent personal budget funding at review or if the personal budget should cease.

This Equality Impact Assessment covers the Partnership between Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service

“Advocacy is taking action to help people say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests and obtain services they need. Advocates and advocacy schemes work in partnership with the people they support and take their side. Advocacy promotes social inclusion, equality and social justice.” (The Advocacy Charter, 2002)

From 1^st April 2015 the Care Act places a statutory duty on all local authorities to involve people in decisions made about them and their care and support, for people to be active partners in the key care and support processes of assessment, care and support planning, reviews and safeguarding. No matter how complex a person’s needs, local authorities are required to help people express their wishes and feelings, support them in weighing up their options, and assist them in making their own decisions.

This policy sets the framework for delivery of Advocacy Services on the island. It is intended to support adult social care and health staff in their person-centred practice and to secure personalised outcomes by helping individuals, their families, friends and/or carers to:

·             speak up for, or act on behalf of, themselves or another person.
·             take action to say what they want, secure their rights, represent their interests.
·             contribute their views, opinions, ideas and feelings to inform processes for continuous service improvement.

This policy outlines the Isle of Wight Council’s arrangements for the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS were an amendment to the MCA 2005 which came into effect in April 2009. The Policy is also Care Act 2014 compliant.

DoLS provides a framework to:

 1)            The deprivation of liberty safeguards provide legal protection for those vulnerable people who are, or may become, deprived of their liberty within the meaning of Article 5 of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in a hospital or care home;

2)           To help to identify when a person who lacks mental capacity to consent to it, is deprived of their liberty to ensure that any deprivation of liberty is lawful and provide an Appeals Process.

Section 117 of the Mental Health Act places a joint duty on health and social care to provide support to patients who are discharged from longer term detention under the Mental Health Act, to reduce the risk of their readmission to hospital.

This After-care Policy – Section 117 of the Mental Health Act provides guidance to staff in both the Isle of Wight NHS Trust and the Isle of Wight Council on the discharge of this duty, including clarification of their responsibilities, the range of services to be provided, monitoring and review and when the duty may come to an end.

The Care Act, introduced in April 2014, includes new legislation and seeks to provide clarity about which local authority is responsible for a person’s care and support, depending on where the service user lives or spends the majority of their time. It is clear that the process of determining a person’s ordinary residence must not delay the process of meeting needs. In cases where ordinary residence is unclear, the local authority should meet the individual’s needs first and then resolve the question of residence.

The Policy explains in detail how to determine ordinary residence, cases where a person lacks capacity, people who have no settled residence, arrange accommodation in another area, NHS accommodation, mental health aftercare and various other common situations.

The purpose of guardianship is to enable patients to receive care in the community when it cannot be provided without the use of compulsory powers. It provides an authoritative framework for working with a patient to keep him/her safe whilst achieving as independent a life as possible. Where it is used it must be part of the patient’s overall care and treatment plan.

Guardianship is focussed on social care needs and the patient’s welfare. If the need for compulsory powers is primarily in relation to medical treatment Supervised Community Treatment, if available, may be more appropriate.

The Council is intending to introduce prepaid cards as a method for making direct payments to people with eligible care needs. The use of prepaid cards will increase flexibility and reduce the barriers to direct payments. This will ensure compliance with the Care Act 2014 which states that a choice of delivery methods for direct payments must be offered.

Many individuals currently supported by the council receive services in a residential or nursing care setting. Their needs have been agreed with them as a result of an assessment of need for care and support.

The council will require the service user to make a financial contribution subject to their ability to pay and this policy covers these circumstances.

This policy has been written in accordance with the Care Act 2014 and subsequent issue of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance and Regulations.

The policy recognises that carers can be eligible for support in their own right and the valuable role they play in our local community. The guidance explains the importance that carers have regular breaks from caring and have time to themselves, even if it is just for a short time. It explains in detail how the council supports carers in their caring role and the assessment process to confirm they have eligible needs. Any service identified will be financially assessed.

The policy explains the various kinds of respite care available and gives guidance to Adult Social Care workers.

The Policy has been refreshed in light of the Care Act 2014 and the Care and Support statutory guidance being updated and provides advice and practical guidance on the operation of Deferred Payment Agreements to business support staff. The policy also explains fees and charges, including an administration / joining fee together with the introduction of an annual fee for all service users who meet the criteria and wish to utilise the Deferred Payment Agreement (DPS).

People who go into permanent residential or nursing care may need to sell their property to pay the care home fees. Where there is a delay in selling the property or they do not want to sell the property immediately, payment can be deferred. If the local authority pays the care home fees it will recover the payment from the proceeds of sale once the property is sold. This is known as a deferred payment agreement (DPS).

The Isle of Wight council defines a complaint as “an expression of dissatisfaction or concern by the public about the standard of service, conduct, actions or lack of action by the Isle of Wight council or its staff”.

If individuals are dissatisfied or have concerns about any of Adult Social Care’s standard of service, actions or lack of action or its staff, we have a formal complaints process. Please note that this policy is not intended for cases where the IWC has taken a decision in a proper manner but with which the complainant disagrees.

ASC's Complaints Policy explains how the Isle of Wight Council (IWC) investigates and manages Adult Social Care complaints, what clients can do if they are unhappy about any aspect of Adult Social Care Services and what the IWC will do to resolve the complaint. The policy is aimed at good practice guidance and supporting staff to deal with complaints in ways which are demonstrably consistent and fair and which comply with legislation and best practice.

This completed EIA sets out the review considerations in providing the final Council Tax Support scheme options for the financial year 2017/18 for the Full Council decision of 18.1.17 to provide a scheme from 1 April 2017. 

This completed EIA sets out the review considerations in providing Council Tax  discounts in relation to empty homes, those undergoing structural alteration and repair, and long term empty properties from 1 April 2017 to support the Council decision of 18.1.17 to provide a revised policy during 2017/18. 

Equality Impact Assessment for the revision of the local authority school funding formula for the 2017/18 financial year.

The EIA supports the Policy that explains a Direct Payment Personal Budget is the amount of money the Isle of Wight Council (IWC) has assessed is necessary to meet an individual’s eligible social care needs and can be delivered in a variety of ways. A direct payment gives the individual choice and control over how their eligible needs are met, including purchasing and arranging assistance or services for things that are important in their life. It allows them to use the funds to achieve the outcomes identified in the agreed Independence Plan.

The EIA supports the Third Party Top Up Policy that explains about top up payments. Top Ups are the extra money needed to be paid by a third party to meet the difference between the amount the IWC will pay (as identified in the social care personal budget) and the money the provider requires for the placement.

Sometimes a provider will request a more expensive price for a placement than the Isle of Wight council (IWC) has identified it will meet as agreed in the personal budget.

Equality Impact Assessment in relation to the Discretionary Non-Domestic Rate Relief Policy 2018

This is the Equality Impact Assessment related to the Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2018-20.

The Dynamic Purchasing System policy explains the way in which the Isle of Wight Council (IWC) commissions its services by using a Dynamic Purchasing System. The Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) is based on a web-based system called sproc.net which is hosted and managed by a third party provider called adam. Sproc.net enables the IWC to commission home support, day and evening opportunities, domestic care to supported living and learning disability care home services on an individual basis.

For the purpose of this policy, a Supplier is the term used to refer to a provider who enters into an agreement to provide services on behalf of the IWC.  

The policy clarifies the Isle of Wight council’s (IWC) position regarding the time period up to receiving a Court Order for safeguarding properties of adults being cared for away from home as identified in the Care Act 2014.

If someone is being cared for away from their home, for example they are in hospital

or temporarily supported in a care home, and they are unable to make arrangements themselves or arrange for someone else to protect and secure their property contents or pets, the IWC will take reasonable steps identified in Section 5.3 of the Policy to protect their property, contents and pets. The council’s duty to protect the property ends when the person returns home, or when they are able to make their own arrangements for the protection of their property. The council will recover from the person all reasonable expenses incurred in protecting their property.

The Isle of Wight Council (IWC) are committed to support individuals already working as a PA and encourage and support people who wish to become a PA. The policy also provides information, advice and signposts anyone wishing to employ a PA. The council wanted to create a community PA Noticeboard that supports PA’s delivering care that helps people in the community.

Developing the PA market enables people requiring assistance and support better access PA’s across the island thereby improving choice, control and quality of support.

The Isle of Wight Council currently provides £60,000 per year to fund the discretionary non-means funded NHS Cross Solent Travel Scheme, which provides reimbursement of ferry fares for NHS patients travelling to the mainland for chemotherapy, radiotherapy or renal dialysis.

The Council is considering whether or not it should continue to fund this scheme and has undertaken a full consultation with the public to inform any decisions about the future of this funding.

The Isle of Wight Council's Direct Payment Support Service Policy explains how Adult Social Care manages direct payments on behalf of individuals. Council business and practice refers to Managed Accounts as a Direct Payment Support Service.

This policy sets out how the council meets its statutory obligations in relation to direct payments. It also clearly sets out what direct payment money can and cannot be spent on and defines what will constitute fraudulent use, clarifying these points for those in receipt of direct payments.

Equality Impact Assessment for Adult Social Care's redesign June 2019.

Equality Impact Assessment for Long Term Empty Premium applied in relation to the Council Tax Policy for Second Homes, Long Term Empty Properties and determining discounts for certain dwellings 2019

The national Council Tax Benefit (CTB) scheme ended 31 March 2013 and was replaced by a locally determined system of Council Tax Support (CTS). The funding made available by Government for the new scheme was reduced initially by 10% nationally and cash limited with further reductions each year expected through the financial settlement. The aim of the support scheme is to provide financial assistance to council taxpayers who have low incomes. Persons who are of state pension credit qualifying age are protected under the scheme in that the calculation of the support they are to receive has been set by Central Government. For working age applicants however the support they receive on the Isle of Wight is to be determined by the Council.







The level of financial assistance for the scheme to be provided by Central Government has continued to reduce compared the level provided under the former Council Tax Benefit scheme. In order to fully or partly meet this funding gap the Council has had to review the previous CTS scheme provided to consider whether the scheme should continue or change in relation to the council tax support paid to working age claimants.







This completed EIA sets out the review considerations in providing the final Council Tax Support scheme for 2020/21 following the Council decisions of 20/11/2019 to provide a scheme during 2020/21.  The scheme will change, and this EIA review has been updated. 

Many individuals currently supported by the council receive services agreed with them as a result of an assessment of need for care and support where a local authority arranges care and support to meet a person’s needs, it may charge the adult. This new framework is intended to make charging fairer and more clearly understood by everyone.

The council will require individuals to make a financial contribution subject to their ability to pay and this policy covers these circumstances.

The policy has been written according to the Care Act 2014 and subsequent issue of the Care and Support Statutory Guidance and Regulations.

The national Council Tax Benefit (CTB) scheme ended 31 March 2013 and was replaced by a locally determined system of Council Tax Support (CTS).  The funding made available by the Government for the new scheme was reduced initially by 10% nationally and cash limited with further reductions each year expected through the financial settlement.  The aim of the support scheme is to provide financial assistance to council taxpayers who have low incomes.  Persons who are of state pension credit qualifying age are protected under the scheme in that the calculation of the support they are to receive has been set by Central Government.  For working age applicants however the support they receive on the Isle of Wight is to be determined by the Council, therefore an EIA is required. 

This needs assessment has been conducted on behalf of the Solent Armed Forces Covenant Partnership Board representing Portsmouth, Southampton and Gosport, and the Isle of Wight Civil Military Partnership Board, to inform the work of the Partnership and support local partners to meet their statutory duties under the Armed Forces Covenant

First stage Equality Impact Assessment carried out regarding the proposed scheme for the Local Council Tax Support consultation. The proposed scheme would be implemented from 1 April 2024. 

First stage Equality Impact Assessment carried out regarding the proposed scheme for the Local Council Tax Support consultation. The proposed scheme would be implemented from 1 April 2025.

EIA for LCTS draft scheme 2025/26