Equalities and Human Rights progress snapshot
Our Equalities and Human Rights 'snapshot of progress' will be updated every 6 months to provide details of our activity, as we work to deliver the Council Plan; One City, for all.
For our core commitment to Equalities and Human Rights we will create opportunities for all, providing equal opportunity and balancing the human rights of everyone to ensure residents and visitors alike can benefit from the city and its strengths. We will stand up to hate and work hard to champion our communities.
Priority actions
Find out more about progress on each priority action related to Equalities and Human Rights:
- Listen and learn from those who have direct experience of poverty and caring responsibilities
- Celebrate being a Human Rights City with an Anti-Racism Action Plan
- Promote the Good Business Charter and Living Wage Foundation for public good
- Review Blue Badge accessibility by rolling back restrictions to those in place before November 2021
- Introduce family friendly foot streets and place-making that give young people confidence in their future
- Describe how we will help people live in the right home for their circumstance
- Be recognised by Local Government Association (LGA) as 'excellent' in Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion, including implementing the Social Model of Disability across the Council
- Deliver good and outstanding children's services with the voice of the child heard throughout
Priority action: Listen and learn from those who have direct experience of poverty and caring responsibilities.
Progress by March 2024:
- The council’s Leader and a member of the Corporate Management Team were invited to join the Poverty Truth Commission.
Priority action: Celebrate being a Human Rights City with an Anti-Racism Action Plan.
Progress by March 2024:
- Executive approved the refreshed governance arrangements for York’s Human Rights And Equalities Board (HREB)
- Executive approved the council action plan developed in response to the Anti-Racism and Inclusion Strategy and actions to support the Gypsy and Traveller Community. See: Agenda for Executive on Thursday, 14 March 2024 (Item 8).
- In celebration of our Human rights City and City of Sanctuary status, Executive approved the Welcome Centre for Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children.
Priority action: Promote the Good Business Charter and Living Wage Foundation for public good.
Progress by March 2024:
- The council celebrated Living Wage Week 2023 by promoting the Good Business Charter and the Living Wage Foundation.
- Over 150 York employers in York are now Good Business Charter employers, more than anywhere in Yorkshire and Humber.
Priority action: Review Blue Badge accessibility by rolling back restrictions to those in place before November 2021.
Progress by March 2024:
- Blue Badge city centre access reopened on 4 January 2024 at Goodramgate and at Blake Street on 8 March 2024, with access to Blue Badge Holders now fully rolled-back to 2019 levels.
- The Access consultation launched with several different ways for the disabled community to get involved. The online consultation closed in February, with workshops taking place in March and April 2024. Independent Access Consultants, MIMA and the Centre for Applied Human Rights are working together to develop recommendations to shape a more accessible city centre.
Priority action: Introduce family friendly foot streets and place-making that give young people confidence in their future.
Progress by March 2024:
- Executive have approved an updated 'Our City Centre' vision, which includes a “family friendly and affordable city centre” as one of its 8 key themes. See: Agenda for Executive on Thursday, 12 October 2023 (Item 37).
- Executive approved next steps for the Castle Gateway Masterplan, which includes an ambition to include play space in new designs for the space. See: Agenda for Executive on Thursday, 16 November 2023 (Item 10).
- Partners were asked to join a task and finish group in January 2024 to shape an Our City Centre delivery plan. The Access consultation (see above) will feed into this place-making work.
Priority action: Describe how we will help people live in the right home for their circumstance.
Progress by March 2024:
- The specialist mental health housing and support strategy including homelessness pathways and an extension to the SASH contract was approved by Executive. See: Agenda for Executive on Thursday, 16 November 2023 (Item 13)
- New funding of £234.9k has been awarded from the Government’s Rough Sleeper Initiative to support people sleeping rough off the streets.
- The Warm Places Grant was launched to provide warm places for people struggling to cover energy costs over winter.
- The Council won the National Healthy Housing Award handy person scheme of the year to support residents live well, safely and independently in their own homes.
Priority action: Be recognised by Local Government Association (LGA) as 'excellent' in Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion, including implementing the Social Model of Disability across the Council.
Progress by March 2024:
- The council worked with community groups to co-design a clear policy statement about what the Social Model of Disability means and how the community will implement it, approved at Executive Decision Making Session. See: Agenda for Decision Session - Executive Member for Finance, Performance, Major Projects and Equalities on Wednesday, 24 January 2024 (Item 13).
Priority action: Deliver good and outstanding children's services with the voice of the child heard throughout.
Progress by March 2024:
- We worked with care experienced young people to develop an updated Corporate Parenting Strategy, outlining our ambitions and long-term aspirations for care experienced young people as they become adults. Children in care groups set up by York have been shortlisted for a national award.
- The Early Talk for children’s speech and language programme won a national Learning Award at the Children and Young People Now Awards.
- The Children and Young People’s Plan has been approved, setting out our assurance and ambition plans and a city-wide strategic framework for all our partners and reflecting the key things that matter most to children, young people, parents and partners.
