ONE DARTFORD: A DARTFORD BOROUGH COUNCIL INITIATIVE
REQUEST FOR EVIDENCE FROM LOCAL ORGANISATIONS ON THE LIFE EXPERIENCE OF MINORITY COMMUNITIES IN DARTFORD.
Events around the world, over the last year, have thrown a new light on issues of inequality amongst some of the valued groups within our community. Dartford Borough Council is seizing the opportunity to launch “One Dartford” a raft of initiatives and policies to ensure that Dartford offers a safe, welcoming and fair environment for all.
We don’t wish to rest upon long held assumptions about the life experience of local people, and recognise that a commitment to equality may be different from achieving it. As a first step we are setting out to capture authentic experiences of individuals and organisations. That’s where you come in.
One thread of our work is a call for evidence, from relevant organisations representing, or providing services to the groups listed below.
We would like you to focus on your local experiences, here in Dartford, rather national or societal perspectives, which are being picked up elsewhere in our work. We will also be opening up a separate and very important channel to capture the views of individuals and families, so once again, we would be grateful if you would offer views from your organisation’s perspective, although your help in reaching out to individuals, to make them aware of the opportunity to contribute their life experiences, would be enormously appreciated, in the weeks ahead.
We know you may be enormously busy, at this time, but your answers to this phase of our work is really important to us.
The minority communities the Council is particularly interested in hearing about include:
- People with a disability.
- Minority ethnic communities.
- Young and older people
- People with mental health issues.
- The LGBT+ communities.
- The homeless.
The questions the Council wishes to ask, relevant organisations, are as follows:
- What are the particular health issues which face these groups, and how does this differ from the majority population?
- What do you perceive to be their experiences of accessing health services and of the services provided?
- What do you perceive to be the economic issues faced by these groups, including employment opportunities, wage levels, and debt. Again how does this differ from the majority population?
- Are these groups educational opportunities the same as the majority population, and if not how do they differ?
- How safe do minority communities feel in their homes, and on the street? Do they share with you any concerns about the response of public services to any requests for service they raise?
- In your experience, how easy do these groups find it to access the housing market? What are the main issues they face in terms of housing?
- Do you feel, local services, as a whole, meet the needs of these groups, and if not, where are the gaps?
- Is there any other comment you would like to make, concerning issues of equality, in respect of the clients you assist?
Your organisation is asked to either answer all of the above or those you believe to be particularly relevant. Your answers can be submitted electronically to adrian.gowan@dartford.gov.uk or by post to Adrian Gowan, Community Services Manager, Dartford Borough Council, Civic Centre, Home Gardens, Dartford, DA1 1DR. Please be sure to include a contact, in case we have follow up questions. Could you also clearly state which of the above groups you work with.