Housing allocations policy - Equality, accessibility and monitoring

Walsall Council is committed to ensuring that its policy and procedures in nominating people to properties covered by this scheme are nondiscriminatory and that all eligible customers are able to access the service, taking account of any vulnerability or other specific need(s). This commitment extends to the needs of the groups protected by the Equality Act 2010. 

Under the Equality Act 2010, the Public Sector Equality Duty requires local authorities to give due regard to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not in their exercise of a public function. The protected characteristics applicable to this policy are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation, care leavers and members or ex-members of the armed forces. The Council will ensure that this policy complies with current equality legislation and with the relevant statutory codes and guidance. This policy has been subject to an Equality Audit and this will be reviewed when appropriate. 

To identify the needs of our customers the application form will have specific questions relating to vulnerability, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disabilities and other relevant criteria. This information will be used to monitor the impact of the policy on minority and specific needs groups and to make such amendments, as may be required, to ensure no group is disadvantaged by the policy. 

The Council will ensure that the system is as accessible as possible to any applicant and will monitor who is applying for housing and who is receiving any offer of housing (via nomination). Applicants who have any difficulty reading or understanding this Policy will be offered the following services:

• An interpretation service if their first language is not English
• Signing if speech or hearing is impaired
• Provision of documents in large print, Braille or on computer disk or audiotape if an applicant is visually impaired
• An interview to explain the content of this document and information about where independent advice can be obtained about the Council’s scheme

The Council will monitor the policy and outcomes to ensure that it is meeting all legal requirements and that the aims and objectives set for the policy are being met. Monitoring will be used to ensure that:

1. Those in the ‘reasonable preference’ categories are given priority for housing based on their respective needs
2. Those wishing to downsize their property or release an adapted property are enabled to do so 
3. The Council is complying with its Equality Act duties 
4. There is overall customer satisfaction with the scheme