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1. What are the main aims purpose and outcomes of the Policy and how do these fit with the wider aims of the organization?

The ECO pilot will retrofit insulation to homes of all tenures with no cost to the occupants in the Park Wood, High Street, Shepway North and Shepway South wards.

2. How do these aims affect our duty to:

·           Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimization and other conduct prohibited by the act.

·           Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

·           Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

It will enable all residents to have the thermal efficiency of their home increased, where needed, helping them have a warmer home with lower fuel bills.

Older people and people with physical disabilities may have greater than average need to keep them home warm.

3. What aspects of the policy including how it is delivered or accessed could contribute to inequality?

The proposed plan should not contribute to inequality.

4. Will the policy have an impact (positive or negative) upon the lives of people, including particular communities and groups who have protected characteristics ? What evidence do you have for this?

The scheme will enable households to have insulation fitted to their home at no cost. This will help their home hold its warmth and so stay warm for longer, reducing the amount of energy needed to stay warm and so may reduce heating bills.

This would benefit every type of occupant but may benefit older people and those with physical disabilities more as they may have a greater need to be warm at home.

Name of Policy/Service/Function

ECO pilot

Purpose

What are you trying to achieve with the policy / service / function?

To work with partners to provide a home insulation retrofitting scheme to residents in the Park Wood, High Street, Shepway North and Shepway South wards.

Who defines and manages it?

There is no statutory obligation on the Council to provide a scheme helping households access Energy Company Obligation (ECO) funding. However, the government requires that major energy companies do make ECO funds available for measures to be installed to reduce carbon emissions. The Kent and Medway Green Deal Partnership have worked with partners to provide this scheme to access ECO funding and provide a scheme to householders to have their home insulated free.

Who do you intend to benefit from it and how?

All residents living in the Park Wood, High Street, Shepway North and Shepway South wards will be offered the scheme. A survey will identify the insulation works that could be carried out in their home to improve the thermal performance. Those households that choose to accept the offer will benefit from work being carried out to provide loft and/or wall insulation. The insulation will reduce the amount of energy needed to heat the home and so should result in lower fuel bills.

What could prevent people from getting the most out of the policy / service / function?

It is possible that some landlords may not consent to insulation work being carried out in their property. It is possible that householders may view the scheme as a potential scam and not allow the surveyor to enter their property. Some homes will already be fully insulated and not be able to benefit from additional insulation.  Some homes may be listed buildings which may restrict the works that could be carried out on them.

How will you get your customers involved in the analysis and how will you tell people about it?

The scheme provider will analyses and report on their performance and this will be used to inform how the service is carried out in future.

Evidence

How will you know if the policy delivers its intended outcome / benefits?

The scheme provider will provide regular reports showing the households that have been surveyed and the insulation measures installed at postcode level.

How satisfied are your customers and how do you know?

This is a new scheme so no feedback is available. However, previous schemes providing free insulation were well used.

What existing data do you have on the people that use the service and the wider population?

As this is a new scheme there is no existing data on people that use the service.

What other information would it be useful to have?  How could you get this?

NA

Are you breaking down data by equality groups where relevant (such as by gender, age, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, religion and belief, pregnancy and maternity)?

The data collected will relate to homes and insulation and not the occupier so data will not be reviewed in respect of equality groups.

Are you using partners, stakeholders, and councillors to get information and feedback?

The service provider will provide feedback. Informal feedback will also be sought from community groups and councillors.

Impact

Are some people benefiting more – or less - than others?  If so, why might this be?

As the service will be provided in the Park Wood, High Street, Shepway North and Shepway South wards the householders in these wards will benefit . These wards were selected to be targeted first as they best met the criteria for accessing the ECO funding.

Within these wards the people occupying the most poorly insulated homes could gain the most benefit whereas those in the well insulated homes may find no improvements can be offered and they gain no benefit.

Actions

If the evidence suggests that the policy / service / function benefits a particular group – or disadvantages another - is there a justifiable reason for this and if so, what is it?

The people in the homes with the poorest insulation can benefit the most but this would only bring them up to the standard of homes built since 1991. No group is disadvantaged be the service.

Is it discriminatory in any way?

This plan is not discriminatory as it focuses on improving home insulation and it tenure neutral. It does not focus on individuals or their characteristics.

Is there a possible impact in relationships or perceptions between different parts of the community?

No.

What measures can you put in place to reduce disadvantages?

We will inform landlords of the scheme to reduce the likelihood that they do not give permission for improvements to be carried out in their properties.

Do you need to consult further?

No.

Have you identified any potential improvements to customer service?

No.

Who should you tell about the outcomes of this analysis?

N/A

Have you built the actions into your Service Plan or Policy Implementation Plan with a clear timescale?

No

When will this assessment need to be repeated?

N/A