DN534334 Irish Community Care

Tender description

The Council needs to make a direct award without competition due to the urgency of the need of the recipients of this service and the otherwise likelihood in a gap in service provision. This would have a detrimental impact to those who would otherwise receive this support. Contractual arrangements are due to expire, but it is recommended that the service be funded to continue in line with other statutory advocacy provision. Opportunity is required to undertake a full Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) in order to assess what impact the decommission of this service could have on individuals with characteristics that are protected by the Equality Act 2010. The proposal to continue with delivery of a targeted advocacy towards a minority ethnic community arguably meets the criteria of the current spending freeze, as it supports the Council’s duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010 for individuals that have a protected characteristic. Minority ethnic communities are facing greater health risks during this pandemic, as well as being more likely to suffer from ‘multiple discrimination’ through additional factors such as mental health conditions or disabilities. Therefore, funding Irish Community Care to support these individuals at this time will contribute to reducing the wider health inequalities within Liverpool.