The Equality and Community Cohesion Officer, Evereth Willis, introduced the report and highlighted the progress that had been made over the past year, particularly on narrowing the gap on educational attainment, the proportion of young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), food poverty and welfare support. Evereth Willis said that work was ongoing to narrow the gap on child obesity, to develop the sustainable communities plan, volunteering and social capital. She was pleased to report that equalities is now more systematically embedded in the day to day work of the council. She stressed that although the strategy is set for four years, the action plan is reactive and can therefore change year on year.

The Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Engagement and Equalities, Councillor Edith Macauley, added that voluntary sector groups and the Joint Consultative Committee had been involved in the development of the action plan.

Evereth Willis and Rachael Wardell (Director of Children Schools and Families) provided additional information in response to questions:

·         Public Health, Children Schools and Families and the Licensing teams are working together to tackle childhood obesity through a number of work streams including the healthy weight and diabetes strategies and are looking to see what action could be taken to limit the number of fast food outlets around schools

·         The council has been working with Transport for London to ensure that traffic junctions are DDA compliant – if councillors have specific examples of where this is not the case these should be sent to Evereth Willis or to the Director of Environment and Regeneration

·         The council continues to work with schools to encourage them to sign up to the daily mile scheme