GMCDP convenes the Greater Manchester Disabled People's Panel, one of the regions equality panels.
The Equality Panels have been established to advise, support and challenge political leaders and policymakers to tackle the discrimination and disadvantage that cause injustice and inequality in society, and champion Greater Manchester as an inclusive city-region. For more information on the Equality Panels please visit https://www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/equalities/
This is the Disabled People's Panel's update for July
Disabled People’s Panel
In the last three months ...
This is a snap-shot of the key activities of the Panel. It is not an exhaustive list.
The Disabled People's Panel have developed its workplan for 2024/25 and our Annual Report for 23/24. Our Work Plan will be reviewed after the General Election on 4 July. Our key priorities for 2024/25 are Disabled people and Work, Poverty, Social Care and Strengthening the Panel.
We have (re-)elected our Panel Co-chairs. We have held monthly Panel and Easy meetings which have focussed on our work plan, Work Support and Employment, the potential impact of the General Election, accessible voting, how to increase or improve Easy Read in public sector documents, preparing for the social care commission and providing input to the GM Directors of Adult Social Care.
Panel members have also met with the Digital Inclusion Task Force, the Inclusive Public Services project lead, the GM leads for Work Well and attended the Cost of Living Response Group. We have also been working with Turn to Us to launch their PIP helper tool in Greater Manchester. We have been highlighting the issue of Social Care debt, attending meetings with Debt Justice and GM poverty and debt leads.
Highlights include ...
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beginning to bring together GM Planning, Local Authority planning officers and DPOs
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Supporting GM Law Centre with its newly funded project to improve specialist benefit advice to disabled people
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Greater Manchester councils have continued to include information on accessible voting on Polling Cards – a commitment we achieved last year
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Influencing the Mayor’s manifesto on a social care commission and scoping of devolved benefits provision
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We emailed all the candidates in Greater Manchester standing in the General Election to highlight the barriers to political participation for disabled people
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Local authorities provided information to the Panel to ensure that polling booths are accessible for the General Election
Over the next three months ...
The Panel will review its work-plan for 2024/25 post General Election with a focus on our key priorities. The co-chairs are now working together on the ‘strengthening the panel’ cross cutting theme to look at how we can maximise the engagement with, and impact of the panel, going forward, building on all the hard work done so far.
