Traveller and Diversity Section - Equality Impact Assessment - Report
Fenland District Council
Equality Impact Assessments
Traveller Services and Diversity Section
Gypsies and Travellers have been part of the community in the Fenland area for hundreds of years. In fact the first Gypsies recorded in England were in the early sixteenth century on the North Norfolk coast just a few miles away. Fenland District Council recognises that Gypsy Travellers are an integral part of English life and the local community and have been so more many hundreds of years.
Many Gypsy Travellers live in caravans and follow a traditional lifestyle that is nomadic or semi nomadic, in that it involves travel for all or part of the year. A number of Gypsy Travellers though have been forced to settle on Travellers sites and in houses due to the lack of traditional stopping places or because of the need to access health care or education.
Fenland District Council aims to provide safe and secure accommodation for all Gypsy Travellers according to their wishes, where they can free from a constant threat of eviction. This will also enable them to access mainstream services. This approach has enabled Gypsy Travellers to gain access to services that the settled community take for granted. By taking this approach all Gypsy Travellers are able to access health, welfare and education services. It enables people, living in social accommodation, with learning difficulties, disabilities and the elderly to speak face to face with a Travellers Site Officer or Housing Officer who can assist them with any queries that they may have. The Council also aims to address stereotyping and myths between the Gypsy Traveller and settled community.
Our proactive approach to unauthorised encampments highlights this. By encouraging Gypsy Travellers to act in an environmentally responsible and socially integrated way this has minimised complaints and concerns from the settled community. By explaining to the Gypsy Traveller community the way in which the settled community live and how their actions can be misinterpreted this has enabled a greater understanding and tolerance towards each others cultures and this has enabled a rapport between one another to be built.
All activities undertaken by the Travellers Services Section are carried out with good practice guidelines and legal responsibilities. All people are treated with respect and dignity, in a fair and transparent way. To high light our approach we have carried out equality impact assessments on all of our policies, procedures, practices and functions and these are available on the Councils web site www.fenland.gov.uk or in electronic format or hardcopy upon request.
Any enquires on these should be directed to Traveller and Diversity team diversity@fenland.gov.uk or via the phone on 01354 654321.