Summaries of DEAC's meetings held in 2004

Fifth meeting – London 28 January 2004

Welcome to the six black and minority ethnic (BME) Advisers recently appointed to work with the Committee to ensure that DEAC's advice is fully informed by BME perspectives and to provide advice on how best to attract members from BME communities to DEAC appointments including capacity building
Up dates on project activity and discussion of possible themes for future Strategy and Work Plan to be considered formally at April's meeting
Presentation on the implementation of the IB pilots so far
Presentation and discussion on the Biopsychosocial model of disability/impairment

DEAC held its sixth meeting in Manchester on evening of 28 and on 29 April.
The Committee received presentations in the evening from David Anderson, Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, on role of, and priorities for, Jobcentre Plus and involvement of DEAC; and from Susan Hopkins of North West Jobcentre Plus, on a local initiative to improve employment opportunities for people on Incapacity Benefit funded through Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.
The meeting itself concentrated on identifying and working through possible project areas for the next twelve months.
Final project areas will be agreed following discussions with the Minister for Disabled People – Maria Eagle. We will share as much information as we can through the DEAC website.
The meeting also received an up date on the black and minority ethnic capacity building project.
Maria Eagle addressed the Committee and thanked it for its hard work, commitment and enthusiasm. This was very much welcomed. The next meeting in July will be held in Dundee.

DEAC’s seventh meeting was held on 15 July in Dundee.
At DEAC’s pre-meeting dinner on 14 July, Members and Advisers heard a range of guest speakers. The subjects covered included: disability and employment, supported employment, supporting people with learning disabilities into work, and issues that concern small and medium sized employers in relation to employing disabled people.
The meeting’s main focus was on ideas around the Strategy Unit’s report - Improving the life chances of disabled people, especially in relation to employment.
DEAC also spent some time looking at progress on DWP’s work to develop a Vocational Rehabilitation Framework.
The rest of the meeting was taken up with considering progress on DEAC’s project work
The next meeting will be held in Cardiff in November.

Two main themes.
First, the Black and Minority Ethnic capacity building project group brought the Committee up to date on progress.
Invited representatives from a number of organisations in Wales - working with disability and people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds - helped the Committee to work through, in some detail, the barriers that disabled people from Black and Minority Ethnic communities face in getting and keeping jobs, and also, what needs to be done to engage them so that we improve the diversity of Non Departmental Public Bodies.
Second, mainstreaming: Professor Teresa Ress of Cardiff University gave a presentation.
Professor Rees has experience of helping organisations understand what needs to be done to mainstream equality in theory and in practice and has worked with the Wales Assembly on improving the diversity of public appointments.
The various project groups up-dated the Committee on their work.