Socio-economic duty implementation
Failure to enact Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 (socio-economic duty) in England, impacting vulnerable populations.
Source spread
Where this theme appears
This theme appears across 4 independent accountability sources, so the source mix matters as much as the headline total.
155 committee recs
5 HSSIB recs
1 CQC action
5 LGO/SPSO decisions
Browse by source
Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Select committee recommendations(155)— showing 50 strongest matches
#39 —
Recommendation: Access to books is not a luxury but a fundamental driver of educational success. For many children, schools are the first and only place they encounter a wide range of books and stories. School libraries are not optional enhancements but …
Response Pending
#30 —
Recommendation: The new school breakfast clubs provide a key opportunity to introduce disadvantaged pupils to reading and books in a fun environment away from the pressures and stresses of learning. The Department must ensure that schools delivering the new breakfast clubs …
Response Pending
#26 —
Recommendation: Schools play a key role in developing a love of reading among children, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds who otherwise lack opportunities to access books. The Department acknowledges this, but its policies do not reflect this, with work on reading …
Response Pending
#18 —
Recommendation: Parents and carers know the benefits of reading with their children and want to do more but face multiple barriers in doing so. Pressures and stresses exist for families across the income distribution; however, these are particularly acute for parents …
Response Pending
#14 —
Recommendation: The Department must act decisively and evaluate the benefits of the different programmes being undertaken, with a particular focus on supporting children from those groups least likely to read for pleasure. This should include looking at the benefits of book …
Response Pending
#7 —
Recommendation: The Government must commit to a National Reading Guarantee ensuring that every child, regardless of background, has frequent, regular opportunities to enjoy books, stories and shared reading experiences from birth to 18 as part of everyday life. The National Reading …
Response Pending
#28 —
Recommendation: While no one should be criminalised for sleeping rough, it is clear that the use of powers under the Vagrancy Act have been disproportionately used against the Black homeless population. We welcome the government’s repeal of the Act and the …
Response Pending
#27 —
Recommendation: We welcome the government’s commitment to halve rough sleeping and the additional funding to support that objective. We urge the government to allocate some of that funding to frontline organisations working with Black rough sleepers given the particular challenges those …
Response Pending
#25 —
Recommendation: As part of its National Plan the government should engage with smaller, Black-led organisations who have the trust of their communities. This will enable the government to understand the issues Black people face across a range of ethnicities and other …
Response Pending
#24 —
Recommendation: The delivery of the government’s National Plan to End Homelessness, including resultant policies and local strategies, should explicitly acknowledge and seek to tackle the excess risks of homelessness faced by Black people, and the disproportionately worse outcomes they experience within …
Response Pending
#23 —
Recommendation: The government’s National Plan to End Homelessness and increased investment in social housing are very welcome. However, it is disappointing that there is little recognition in the Plan of the disproportionate impact of homelessness on Black people or any targeted …
Response Pending
#22 —
Recommendation: Black people face a greater risk of homelessness compared to other ethnic groups. This disparity is not explained by poverty or geography alone. Instead, it reflects a combination of factors: direct and indirect racism in housing and related services, structural …
Response Pending
#20 —
Recommendation: The intersections of race with other characteristics, like age, gender, parenthood, sexuality, and disability, shapes both the likelihood of homelessness and the type of homelessness experienced by Black people and others. Recognition of overlapping issues is essential for understanding how …
Response Pending
#18 —
Recommendation: Government strategies to end rough sleeping must take into account that women are more likely to manage their homelessness by making themselves less visible. Using this as a coping strategy can expose them to further risks. More hidden forms of …
Response Pending
#13 —
Recommendation: In bringing forward the “duty to collaborate” the government should set out a clear ambition to tackle the poorer outcomes including increased risks of homelessness that minority ethnic groups experience in leaving the care of public services. The government should …
Response Pending
#12 —
Recommendation: Statutory services should be required to play a stronger role in tackling homelessness. We welcome the focus in the National Plan to End Homelessness on switching from crisis response to prevention of homelessness and the proposed “duty to collaborate” to …
Response Pending
#11 —
Recommendation: We welcome the government’s plans to address poor practice in the use of out of area placements. Those plans should include measures to address the disproportionate use of these placements for Black households, including through the recording and publication of …
Response Pending
#10 —
Recommendation: Out of area placements can remove vulnerable people from their support networks at a time when they most need them and have a devastating impact on people’s healthcare and education. Reports of the disproportionate use of these placements for Black …
Response Pending
#1 —
Recommendation: Evidence of prejudice against Black tenants in the private rented sector makes it crucial that support and pathways to challenge illegal behaviour are available and accessible. We welcome the increased rights for tenants delivered by the Renters’ Rights Act, which …
Response Pending
#25 —
Recommendation: Most current student loan holders will never pay off their loan, which will function like a 30- or 40-year supplementary income tax. Many people told us that the debt acts as a psychological burden, unlike future income and national insurance …
Response Pending
#11 —
Recommendation: With its Plan 5 reforms, the previous government chose to replace income- contingent interest rates with rates pegged to inflation, which suggested that it considered income-contingent loans as problematic. Instead, it opted to shift the burden of paying for higher …
Response Pending
#9 —
Recommendation: Progressive interest rates that are set higher than the rate of inflation increase the costs of higher education to high earners, but this may not seem fair to high earners who also pay higher amounts of income tax than graduates …
Response Pending
#8 —
Recommendation: Considered in isolation, an interest rate much higher than inflation seems unfair, while an interest rate pegged to inflation that maintains the real- terms cost of a loan might seem fairer. If earnings fail to keep up with inflation, however, …
Response Pending
#6 —
Recommendation: Intergenerational fairness is fundamental to maintaining a functional society. A responsible government would pay close attention to it. Ministers must decide where to spend and cut based, at least partially, on which portions of the population need help or can …
Response Pending
#3 —
Recommendation: In the long term, the government should return the balance between the individual and the state to a 50:50 split. (Recommendation, Paragraph 19)
Response Pending
#18 —
Recommendation: The government is taking positive steps through the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 to empower tenants. While we support the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, we are concerned too much onus remains on individuals to take action against their landlord, either through …
Response Pending
#12 —
Recommendation: The abolition of Section 21 of the Housing Act 1988 will go long way to give tenants greater confidence to complain about poor housing conditions without the worry that their landlord will evict them. However, tenants are still vulnerable to …
Response Pending
#2 —
Recommendation: We welcome Connect to Work’s solid foundations in internationally recognised supported employment models grounded in person-centred, values-based approaches, that are widely regarded as an effective framework for supporting disabled people into sustainable employment. The programme’s scale, national coordination, and delivery …
Response Pending
#2 —
Recommendation: The broad definition of anti-social behaviour encompasses a wide range of unacceptable behaviour. While it may be well-established and understood by some authorities, its breadth and subjectivity allows for inconsistency in its application and risks sweeping up less serious matters …
Gov response: ASB can take many forms and can vary considerably depending on the context and locality in which it occurs. The powers in the 2014 Act are designed to deal with a wide range of ASB …
Position Not Stated
#9 —
Recommendation: We recommend that the Secretary of State’s duties in relation to health inequalities in clause 4 of the bill be strengthened and that all ministers should be under a duty to consider how policies they enact might contribute to or …
Response Pending
#4 —
Recommendation: Support from family, often called the bank of mum and dad, is a major part of the current housing market for first-time buyers. This entrenches inequality in the sector, with home ownership resembling an inherited characteristic: a young person’s chance …
Response Pending
#4 —
Recommendation: The Committee concludes that a market investigation into the live music industry should be a priority of the CMA. Against a backdrop of the cost of living crisis, an investigation and consequential remedial measures have strong potential to improve market …
Response Pending
#3 —
Recommendation: The cessation of community sport countrywide during lockdown has hit under- represented groups the hardest. While we welcome the announcement that some recreational sports teams can now resume play, we are concerned about gyms and leisure centres. These facilities act …
Gov response: to be active. It is important that leisure centres remain accessible for people from all backgrounds as we make efforts to return to normality after the Covid-19 lockdown period. Outdoor swimming pools have been able …
Position Not Stated
#16 —
Recommendation: In order to prevent “levelling up” becoming an empty slogan, the Government should produce a strategy underpinning it that defines clear objectives and includes the indicators it will use to gauge success at the next fiscal event. The Government needs …
Gov response: With regards to your recommendation on levelling up, the government is committed to levelling up opportunity in every region and nation of the UK and levelling up represents a common priority across departments, both in …
Accepted
#10 — Examine government and UKRI efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion in STEM.
Recommendation: Should our successor Committee wish to consider levels of diversity and inclusion in STEM, we recommend it considers: • Examining whether the trends in STEM education, particularly in subject uptake and attainment, as well as the delivery of STEM curriculum …
No Published Response
#30 — Amend Employment Rights Bill Clause 26 to define reproductive health support as advancing gender equality.
Recommendation: Clause 26 of the Employment Rights Bill should be amended to make clear that supporting women with reproductive health conditions falls under the definition of advancing gender equality. (Paragraph 111) 77 Violence against women and girls
Gov response: Requiring large employers to produce an action plan, alongside their gender pay gap reporting figures, will ensure that organisations are taking effective steps to improve gender equality in their workplace and tackle pay disparities. Many …
Position Not Stated
#8 — Commission EHRC to review effectiveness of age discrimination protections in Equality Act.
Recommendation: We recommend the Government commission and fund the Equality and Human Rights Commission to review the effectiveness of protections against age discrimination provided by the Equality Act and Public Sector Equality Duty in England, including but not limited to consideration …
Gov response: This government is clear on the importance of protections against age discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 contains strong protections for older people in a variety of settings, including work and the provision of services. As …
Not Accepted
#7 — Age discrimination law is ineffective, poorly enforced, and fails to protect older people.
Recommendation: There is a wealth of evidence that age discrimination is highly prevalent in the UK and widely perceived as less serious and harmful than other forms of discrimination. Age discrimination law, in particular the allowance of objective justification of direct …
Gov response: This government is clear on the importance of protections against age discrimination. The Equality Act 2010 contains strong protections for older people in a variety of settings, including work and the provision of services. As …
Not Addressed
#21 — Ensure Fair Work Agency has powers and resources to investigate labour exploitation
Recommendation: The Government must ensure that the Fair Work Agency has the necessary powers to deter non-compliance. It must have the authority to investigate all forms of labour exploitation, up to and including modern slavery, and be adequately resourced to fulfil …
Gov response: The Fair Work Agency (FWA) will play a crucial role in combating serious labour exploitation. The FWA will inherit the full suite of investigatory and enforcement powers of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), …
Position Not Stated
#20 — Creation of Fair Work Agency must not dilute existing enforcement powers
Recommendation: It is crucial that the creation of the Fair Work Agency does not result in a dilution of the powers currently held by the three existing enforcement bodies. (Conclusion, Paragraph 98)
Gov response: The Fair Work Agency (FWA) will play a crucial role in combating serious labour exploitation. The FWA will inherit the full suite of investigatory and enforcement powers of the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), …
Accepted
#19 — Set out Fair Work Agency funding target to meet ILO inspector benchmark
Recommendation: The Committee welcomes the Government’s focus on labour market enforcement to tackle non-compliance. However, if the Fair Work Agency (FWA) is to be given new powers it will also need more resource. Efficiencies made from combining current budgets will not …
Gov response: The Government is committed to ensuring that labour market enforcement is as effective as possible by focusing on the right balance of resources, expertise, and strategic coordination. While inspector numbers are an important consideration, the …
Position Not Stated
#18 — Effective labour market enforcement is crucial for strengthened worker rights and fair standards
Recommendation: Laws are only as effective as those who enforce them. If the Government wishes to ensure workers are given strengthened employment rights, and that all firms benefit from a level playing field for labour standards, effective labour market enforcement must …
Gov response: The Government is committed to ensuring that labour market enforcement is as effective as possible by focusing on the right balance of resources, expertise, and strategic coordination. While inspector numbers are an important consideration, the …
Response Not Attributed
#13 — Require transparency for recognition ballot spending and secure a long-term WERS replacement.
Recommendation: It is important that the impact of reform to industrial relations is both measurable and measured. We recommend that the Government bring transparency around industrial disputes in line with best practice elsewhere, including the United States, and requires parties involved …
Gov response: The Employment Rights Bill will simplify the process and the law around statutory recognition thresholds, so that working people have a more meaningful right to organise through trade unions. As part of that, we are …
Position Not Stated
#12 — Amend Trade Union Act sections to improve recognition ballot complaint and limitation periods.
Recommendation: Given that an expected consequence of the Employment Right Bill may be greater recognition ballot activity within workplaces, it is essential that ministers amend section 27B of Schedule 1A of the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992 to …
Gov response: The Employment Rights Bill will simplify the process and the law around statutory recognition thresholds, so that working people have a more meaningful right to organise through trade unions. As part of that, we are …
Response Not Attributed
#11 — Expand the Bill's definition of 'Access' to explicitly include a union's right to digital access.
Recommendation: More should be done to ensure that the new right of union access proposed in the Bill is protected against future changes to ways of working and the risk of non-compliance. We recommend that the Bill’s proposed definition of ‘Access’ …
Gov response: The Government is committed to modernising working practices and moving away from a reliance on ad-hoc access arrangements. We recognise the importance of providing for a ‘digital’ right of access in addition to the physical …
Position Not Stated
#10 — Develop a clear, long-term industrial relations strategy, credibly resourced and embedded through collaboration.
Recommendation: The Government’s framework for industrial relations provides strong principles that can help to shape a future settlement based on productive engagement between trade unions and employers. To develop this ambition, we recommend that the Government develops a clear and long- …
Gov response: The Government is committed to a new partnership approach of cooperation and negotiation that sees Government, employers and trade unions working together to tackle the challenges impacting on our economy. The Government wants to create …
Position Not Stated
#9 — Task Acas with leading an information campaign to promote good employment practice compliance.
Recommendation: We recognise that there are a significant number of new employment rights that employers will need to understand and implement. We therefore call on the Government to consider how they use networks of employment support, both statutory and voluntary, to …
Gov response: The Government wants workers and employers to feel the benefit of these reforms as soon as they come into force, which will require high levels of awareness, understanding, and compliance. The Government is committed to …
Position Not Stated
#8 — Revisit equality law enforcement regime, clarifying Fair Work Agency and EHRC roles to protect workers.
Recommendation: To ensure long-term enforcement of the new duties on employers introduced in the Employment Rights Bill, the Government should revisit the regime for enforcing equality law and harm against individual protected characteristics, including setting out how the Fair Work Agency …
Gov response: The Government agrees that effective enforcement will be crucial to achieving workplaces and working conditions free from harassment. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) will retain its current responsibility to enforce the Equality Act …
Accepted
#7 — Publish plans to regulate the umbrella company market and tackle non-compliance.
Recommendation: While compliant umbrella companies can have many benefits to workers, there have been longstanding concerns across governments that the lack of regulation in the umbrella company market can lead to exploitative working practices. The evidence is overwhelming of the need …
Gov response: The Government agrees that timely action in the umbrella company market is imperative to protect the most vulnerable workers and has set out its plans to regulate umbrella companies in the response to the 2023 …
Accepted
#6 — Prioritise review of worker status and address false self-employment immediately.
Recommendation: While the Committee welcomes the Government’s plans to reform worker status and bogus self-employment, it must proceed at pace to turn ambition into action. If it does not, it risks more companies adopting a ‘self-employment’ model for their workforces to …
Gov response: The Government recognises that the UK’s current employment status framework is complex, and that this can cause difficulties for employers, workers, and the genuinely self-employed. This includes its contribution to the rise of so-called ‘bogus’ …
Position Not Stated
HSSIB safety recommendations(5)
Intrapartum stillbirth: learning from maternity safety investigations that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic 1 April …
It may be beneficial if further work is done to understand the specific aspects of the healthcare system which could explain the disparity in the experience and risk for women and pregnant people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds …
Safety Observation
Investigation report: Clinical investigation booking systems failures - written communications in community languages
It may be beneficial to clarify the roles and functions of national organisations in supporting the health inequalities landscape.
Safety Observation
Clinical investigation booking systems failures: written communications in community languages
It may be beneficial to clarify the roles and functions of national organisations in supporting the health inequalities landscape.
Safety Observation
Clinical investigation booking systems failures: written communications in community languages
It may be beneficial to clarify the roles and functions of national organisations in supporting the health inequalities landscape.
Safety Action
12-lead electrocardiograms (ECGs) in ambulance services: paramedic education, training and competence
Ambulance services can improve patient safety by including patient protected characteristics, health inequalities and other specific patient factors that can impact on the task of carrying out and interpreting a 12-lead ECG, when developing refresher training.
Safety Observation
CQC inspection actions(1)
LGO / SPSO decisions(5)
25-000-529 — Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to have regard to the Equality Act in relation to debt recovery. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Other Categories
Jul 2025
PSOW-202005902 — Llanelli Town Council
The Ombudsman’s office received a complaint that a Member (“the Member”) of Llanelli Town Council (“the Council”) had breached the Code of Conduct. It was alleged that the Member had behaved inappropriately during an interaction with other members. The investigation considered whether the Member failed to comply with the following …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Local Government
May 2022
20-013-134 — Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Summary: Ms Y complains the Council failed to clearly explain how her Council Tax bill was calculated and did not offer her an affordable special payment arrangement for Council Tax arrears. She complains about the Council’s consideration of her vulnerability when writing to her about a possible Magistrates Summons. She …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Not Upheld
Jan 2022
21-004-497 — Leeds City Council
Summary: There was fault by the Council. It took too long to complete a Community Trigger review, and it was not clear in its process or its communications with Mr X. He is disabled and in chronic pain. The Council’s shortcomings caused him distress and frustration. The Council has reviewed …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Upheld
Apr 2022
23-015-700 — Wyre Forest District Council
Summary: Ms X complains about how the Council dealt with her council tax. The Council was at fault because it failed to consider whether it should make reasonable adjustments for Ms X. Although it did not affect the decision about Ms X’s liability for council tax, or the debt owed, …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Oct 2024