GMIIC Report Easy Read
Good Lives For All in Greater Manchester
Report of the Greater Manchester Independent Inequalities Commission
Introduction
About this booklet
This is an easy read version of the report ‘The Next Level: Good Lives for All in Greater Manchester’ by the Greater Manchester Independent Inequalities Commission.
We think it is important that the report is accessible to everyone, so have made it in different formats.
This easy read version has been done by Manchester People First who are a self advocacy group for people with a learning disability.
Who we are
The Greater Manchester Independent Inequalities Commission was set up by Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA).
We are an independent ‘critical friend’ of GMCA. This means we support the work they do, but will say when we think they are wrong, or can do better.
GMCA is the 10 local councils from each part of Greater Manchester working together on things that affect people across the region such as transport.
What we do
The Greater Manchester Independent Inequalities Commission was set up to look at inequality in Greater Manchester and come up with ways we can make things better.
What we mean by Inequality
Inequality is when people do not get the same chance as others. This is wrong, there are laws against it, but there is still inequality.
Sorts of inequality
People can suffer inequality because of who they are, or where they live, or a mix of different things. This can be about things such as:
- Age
- Sex and Gender(Male, Female, Trans, Non-Binary)
- Race and ethnic background
- The country or area you are from, or live in
- Disability
- Sexual orientation, this is being straight, gay or bi
- Religion and beliefs
- If you are married or in a civil partnership
- Language you use
As well as other things, such as:
- Education
- Not having control over your own life
- Not being listened to by people who have power
- If you can get the care and support you may need
- How much money you have
- How good housing and transport are where you live
What we want to do
We want to make Greater Manchester a better, more equal place to be.
We Want Good Lives For All in Greater Manchester
What we can do
We can set goals and targets, but things will only change and get better if we can get everyone working together.
Recommendations
We think these things should be done in Greater Manchester
- Making Good Lives for All should be part of everything Greater Manchester does. Wellbeing and equality goals should be part of the Greater Manchester Strategy. This is a plan about what we want done in the region.
- The Mayor of Greater Manchester should start a Greater Manchester Anchor Action Network. Businesses, public and voluntary organisations who are in the area can create good, secure jobs that pay well and help groups who do not get the same chances as other people.
- Start a People’s Taskforce to give people power. Have a People’s Assembly where ordinary people have a say in what they think is important.
- Give more power to the Equality Panels. These advise the Greater Manchester Mayor. They are made up of people who represent groups such as disabled people, or people from different ethnic groups. They should be more independent and have their own budget.
- Start an independent Anti-Discrimination body who can meet and set targets for organisations, so they can get better at sorting out things that are unfair.
- Agree a plan to do something about in equality faced by minority groups. A minority group is people who have a different social, religious, ethnic background to the majority (biggest) group.
- Have a GMCA Race Equality Plan and have a plan about how to have more Black and Asian people in top jobs in GMCA and other big organisations. Do more about race in equality in health, education, police, work and housing.
- Setup GMWorks this would bring together GMCA, colleges and local businesses to get people into good paid jobs.
- Get all employers in Greater Manchester to pay the living wage and offer living hours by 2030.
- The Skills divide is where the skills people have are different to the skills people need. Education services will work with others to help people get the skills and training they will use through their lives.
- Set up a Community Wealth Hub. This would help types of businesses that are owned by the people who work in them.
- Set up a Community Investment Platform to put people who have money they want to invest locally in touch with things that are good for local areas.
- Set up a Land Commission to look at who owns and controls land in Greater Manchester and see how this affects inequality and what can be done about it.
- Start having universal basic services, this is where basic services we need such as education, health, social care, transport, housing, and being able to use digital services, are available to everyone free, or at a cost they can afford.
- Have an Education Challenge to make sure children and young people have opportunities that are better and more fair.
- Have more public and social sector housing and more housing that does not cost more than people can afford to pay. Public sector is things that are run by the government or council. Social sector are things done to help, and not just to make money.
- Do a test to see how public services can be run in a joined-up way in 10 poor neighbourhoods.
Conclusion
We want to change the way Greater Manchester is run so everyone works together to make good lives for all by:
- Giving people power
- Good jobs and good pay
- Having more money
- Better services
When decisions are being made, the people making
them need to ask:
- Will it make someone’s life better?
- Will it work for everyone that need it to?
- Will it reduce inequality?
- Will it work now and in the future?
More information
You can find out about what the Greater Manchester Independent Inequalities Commission is doing at the GMCA website.
You can download the full report and summary report and there is a video of the report launch event.
Or contact: