Supporting Change • Developing People • Promoting Ability

Frances McAndrew

Frances has worked in the inter-related fields of economic regeneration, equality and diversity for over 15 years. A psychology graduate, Frances is now undertaking an Executive MBA at Ashridge Management School. Previous work with GCL has included equality consultancy to the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Frances has also worked at a senior equality management level in the public sector, the third sector and was the Registered Manager of a residential home. Frances was also an active Unison steward negotiating many positive equality outcomes with a large London employer.

Throughout her career Frances has been an active people manager working to build strong meritocracies which role model the principles of equality and diversity underpinning her career. She has also forged strong and positive relationships with key equality stakeholders including the Government Equality Office, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the RDA equality network and numerous third sector community and equality focused organisations.

Frances was one of GCL's team of writers who in 2009 drafted the non-statutory guidance for the Equality Bill. She has led on the mainstreaming of equality into a complex and fast moving regional public sector organisation. The success of this work can be judged by the London Development Agency's (LDA) status at level 5 of the Equality Standard for Local Government and the work of the LDA as the lead RDA on equality.

Frances was responsible for integrating Equality Impact Assessments (which consider all equality strands and community cohesion) into the day to day business of the LDA; hundreds have been conducted to date leading to tangible changes in service delivery. This EqIA model has been shared with and adopted by many other public sector organisations.

Frances understands and has experience of implementing public sector equality duties and was also responsible for developing one of the countries first Disability Equality Schemes as well as developing an innovative approach to involving disabled people, the Independent Disability Equality Group.

Frances has also worked on a Single Equality Scheme ahead of legislation to introduce a duty to do so. This has involved commissioning research on sexual orientation, faith and age in relation to economic regeneration. Frances also worked closely with the Government Equality Office on behalf of the RDAs to influence the development of a duty to tackle socio-economic disadvantage.

Frances is currently on a period of sabbatical leave from her position as Head of Equality at the LDA.