Skip to content

Accessibility

Equality Impact Assessment

What is an Equality Impact Assessment?

An EIA is the thorough and systematic analysis of a proposed or existing policy or practice to determine what effect, or likely effect, it will have on different groups in the community.

EIAs can anticipate and identify the equality consequences of particular policy initiatives and ensure that as far as possible any negative consequences for a particular group or sector of the community are eliminated, minimised or counterbalanced by other measures.

Back to top of page

Why undertake Equality Impact Assessments?

It is good practice

EIAs are a good method of analysing what we are doing with the end user as the main focus. The benefits of impact assessment include:

  • Helping to identify whether we are excluding different groups from any of our services
  • Helping to idntify direct or indirect discrimination
  • Assisting us in considering alternative policies or measures that might address any adverse impact
  • Helping mainstream equality in our policies and practices
  • Helping us to target resources more effectively
  • Helping us to better understand the needs and aspirations of the diverse communities we serve
  • Helping us to reality check our policies and services with the people affected by them

It is a statutory requirement

The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 RR(A)A requires local authorities to promote race equality in policy making, service delivery, regulation and enforcement and employment. The three key elements for promoting race equality are:

  • Eliminating discrimination
  • Promoting equality of opportunity
  • Promoting good race relations

The RR(A)A therefore requires Councils to assess which of their policies and functions are relevant to race equality and set out how they will:

  • Monitor policies for any adverse impact on race equality
  • Assess and consult on the likely on proposed policies
  • Make sure the public have access to information and services
  • Train their staff in relation to the duty.

Although the specific statutory requirement only relates to race, we want to ensure that our policies and practices do not discriminate against any group within our community and we use every opportunity to promote equality of opportunity and good community relations. Our impact assessment process will extend to cover gender, disability, sexual orientation, age and religion and belief as well as race, supporting the delivery of our Corporate Equality and Diversity Plan. This will ensure that we are working within the other statutory equalities drivers including the Disability Discrimination Act, the Sex Discrimination Act, the European Directives on sexual orientation, age and religion and belief and the Equality Standard.

Links to other initiatives

The work we do on impact assessment will feed into, and enhance, a wide range of other national and local priorities including:

  • Best Value – if our services are to be of the highest quality, which is the aim of Best Value, they need to be provided in a way that ensures they are meeting the diverse needs of all service users. Impact assessment will be an integral part of all future Best Value reviews.
  • Service and business planning – actions identified within impact assessments will feed into a range of Council plans at all levels including service delivery plans, directorate service strategies, the Corporate Plan and our many statutory plans.
  • Community Cohesion – the outcomes of impact assessments will support our work on community Cohesion feeding into the Community Strategy and our work with key partners on the Strategic Partnership.

Back to top of page

What is the end result?

Our ultimate aim is to improve our services. By making sure we have considered the potential impacts of a policy, strategy or plan at an early stage potential barriers or problems can be avoided and actions put in place these it can be fully incorporated into any decisions and not just a ‘bolt-on’ at the end. Working in this way helps us to integrate and mainstream equalities into our work. Likewise, when reviewing the effectiveness and performance of our services, we can use this procedure to identify equality issues and opportunities as an integral part of our review.

Back to top of page

Completed Assessments

Last updated: Mon 28th November, 2011 @ 13:03

Jump To

Back to top