Website of the Department of Health

Single Equality Scheme 2008 – 2011

Published:  to be confirmed (2008)

The Department of Health (DH) Single Equality Scheme (SES) describes both the commitment and how DH intends to meet the duties placed on it by equality and human rights legislation. The SES is relevant to the operations across DH and its Arms Length Bodies in so far that they refer to the policy environment. It covers the policy process within DH and employment related duties. The SES sets out the Department’s public commitment and plan for action across the six equality strands of ethnicity, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation and religion or belief. The SES also incorporates the Human Rights programme.  This scheme will cover the period 2008 – 2011.

Past Equality Schemes

The Single Equality Scheme 2007 – 2010 builds on previous equality schemes produced by the Department. For information on these schemes use the links on the left to navigate by diversity strand.

The Single Equality Programme

The DH Single Equality Programme incorporates the Single Equality Scheme and SES action plan development and monitoring, the Equality Impact Assessment Programme, Equality and Human Rights Assurance Group secretariat and Stakeholder Review and Management

Equality and Human Rights Assurance Group (EHRAG)

An Equality and Human Rights Assurance Group has been established to improve governance arrangements for equality across the Department and its arms length bodies. 
Chaired by a DH Non-Executive Member of the Departmental Board, the Group provides oversight and assurance on performance against equality and human rights legislation. The Group will ensure alignment with business planning and other strands of the internal governance structure through assurance on the delivery of the SES and SES action plan. 

Equality Impact Assessment Programme

All DH policy (both external facing and corporate) should be appropriately screened and where impact is assumed, a full Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA) be undertaken. EqIAs are increasingly being produced alongside legislative and policy documentation to inform and ensure effective and equitable policy-making. A requirement of documents passing through the NHS Gateway is production of an EqIA. Reporting on EqIAs also forms part of the DH performance scorecard.

Equality Stakeholder Review (Draft report due April 2009)

DH is committed to national policy for health and social care being designed to accommodate a very wide range of different needs and expectations. To help DH will be reviewing and revising its equality stakeholder identification and management arrangements to help deliver meaningful and sustained engagement with stakeholders on issues relating to equality.

A link will be established to the proposed NHS Diversity Council to ensure alignment between the DH and NHS governance arrangements for equality.

Statement of Internal Control

As part of the drive to improve compliance with equalities legislation and to gain assurance of that compliance, Boards of NHS organisations are now required to provide assurance and disclose any non-compliance with equality legislation (through Standards for Better Health) through their Statement on Internal Control (SIC). Further guidance for 2008-09 reporting will be available in due course.

• Further information on the SIC (2007/08)