Issues for consideration:
- Good quality disaggregated data will be required to conduct impact assessments effectively across all the strands
- A generic equality impact assessment tool is acceptable and resource efficient so long as it sets out how each of the separate public sector duties will be met
- Under the Race, Disability and Gender duties all policies and practices will have to be assessed. Good practice will be to assess all policies and practices across the strands.
- Equality impact assessments are often construed as a highly complex process. However it is important to remember that the emphasis should be on achieving the desired outcome (ie eliminating health inequalities) rather than the process itself.
- The purpose of an impact assessment is to ensure that no-one is disadvantaged by a decision or activity and to identify where equality of opportunity can be promoted.
- An impact assessment should be flexible and may need to be conducted at various stages in the development of policy or service planning.
- The purpose of an impact assessment needs to be aligned to business need. Ensuring that impact assessments fit with business planning and activity will embed the process.
- Training and explanatory documents specific to clinical and non-clinical functions will assist in mainstreaming equalities
- Concurrent involvement of stakeholders in assessing the impact of existing and new policies and practices will ensure the assessment is more robust.
The following is a general problem solving tool that can be used in impact assessments for all equality strands. The list below describes the steps required to carry out a full impact assessment:
1. Identify your policy aims.
2. Consider the data and research.
3. Assess any likely adverse impact on all groups
4. Consider alternative policies to eliminate the adverse impact
5. Involve and consult relevant stakeholders.
6. Make a decision on the policy.
7. Make arrangements to monitor and review the way the policy works.
8. Publish the results of the assessment
