Standard Equality Impact Assessments (EIA’s)

Service Arms, in LCCS, should undertake a Standard EIA on all their work annually. Starting from June 2009 and continuing annually through normal Service Planning. Further information will be cascaded through Service Arms. Support is available from members of Equalities Network group or Bernie Flanagan in the Childrens Trust Unit.

Standard Equality Impact Assessments are a ‘desktop’ analysis of a service policy, procedure, strategy, or delivery method.

Standard EIA’s identify any discrimination against, or adverse impact on, people within any of the equality strands.

The number of Standard EIA’s required for each service will depend on the size of the team, the likely impact on communities and the service function.

The Standard Equality Impact Assessment requires:

1. A description of what you will be assessing, e.g. the service, policy or procedure.

2. Consultation with the community, workforce or services user is an essential element of an EIA.

3. Summarise the key issues identified – ideally a number of issues will have been identified and should be prioritised according to risk .  The summary will also need to inlcude evidence.

4. Establish a follow up action for each of the issues which have been identified. Actions can be short, medium or long term but must be reasonable, and proportionate to the service provided. Rember to include actions which you already undertake, e.g. ‘Will continue to….’; things you don’t do (gaps); and, things that might cause people from the 6 strands a problem (issues).

5. Plan a review date of the standard EIA. Standard EIAs will begin in summer 2009 and will go on to form part of annual service planning processes from 2010.

For more information on completing a Standard Equality Impact Assessment please download the Standard EIA pro forma and Standard EIA Guidance Notes.

If, through this process you find that issues are more difficult or have a more significant impact or significant risk then an Enhanced Equality Impact Assessment is needed.

Example Standard Equality Impact Assessments will shortly be available to downloaded from this website.

Once a Standard EIA has been completed it will be signed off through normal management arrangements but please send a copy of the Standard Equality Impact Assessment to Carolyn Ford. This will ensure a central collation of actions across LCCS and provide DMT with information about common issues and solutions.