Equality Impact Assessments (EQIAs)

What is an EQIA? 

An Equality Impact Assessment or EQIA as it is better known is a tool to help you to anticipate the needs of diverse groups when you are making decisions about projects, policy or service delivery.  It is a positive opportunity to make decisions in keeping with our Values.    

What are the benefits in carrying out an EQIA?

• Think about equality in the early stages of planning, which will improve service delivery and employment practice.
• Ensure that no one is excluded from the delivery of our services and implementation of our policies.
• It is designed to help us anticipate the consequences of our actions and consider the effects of our decisions on different communities, individuals or groups.
• Identify whether a business activity is likely to affect groups of people in different ways.
• They are an opportunity to involve different groups of people in decision making.
• Ensure that your decision-making includes a consideration of the actions that would help to avoid or mitigate any negative impacts on particular protected groups.
• Provide positive opportunity to advance equality within all areas of work including projects, policies and procedures.
• Make your decisions based on evidence.
• They help us meet our Equality Act 2010 Public Sector Equality Duty.

What does the Law say?

The Equality Act 2010 introduced the Public Sector Equality Duty. The Act places general equality duties on public sector employers which require the SPCB to:

• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act; 
• advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not; and
• foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it. 

The specific equality duty requires the SPCB to assess and review the impact of proposed new or revised projects, policies or practice against the needs of the general equality duty.