Equality Impact Assessments

As a public body KCC must carry out Equality Impact Assessments (EqIAs) on all new policies, procedures, projects and services, to prevent unfair discrimination.

The Policy Guidance (PDF, 82k),updated in February 2012, provides step-by-step help for staff undertaking EqIAs. The flow chart (PDF, 78k) provides an overview of the process.

There is also a report template (Word, 289k) for recording the findings from both the initial screening and any further assessment you need to do.

To assess potential impacts for each protective characteristic we have separated the screening document from the guidance tool for ease of access. Also separated is the equality impact assessment internal action plan.

The EqIA focuses on nine core areas which form the basis of all our identities.

They are:

• Age
• Disability
• Faith
• Gender
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage & civil partnership
• Pregnancy & maternity
• Race
• Sexual orientation

An EqIA should be used to anticipate and identify the impacts of new policies, procedures, projects or services on these areas. Managers should then ensure that any potential negative consequences are removed or balanced out by either changing the policy, procedure, project or service or introducing other measures alongside it. 

There are two stages to equality impact assessment in KCC consisting of stage 1 (initial screening) and stage 2 (full impact assessment).

• Initial screening is a quick overview of a policy, procedure or service to assess relevance to equality and to see if any low level action can be taken to change the likely impact of a decision on a particular group.
• Full impact assessment is a longer piece of work which relies on the findings of the initial screening to research and take action where impacts are judged to be unknown or are considered to be major.

Below are a selection of Equality Impact Assessment initial screenings and full impact assessments that have been carried out in KCC:

• Anti-Social Behaviour Strategy (Word, 96K)
• Barriers and Pedestrian Guard Railing Policy (PDF, 36K)
• Better Workplaces initiative (Word, 66K)
• Community Warden's Office relocation (Word, 98K)
• Country Park's Food and Refreshments (Word, 44K)
• CSRS Business Support re-structure (Word, 98K)
• Employment Equality Impact Assessments
• Household waste recycling centres (Word, 64K)
• Improving Accessibility of Roads and Pavements (Word, 57K)
• Kent Community Alcohol Partnership (Word, 101K)
• KCC Community Safety Training Partnership Office Relocation (Word, 97K)
• KCC Engagement Strategy (Word 31.0K) 
• Lullingstone Country Park initial screening (Word, 46K)
• Managing change well in KCC Framework
• Modernising public access - Reception Closure Programme - General Proposal and Phasing (Word, 36K) 
• New structure for Kent Trading Standards (Word, 99K)
• Pilot for registering Births, Deaths and Marriages at Gateways (Word, 99K)
• Pilot for registering Births, Deaths and Marriages at Libraries (Word, 99K) 
• Positive risk management policy (Word, 97K)
• Positive Ticketing Project (Word, 100K)
• Proposed pay structure and appraisal changes (Word, 70K)
• Revised complaints policy and procedure stage 1 (Word, 108.K)
• Revised complaints policy and procedure stage 2 (Word, 66K)  
• Signs and Road Markings Policy (PDF, 36K)
• Shorne Woods Country Park initial screening (Word, 42K)
• Shorne Woods Interpretation Project (Word, 43K)
• Supporting People Strategy 2010-2015, (Word, 136K)
• Trading Standards alerts messaging service (Word, 39K)