Equality Impact Assessments (EQIA)
At EMBED we help our clients to transform organisations by developing a culture of inclusion to accommodate customers, visitors, employees and service users by considering their access needs and/or cultural or individual differences.
Equality Impact Assessments (EQIA) are a key tool to help you understand the direct impact your policies, processes, projects and services have on those who identify with protected characteristics defined in the Equality Act 2010, such as disability, gender or race and underrepresented groups, such as those from low economic backgrounds.
If potential customers or employees find your policies, processes, projects or services are discriminating against a particular characteristic or underrepresented group, they are less likely to want to engage with your organisation or work for you.
EMBED has produced a best practice EQIA process to help a client organisation to proactively consider how a project/policy/service will meet the general equality duty and take necessary action as required to ensure legal obligation is achieved.
The public sector equality duty (the equality duty) came into force 5 April 2011. The equality duty was created under the Equality Act 2010 and applies to all public sector organisations. If a project/policy/service shows a possible ‘adverse impact’ on any group, the organisation must consider how this might be removed or reduced. This would include how an alternative policy might lessen this effect and serve to promote equality of opportunity and good relations.
We can help you review your current process or create and EQIA processes guideline and template document adjusted to your organisational need.
Read on to find out more about our 'EQIAs' or contact us to arrange an informal chat.
How we can help
Expert assessment
We will start with a desktop review of your current EQIA process to identify the current good practice in your policies, processes, projects and services.
Pragmatic guidance
Where we find examples of practices that potential customers or employees could consider discriminatory, we will give pragmatic guidance to help you to address any issues.
Ongoing support
We are committed to providing you with the ongoing support and information required to embed change and so we offer a follow-up review to discuss our findings of the review and whether you need further support in creating/ re-writing your EQIA process.
Value for money
And finally, we think we offer great value for money as we use our passion for people to help you to embed EDI good practice across your organisation.
The detail
Legislation: The review will be delivered in line with existing legislation, such as the equality Act 2010 with refence to the Public Duty and current good practice in supporting your employees and service users to access your organisations policies, processes, projects and service with limited barriers, helping embed the good practice in creating sustainable and intersectional EDI.
EQIA reporting: Our report will include a summary description of findings including identified good practice and will:
- Highlight areas that can be expanded or removed to create a best practice EQIA processes
- Highlight potential training and educational opportunities in embedding EQIA processes
- Include our recommendations for a refreshed EQIA process