Equality Impact Assessments

It is good practice for the Council to analyse and understand the likely impact of its decisions in terms of equality and inclusion to ensure the district is a place where people are treated with fairness and respect and that they can access services which take into account their individual needs.

What is an equality assessment?

Undertaking equality assessments in support of all decision making helps the Council understand how the policies and services we design and run effect Bradford District citizens, service users and staff from all communities. It demonstrates our understanding of our communities and our staff, and shows how we have considered them in our decision making. It helps us improve our services by ensuring they are relevant and appropriate to our communities and their needs.

Undertaking an equality assessment also fulfils the legal duties placed upon the Council in a transparent manner, and helps us to be accountable to the people that we serve.

When to do an equality assessment?

The Council is required by legislation to undertake an equality assessment in the following circumstances:

• when proposing or developing a new policy, strategy, practice, service or function
• when reviewing an existing policy, strategy, practice, service or function
• when decommissioning, ceasing or removing a policy, strategy, practice, service or function.

An equality assessment should always be proportionate to the change in question and to the potential equality impact of the changes.

Viewing Bradford Council’s Equality Impact Assessments

The Council will publish its consideration of equality issues through its formal Committee Reports and when necessary by producing and publishing an equality impact assessment form.

Equality Impact Assessments are undertaken annually for the Council’s budget setting process and are updated as proposals are considered, decisions made and then implemented.

Protected characteristics

In order to fulfil the equalities duty, the equality assessment needs to take into account the impact that the proposal being assessed might have on the protected characteristics as defined in the Equality Act 2010.

The Council’s Equality Impact Assessment process is designed to ensure that due regard is given to all three aims of the general Equalities Duty, as follows:

• The need to eliminate discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
• The need to advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
• The need to foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.