As part of our role to monitor and enforce the public sector duties, the Commission assesses equality schemes. We do this to determine the extent to which schemes have enabled public authorities to meet the general duties. These assessments are done using standard templates to ensure consistency.
Under equality legislation, public authorities have legal duties to pay ‘due regard’ to the need to eliminate discrimination and promote equality with regard to race, disability and gender, including gender reassignment, as well as to promote good race relations.
The law requires that this duty to pay ‘due regard’ be demonstrated in the decision making process. Assessing the potential equality impact of proposed changes to policies, procedures and practices is one of the key ways in which public authorities can show ‘due regard’.
By law an assessment must:
Such assessment does not necessarily have to take the form of one document called an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA), although this is what we recommend for reasons explained in our guidance for decision-makers.
We have published the following templates to assist public bodies in the development of their schemes. These templates may also be useful to other organisations who have an interest in the way in which public authorities are meeting the public sector duties..
Equality scheme assessment template for England and Wales (Word)
This template is used to assess disability/gender/race equality schemes or single equality schemes in England and in Wales.
Equality scheme assessment template for Scotland Word)
This template is used to assess disability/gender/race equality schemes or single equality schemes in Scotland.
Guidance to accompany the equality scheme assessment template in England and Wales (Word)
This document provides additional guidance for anybody completing a scheme assessment in England and Wales.
Guidance to accompany the equality scheme assessment template in Scotland (Word)
This document provides additional guidance for anybody completing a scheme assessment in Scotland.
Equality scheme/policy assessment template for educational bodies: England and Wales (word)
This template is used to assess disability/gender equality schemes and/or race policies for educational bodies in England and Wales.
Equality scheme/policy assessment template for educational bodies: Scotland (word)
This template is used to assess disability/gender equality schemes and/or race policies for educational bodies in Scotland
Guidance for completing the scheme/policy assessment template for educational bodies in England and Wales (word)
This document provides additional guidance for anybody completing the assessment template.
Guidance for completing the scheme/policy assessment template for educational bodies in Scotland (word)
This document provides additional guidance for anybody completing the assessment template.