This page has guidance on what an EqIA should cover and supporting tools for trusts.
What is an equality impact assessment?
Equality Impact assessments (EqIA) are a way of examining the main functions and policies of an organisation to see whether they have the potential to affect people differently. Their purpose is to identify and address existing or potential inequalities, resulting from policy and practice development. Ideally, EqIAs should cover all the strands of diversity and will help trusts get a better understanding of its functions and the way decisions are made, by:
- considering the current situation
- deciding the aims and intended outcomes of a function or policy
- considering what evidence there is to support the decision and identifying any gaps
- ensuring it is an informed decision
- reporting/publishing the decision
Why do I need to do an EqIA?
The duty to undertake EqIAs is a legal duty under the race, disability and gender legislation. It is good practice to extend assessments to also cover the remaining diversity strands.
General duties within equality legislation apply the principles of relevance and proportionality so the time and resources allocated to EqIAs and consultation, will differ according to the relevance of the function and/or policy to equality and diversity.
Guidance and tools
We have developed the following tools for employers: