Impact Assessments

What is an Impact Assessment?

An equality impact assessment is a way of systematically and thoroughly assessing, and consulting on, the effects that a proposed policy is likely to have on people, depending on ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability and religion.

Why conduct an Impact Assessment?

Impact assessments are conducted to ensure that a policy does not discriminate against any social group or people because of their ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, disability or religion.

Although we have a legal duty to conduct impact assessments, they are an improvement tool that have many benefits.  Impact assessments:

• ensure our policies and services are having the best possible impact on our communities
• provide us with evidence to show that our policies and services are not having any adverse impact on our residents and are not discriminating in any way
• make sure that the services we provide do not overlook or exclude any groups
• set out ways to collect information to give us feedback on services and monitor their impact

What does an Assessment focus on?

Impact assesments initialy focused on the effect of policies on different racial groups.  The methodology was developed by the Commission for Racial Equality and conducting race equality impact assesments is a requirment under the Race Relations Ammendment Act.

As part of the Disability Discrimination Act (2005) it is now also a requirment that assesments look at the potential impact a policy or service may have on people with disabilities.  In addition to this gender issues also need to be considered as part of the Gender Equality Duty.

This means that increasingly legislation is requiring us to look at all aspects of equalities.  Due to this the approach we have developed is to conduct diversity impact assessments that aim to consider all six strands of equalities.  This is also an approach that is suggested within the Equality Standard for Local Government.  Our program of assessments is set out in our corprate impact assessment timetable.  (26.39 KB)

Completed diversity Impact Assessments that are available to view:

• Assesment of the Statement of Principles  (10.86 KB) for the Gambling Act 2005
• Assesment of the proposed new leisure centre for Evesham  (31.32 KB)
• Assessment of revised licensing policy  (36.14 KB)
• Summary assessment for the new community strategy  (36.33 KB)
• Assessment of Concessionary travel scheme  (36.03 KB) - November 2007
• Assessment of elections  (45.56 KB) February 2008
• Assessment of electoral registration  (44.89 KB) February 2008
• Assessment of Pay and Workforce Strategy  (36.02 KB) - March 2008
• Assessment of our community contact centres  (40.62 KB) - June 2008

Further Information

Robin Mace
Strategy & Communications Team
Call 01386 565517 between 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday
Email: robin.mace@wychavon.gov.uk