What is an Equality Impact Assessment (EIA)?

It is simply a tool or process that allows a business or organisation to check how an existing or proposed service, policy or procedure affects groups of people covered by equalities legislation and to ascertain whether it is discriminating (actual or perceived to be) against a particular group of people. It can then be changed if it is having an adverse effect on some groups, or indeed highlighted as good practice if it is found to be having a beneficial effect.

Many public bodies have a legal requirement to publish policies or schemes on Race, Disability and Gender and undertake EIAs on each! Others have now moved to Single Equality Schemes, incorporating these strands and including Religion or Belief, Age and Sexual Orientation. The associated EIA assesses the impact on all 6 strands.

Increasingly, businesses and organisations without statutory requirements to publish equality policies or undertake EIAs recognise the benefits of doing so and see the move towards Single Equality as an opportunity to review their policies and procedures or start afresh and develop a meaningful Single Equality Strategy incorporating effective and easy to use EIA.

Single Equality Training and Consultancy can tailor its services and EIA easy to use toolkits to your business needs at all stages of strategy, policy and training.

Don’t be afraid – it doesn’t have to be difficult, costly or resource disproportionate!