Equality impact assessments

An Equality Impact Assessment analyses a proposed or existing policy or strategy to identify what effect, or likely effect, will follow for different groups in the community.

Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) aim to ensure that as far as possible any negative consequences for a particular group or sector of the community are identified and eliminated, minimised or counterbalanced by other measures. In brief, EIAs are helping us to:

achieve better results generally;
identify actual and potential inequalities; and
respond appropriately to these inequalities.

Our EIAs must be accessible to the public, so this page will be updated regularly to include EIAs once they are published.

Documents and guidance

Guidance on Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) (Word, 220Kb)
Overall guidance on carrying out equality impact assessments on policies.

The Policy Clearing House model - Guidance (Word, 199Kb)
The Policy Clearing House model enables each County Council directorate to manage the process of undertaking, publishing, evaluating and reviewing Equality Impact Assessments, systematically and transparently.

Policy Clearing House spreadsheet - Guidance (Excel, 25Kb)
Guidance to help our directorates fill in the Policy Clearing House spreadsheet.

Stage 1 - Initial Equality Impact Assessment (Screening Toolkit) (Word, 31Kb)
All policies, procedures, protocols, plans and strategies developed by Suffolk County Council (or Customer Service Direct) must be screened using the Initial Impact Assessment Toolkit. The toolkit enables all relevant information to be formally and systematically recorded. It enables responsible managers to record decisions about further assessment. It provides the building blocks for any further assessment and consultation.

Stage 2 - Full Equality Impact Assessment (Word, 26Kb)
This assessment builds on the Initial Assessment, and will be undertaken if the Initial Assessment points to the possibility of an adverse impact (discrimination) on any equalities group. It then outlines the risks and benefits and includes advice from experts and interested groups (e.g. the Diversity Manager, Diversity Champions, Equalities Officer, specific voluntary sector or user groups). The completed document includes the assessment, management decisions and details of relevant consultation. The full assessment will include all 8 steps that are required within a full EIA. The previous stages completed will support the assessment and provide appendices. A full assessment therefore builds upon the work that has already been completed and incorporates all of the 8 steps required in a full assessment. The assessment is undertaken together with the County Council Consultation & Involvement Guide (PDF, 470Kb).

Policy Clearing House spreadsheets for each directorate

Adult & Community Service excel 92kbs
Chief Executive excel 264kbs
Children & Young People excel 216kbs
Environment & Transport excel 1.01mbs
Public Protection excel 111kbs
Resource Management excel 884kbs

To include the evidence of all the EIA screenings would make these workbooks too large to print, therefore if anyone would like to see any of these screenings please contact the name at the top of the page.
Graph showing screenings to date word 33kbs