Equality Impact Assessments
Integrated Impact Assessments
The Comhairle have a legal duty to assess its policies for impact, to ensure statutory compliance and to reduce inequality of outcomes.
We have revised our impact assessment processes and introduced an integrated approach. Under previous arrangements Equality Impact Assessments and Fairer Scotland Impact Assessments were undertaken to assess the impact of applying new or revised policies.
An integrated approach avoids the need to undertake and report on separate assessments and provides an opportunity to actively consider wider impacts and further reduce inequality of outcomes.
Legal Context
The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) is a legislative requirement, often referred to as the ‘general duty’, which requires public bodies in the exercise of their functions, to have due regard to the need to:
- Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other prohibited conduct
- Advance equality of opportunity between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not; and
- Foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
Legislation requires that people are not discriminated against, harassed or victimised on the grounds of their ‘Protected Characteristic’. The Protected Characteristics are:
- age
- disability
- gender reassignment
- marriage and civil partnership
- pregnancy and maternity
- race – this includes ethnic or national origin, nationality and also includes Gypsy/Travellers
- religion or belief (including lack of belief)
- sex (gender)
- sexual orientation.
Every person has one or more protected characteristic; therefore the Act protects all individuals against unfair treatment.
The Fairer Scotland Duty, Part 1 of the Equality Act 2010, came into force in Scotland in April 2018. It places a legal responsibility on public bodies in Scotland to actively consider (‘pay due regard’) to how they can reduce inequalities of outcome caused by socioeconomic disadvantage when making strategic decisions.
What is an Integrated Impact Assessment?
An Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) provides a framework to enable the Comhairle to comply with it’s statutory obligations taking account of equality, socioeconomic disadvantage, sustainability, child poverty, the environment, climate change and the need to promote human rights, including the rights of children and young people.
IIA’s support the critical assessment of whether a policy (by policy we mean policies, strategies, provisions, criteria, functions, practices, budget savings and activities, including the delivery of services) has wider impacts beyond its intended outcomes and if it impacts differentially on different groups in our communities. IIA’s are a means of ensuring that decision makers are fully informed, at a formative stage in the decision making process.
Outcomes following an IIA may include taking action to address any issues identified, such as removing or mitigating any negative impacts, where possible and practical, and exploiting any potential for positive impact.
Why are Integrated Impact Assessments required?
Assessing impact is an important part of the public sector’s decision making process. It is important in developing any proposal to understand how the needs of different groups in the population may differ. IIA is a mechanism which enables you to consider the needs of different groups, it enables the Comhairle to:
- Take effective action on equality
- Develop better policies and practices based on evidence
- Be more transparent and accountable
- Meet legal requirements in relation to equality, climate change, sustainability, socioeconomic disadvantage, child poverty, the environment and the need to promote human rights, including the rights of children and young people.
This process provides an opportunity to identify and highlight both negative and positive impacts.
Completed Integrated Impact Assessment
The Comhairle is required to make available and publish all the results of its Integrated Impact Assessment. The following Assessments have been conducted:
2019
- Initial Impact Assessment - Corporate Workforce Plan (458.5kB) (Opens in a new window or downloads a file)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Service Delivery Options for Public Transport in Lewis and Harris (885.0kB) (Opens in a new window or downloads a file)
2018
- Initial Impact Assessment - Debt Recovery (424.6kB) (Opens in a new window or downloads a file)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Review of Day Care, Local Area Coordination Post Holding Duties (257.4kB) (Opens in a new window or downloads a file)
2017
2016
- Initial Impact Assessment - Information Security Policy (253.9kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Procurement Strategy (245.2kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - ISL Early Morning Opening (2.1MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Opening Hours of Ionad Spòrs Leòdhais (197.0kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Policy on Dealing with Unacceptable Actions by Complainants (356.8kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Grievance Procedure (187.9kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Employee Counselling Policy (189.5kB)
2015
- Initial Impact Assessment - Scottish Welfare Fund (1.1MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Shared Parental Leave (191.5kB)
2014
- Initial Impact Assessment - Policy On School and Room Letting (122.3kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Policy On The Use Of Settlement Agreements (77.4kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Workforce Planning Policy 2014 (74.8kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Workforce Change Policy 2014 (81.4kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Benefits and Counter Fraud Business Plan (1.0MB)
2013
- Initial Impact Assessment - Social Media Policy (65.2kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Learning and Development Strategy (60.5kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Grievance Procedure (64.8kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Special Leave Policy (71.2kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Budget Choices: Trade Unions (66.6kB)
- Full Impact Assessment - Community Meals (3.6MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Community Meals (1.4MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Counter Fraud Policy (996.2kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Sustainable Procurement Strategy (1.1MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Procurement Policy (1.1MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Debt Recovery Policy (1.1MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Procurement Strategy (1.5MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Moving and Handling (1.5MB)
- Benefits Business Plan (1.1MB)
- Discretionary Housing Payments (1.2MB)
- Scottish Welfare Fund (1.2MB)
2012
- Initial Impact Assessment - Procurement Strategy (2011) (1.0MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Policy on Dealing with Unacceptable Actions by Complainants (67.7kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Documents/Recruitment Portal 2012 (72.1kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment- Customer Service Strategy 2012-2016. (57.2kB)
2011
- Full Impact Assessment - Local Housing Strategy (130.5kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Customer Service Strategy (66.8kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Corporate Reception (66.4kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Flexible Working (62.7kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Medical Redployment (62.2kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Blood Borne Viruses (62.1kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Recruitment (62.5kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Grievance (59.1kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Competency (62.2kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Disciplinary Policy (61.7kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Drugs and Alcohol (62.0kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Internal Audit Manual (62.8kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Fraud, Corruption & Irregularity (60.9kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Use of Consultants (68.2kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Dispute Resolution (72.8kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - HR Strategy 2011 (65.2kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Mobile & Landline Communications (143.0kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Policy on Payment of Travelling Expenses (142.2kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Procurement (82.8kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Procurement Strategy (2011) (83.1kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Special Leave (73.4kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Travel Policy (72.8kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Violence and Aggression (75.2kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Water Coolers (74.1kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Workforce Planning Policy 2011 (64.8kB)
2010
- Initial Impact Assessment - Corporate Complaints Procedure (56.5kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Human Resources Strategy 2010-13 (69.5kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Redundancy Policy Procedure (65.0kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Early Retirement (74.8kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Workforce Change (61.7kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Debt Recovery Policy (985.9kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Electronic Agendas (910.7kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Procurement Policy (853.6kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Rowantree Childcare Centre (1.3MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Scheme of Assistance (1.1MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Sgoil Araich Dhalabroig (1.5MB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Integrated Children's Services Plan (932.7kB)
- Initial Impact Assessment - Management of Home Care Delivery Hours (1.4MB)
2009
For any queries on Equality Impact Assessments please contact equalities@cne-siar.gov.uk