Equality impact assessments

An equality impact assessment involves assessing the likely or actual effects of policies or services on people in respect of disability, gender and racial equality. It helps us to make sure the needs of people are taken into account when we develop and implement a new policy or service or when we make a change to a current policy or service.

Procedures are built into the Department’s policy development and change management activities and consist of two stages.

Stage 1 – deciding if you need to do an equality impact assessment

Stage 1 of the equality impact assessment process is a short exercise that involves looking at the overall policy or service and deciding if it is relevant to equality. 

Stage 2 – carrying out an equality impact assessment

Stage 2 examines in detail the proposal to find out what kind of equality impact there might be and which groups of people it will affect most. There are 8 steps in the process:

• Step 1 – identify the purpose of your policy or service.
• Step 2 – assess the impact using information and evidence.
• Step 3 – remove or reduce a negative impact.
• Step 4 – make sure the policy or service promotes equality.
• Step 5 – arrange to monitor and evaluate the policy or service.
• Step 6 – sign off the equality impact assessment.
• Step 7 – arrange to publish the equality impact assessment.
• Step 8 – review the policy or service and update the equality impact assessment.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/eia-dla-claim-packs.pdf