Equality Impact Assessment | Online Diversity Training & E-Learning Consultancy

Supporting organisations with Equality Impact Assessment

Our experience has shown that Equality Impact Assessment presents challenges for many key players within public sector organisations.

Firstly, internal equality and diversity specialists face the task of persuading managers of the strength of the business case, and often feel uncomfortable 'falling back' on the legal imperative as a means of generating action.

They also face the challenges of coordinating equality impact assessment activity across the organisation and of designing a process that can be implemented with consistency, yet which is flexible and fit-for-purpose.

Secondly, senior managers are wary of committing resources to impact assessment activity when there may be no obvious evidence or reports of discrimination. There may also already be many examples of positive equality and diversity practice within their organisation.

Finally, service or departmental managers require information about impact assessment principles and process, and support with implementation. Many are likely to be committed to carrying out high quality assessments, but are unsure how to achieve this efficiently.

It all means that the scale of activity that equality impact assessment seems to require can be daunting, which makes it difficult for organisations to identify or take the first steps.

 

 

Learning, mentoring, planning, piloting & evaluation.

We have extensive experience of working with NHS, HE, FE, and local government organisations on equality impact assessment, and can offer a package of consultancy and support activities within the key areas of learning, mentoring, planning, piloting and evaluation.

Within this framework, consultancy support might include:

• Briefings on equality impact assessment for senior managers. Practical, skills-based training for managers responsible for impact assessment.
• Mentoring for equality and diversity specialists.
• Guidance for Equality and Diversity Committees and Equality Impact Assessment Working Groups in planning and developing organisational structures and processes.
• Piloting of the equality impact assessment process on a specific policy or policies to develop a process template that is fit for purpose and to produce case study material for use across the organisation.
• Ongoing face-to-face or virtual support for managers who are carrying out impact assessments.

• Independent, objective ‘quality control' of completed assessments.

 

We are able to deliver the complete package above or a tailored package consisting of any of these elements.

Alternatively, we can meet a wide range of other specific equality impact assessment requirements and you can rest assured that our service will always be based around the individual needs of your organisation.

We're committed to helping you grasp the opportunities that equality impact assessment offers in delivering service and employment improvements, and we believe that the outcome of any assessment should be a positive impact on equality.