IMPORTANT INFORMATION

This website is no longer being updated.

NHS Barnsley Clinical Commissioning Group has been legally dissolved and from 1 July 2022 has been replaced by a new organisation: NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (SY ICB). NHS South Yorkshire ICB is now responsible for commissioning and funding of health and care services locally. Please go to our new website www.southyorkshire.icb.nhs.uk for information about the work of NHS South Yorkshire ICB and details about how to contact us.

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Equality Impact Assessments

Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs)

What are Equality Impact Assessments?

  •  A tool used in evidence based policy or decision making;
  • It ensures equality analysis is carried out as required by law (Equality Act 2010);
  • EIAs ensure that new or revised policies, processes, strategies, business cases, projects and decisions are inclusive to all;
  • They assess the actual or likely effect of policies/decisions, etc. on ‘Protected Characteristics’ or other groups;
  • EIAs look for opportunities to promote equality and good relations between groups;
  • They ensure that any negative (or adverse) impact is removed or clearly justified and appropriately mitigated for.

What is being assessed and When?

WHAT: A list of Protected Characteristics, i.e. characteristics protected by law, include: 

  • Age, Disability, Gender reassignment, Marriage & Civil Partnership, Pregnancy and maternity, Race (includes ethnic or national origins), Religion or Belief (include non-belief), Sex (meaning gender) and Sexual orientation;
  • Other areas include Human Rights and Carers. Further vulnerable or socio-economic relevant groups may also be included in EIAs.

WHEN: EIAs should be carried out as early on as possible in any policy, strategy, business case, project, or decision development process to ensure inclusively at the start.

WHY – Benefits of EIAs

  • Considers how to best advance equality, eliminate discrimination and promote good relations;
  • Help us to make better decisions based on the principles of fairness and equality;
  • Ensures services and policies are inclusive and accessible to everyone;
  • Helps us to develop a better understanding of the community we serve;
  • Helps to identify best practice and improvements to services and functions;
  • Removes and works towards resolving any potential disadvantage to any group.

Equality impact assessment toolkit

In 2021 we refreshed our equality impact assessment toolkit, which is used by CCG staff when developing policies and developing commissioning proposals.  This included a strengthened section on health inequalities. 

Training is provided to all staff on the use of this toolkit by members of the Equality and Engagement Team either in a group setting or on a 1:1 basis.  This training helps to ensure that all staff are aware of and understand both the value and importance of taking into consideration equality and patient and public participation requirements as a key part of their early project planning and know how to use the toolkit in practice.  

Click here to read our equality impact assessment toolkit. (Word document)