Equality Impact Assessment
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
GUIDANCE AND TEMPLATE
Incorporates the requirement to impact assess all new functions and policies and those that have a
high relevance to the General Duty of the Race Relations Amendment Act (2000). This requirement
is set out in the Council’s Race Equality Scheme.
CONTENTS
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
EQUALITY IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Name of the policy or function being assessed: Corporate Complaints
Directorate Chief Executive
Date Impact Assessment completed 31st October, 2006
Is this a policy or function? Policy xo Function xo
Is this a new or existing policy or function? New o Existing xo
Names and roles of the people carrying out the Impact Assessment:(Explain why the members of the impact assessment team were selected i.e. the knowledge and experience they bring to the process).
1.Ruth Dowden, Complaints Manager
Service Manager
2.Lynne Myers, Senior Complaints Officer (Social Care)
Experience of EIA in Social Care Complaints Policy
3.Agnes Sealey, Senior One Stop Shop Officer
Experience of reviewing policy on direct contact at One Stop Shops
4.Imran Choudhury, Complaints Officer
Knowledge of Processes
5.Robert Wingate, Complaints Officer
Knowledge of Processes
Service Head / Claire Symonds
Signature
Date
Once you have filled in this document please send a copy to the Equalities Team.
If you have any questions regarding this form please call the Equalities Team on 020 7364 4723.
SECTION 1
AIMS AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE POLICYOVERV
Identifying the aims of the policy[1]
What is the policy?What is the aim, objective, or purpose of the policy?
The first aim is to recognise that things can go wrong, welcome feedback and use the opportunity to put things right.
The second aim is to treat all complainants fairly. It is important to the Council that all members of the community have the opportunity to express their concerns.
We will monitor community awareness of the procedures, provide a range of access channels and ensure that we provide assistance to anyone who needs it. In addition we will record all complaints and their outcomes and monitor data against complaint records to ensure equality.
Rationale behind the policy and its delivery
(Please state the underlying policy objectives which underpin this service and what they are trying to achieve).Are there associated objectives of the policy? If so, what are they?
What outcomes do we want to achieve from this policy?
What factors could contribute/detract from the outcomes?
Everyone who wants to access the policy is able to do so.
Services (and the wider organisation) learn from mistakes and put things right.
What contributes
Publicity, means of access, hours of access, language, confidence in the services, ability to make a clear complaint
A range of process docuementsdocuments and guidance notes support staff in achieving this.
What can detract
Effectiveness of communication of the services, the speed and content of replies.
Negative impact and repercussions of complaining.
Who is affected by the policy? Who is intended to benefit from it and how?
Who are the main stakeholders in relation to this policy?
What outcomes would other stakeholders want from this policy?
Are there any groups, which might be expected to benefit from the intended outcomes
but which do not?
All service users
All staff and Council managers and its partners and including Members.
Improvement in service provision from learning lessons from complaints. It is also putting things right for the individual.
Service users can be affected by policy, for example change in lettings policy.
Link to One Shop and Contact Centre staff who can assist members of the public to report their complaint.
Corporate Complaints Team work with Directorate Complaints Officers to ensure that there is a common understanding of complaints and expectations across the Council.
Annual Residents Survey which identifies residents’ knowledge of the complaints procedure. Profiling complainants against diversity categories, and sent information out to community groups. Keep data base of organisations to send literature to.
Promotion of good relations between different communities
(How does the policy or function contribute to better Community Cohesion?)How do you promote good relations between different communities you serve based on mutual understanding and respect?
What opportunities are there for positive cross cultural contact between these communities to take place e.g. between younger and older people, or between people of different religious faiths?
Highlights discrimination.
Services trying to demonstrate fair and equitable application of policy.
Regardless of background same process applied in investigating the complaint, however can use knowledge of faith / disability etc to inform communication / investigation process.
The team is sensitive to community issues and endeavours to resolve issues to create community harmony. Example of faith issue where Complaints Officer offered mediation between Local Mosque and the individual complainant.
Think creatively.
Very few complaints from young people. Separate leaflets for young people might address this. We do collect data as to the age of people. Have done outreach work with schools.
(Specifically identify the relevance of the aims of the policy to the equality target groups and the Council’s duty to eliminate unlawful racial discrimination, promote equality of opportunity and good relations between people of different racial groups).
The aim of the policy is to provide equal access and fair treatment therefore all groups are important to identify any perceived or actual shortfalls in Council services.
Policy Priorities:
(How does the policy fit in with the council’s wider aims? Include Corporate and Local Strategic Partnership Priorities)
How does the policy relate to other policies and practices within the council?
What factors/forces could contribute/detract from the outcomes?
How do these outcomes meet or hinder other policies, values or objectives of the council?
Providing excellent public services and provides a tool to assist looking into practices arising from all policies and processes within the Council and with the Council’s partners.
Local Area Partnerships and elected members can support an individual with a policy issue.
Ensure that complaints that are received which not fall into the Council’s procedure are appropriately re-directed and advice will be given where appropriate.
The team recognises vulnerable people and assists them in making complaints.
How the policy is implemented
(How is, or will, the policy be put into practice and who is, or will be, responsible for it?)Who defines or defined the policy?
Who implements the policy?
How does the council interface with other bodies in relation to the implementation of this policy?
Is the service provided solely by the Department or in conjunction with another department, agency or contractor?
If external parties are involved then what are the measures in place to ensure that they comply with the Council’s Equal Opportunities policy?
Members defined the policy in 1995.
The Policy is implemented by the Corporate Complaints Team.
It provides internet access via web form, telephone, email, letter, fax, face to face access. But telephone and face to face access and minicom are only available Monday to Friday 9-5.
One Stop Shop and Contact Centre staff extend the hours as they notify Corporate Complaints of issues raised with them. (They open Saturday 9-1 and until 8pm in the week).
There is a standard contact clause for contracted providers and partners to ensure that complaints are handled in accordance with the policy. Information Leaflets are provided to third parties, for example the Corporate Complaints Units sends forms to voluntary organisations.
The service is only provided with the co-operation of all services. The Corporate Complaints Unit has a role in building good working relationships with other Council Services.
SECTION 2
CONSIDERATION OF DATA AND RESEARCH
List all examples of quantitative and qualitative data available that will enable the impact assessment to be undertaken (include information where appropriate from other directorates, Census 2001 etc.)The Corporate Complaints Annual Report
The Annual Residence Survey
The Census.
Equalities profile of users or beneficiaries
(Use the Council’s approved diversity monitoring categories and provide data by target group of users or beneficiaries to determine whether the service user profile reflects the local population or relevant target group or if there is over or under representation of these groups)
The Corporate Complaints Annual Report.
Data is collected in relation to ethnicity over the telephone on the Web Form and on the Corporate Complaints Leaflet. Data is also collected on age, gender and disability in the same format. We also ask the question of whether people they have been discriminated on in the form, to cover any other issues.
The ethnicity profile reflects the profile of the Borough.
Action:- We don’t have anything to compare the data we collect on disability against.
The team is awaiting a technical solution to include faith and sexuality categories.
Equalities profile of staff
(Indicate profile by target groups and assess relevance to policy aims and objectives e.g. Workforce to Reflect the Community. Identify staff responsible for delivering the service including where they are not directly employed by the council).The team’s profile broadly reflects the community and where necessary the team draws on other resources, for example translation services.
Evidence of Complaints against the service on grounds of discrimination
(Is there any evidence of complaints either from customers or staff (Grievance) as to the delivery of the service, or its operation, on the equality target groups?)
None
Barriers
(What are the potential or known barriers to participation for the different equality target groups?)Language, Literacy, economic (class), working commitments. The building is accessible, but may be difficulties accessing transport for certain groups, the Corporate Complaints Unit would arrange suitable venues in other parts of the Borough if face to face contact was necessary.
To minimise any barrier in the literature the Corporate Complaints Unit ensures literature is crystal marked for plain English.
BSI accredited which means Corporate Complaints Unit is externally audited.
Leaflets ensure that complainants know how to access different languages although there is a problem identified with interpreting services which is beyond the Corporate Complaints Unit’s control.
Action:- Corporate Complaints Form - colours are difficult for people with people with visual impairment.
Recent consultation exercises carried out
(Detail consultation with relevant interest groups, other public bodies, voluntary organisations, community groups, trade unions, focus groups and other groups, surveys and questionnaires undertaken etc. Focus in particular on the findings of views expressed by the equality target groups)
Next annual residents survey.
User Satisfaction Survey monthly.
Best Value Survey awaited.
Identify areas where more information may be needed and the action taken to obtain this data.
(You will need to consider data that is monitored but not reported, data that could be monitored but is not currently collected and data that is not currently monitored and would be impossibly/extremely difficult to collect).
Need to know Borough profiles for disability, age, faith and sexuality. Breakdown of disability in terms of categories/alignment with Corporate Equalities.
Leaflet and web form to ask question around sexuality and faith due to sensitivity of the data.
Action:- Change literature, web form and recording database.
Gaps in information:
Do not currently have data on faith and sexuality.
Action needed:
(Include short-term measures to be taken to provide a baseline where no or little information is available)
A change request has been made to put this information on the Siebel System.
SECTION 3
ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT
Race – testing of disproportionate or adverse impact
Identify the effect of the policy on different race groups from information available above.
Annual stats show that people making complaints reflects the ethnic population in the Community. This is in line with the Equalities Performance Indicator. Further information will be obtained from the Council’s Annual Residents Survey.
How is the race target group reflected in the take up of the service?
From the evidence above does the policy affect, or have the potential to affect, racial groups differently and if so do any of the differences amount to adverse impact or unlawful discrimination?
From the above information there appears to be equal access to the Complaints Procedure.
Look for consistency in how the complaints procedure is applied.
If there is an adverse impact, can it be justified on the grounds of promoting equality of opportunity for one racial group or for another legitimate reason?
N/A
Could the policy discriminate, directly or indirectly and if so is it justifiable under legislation?
It is essential that we maintain wide publicity and variety of access methods.
Need to continue to review the access for disability groups.
(Include information on adverse impact between different racial groups)
Gender – testing of disproportionate or adverse impact
Identify the effect of the policy on gender groups from information available above.
There is no discernable impact according to gender
How are the gender groups reflected in the take up of the service?
Equally
From the evidence above does the policy affect, or have the potential to affect, gender groups differently and if so do any of the differences amount to adverse impact or unlawful discrimination?
No
If there an adverse impact, can it be justified on the grounds of promoting equality of opportunity for one gender group or for another legitimate reason?
Could the policy discriminate, directly or indirectly and if so is it justifiable under legislation?
No reason to believe so
Disability – testing of disproportionate or adverse impact
Identify the effect of the policy on the disability strand from information available above.
How are disabled people reflected in the take up of the service?
Base figures are need in order to monitor uptake
From the evidence above does the policy affect, or have the potential to affect, disability groups differently and if so do any of the differences amount to adverse impact or unlawful discrimination?
Any reasonable request for assistance in accessing the service will be accommodated.
If there is an adverse impact, can it be justified on the grounds of promoting equality of opportunity for one group or for another legitimate reason?