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Equality Impact Assessment FORM Final

Diversity strands: Race  Religion/Belief  Age Gender  Disability  Sexual Orientation

Equality Impact Assessment

2010

Advice and guidance on how to complete this form can be found in the Equality Impact Assessment Guidance 2010.

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Equality Impact Assessment FORM Final

Diversity strands: Race  Religion/Belief  Age Gender  Disability  Sexual Orientation

STAGE 1: INITIAL DETAILS

This section must be completed.

Name of the major piece of work: Expenses and Allowances Policy for Special Constables

Author of piece of work / Job title and department Martin McKay Special Constabulary Chief Officer

Name of person completing the EIA / Job title and department PC1187 Shirley Murray, Special Constabulary and Volunteers Coordinator, Headquarters Community Safety Department

Start date 06/12/2010

End date09/12/2010

What are the main objectives of the piece of work and how does it fit in to the wider aims of the organisation? The Expenses Policy in relation to the Special Constabulary needed updating to reflect the change in processing expenses i.e. the use of the Duty Sheet system and the introduction of University Special Constables whose pay and allowances differ from that of BCU Special Constables.

The policy updates will allow for speedier and more efficient payment of Special Constables and make entitlements clearer so reducing the number of queries to the Special Constabulary SMT and the Coordinator.

STAGE 1: SCREENING STAGE – Relevance Assessment

This stage is to determine whether it is necessary to carry out a full equality impact assessment. This section must be completed.

  1. Will the piece of work have an impact (positive or negative) upon lives of people in the Community, including members of particular communities and groups?
  1. Who are the key stakeholders?
  1. Are partners involved?

Diversity strand / Yes / No / Don’t know / How? What evidence do you have for this?
Age / x / There may be reputational impact if the policy is not equal across the diversity strands. Specials are often employed externally and if the policy is not right this will impact on future recruitment, Employer Supported Policing and public perceptions.
Disability / x
Gender, including gender reassignment / x
Race or ethnic origin (includes Travellers and Gypsies) / x
Religion or Belief / x
Sexual orientation / x

2. Will the piece of work have significant impact on staff (i.e. numbers of staff or impact on specific groups of staff from either diverse groups or specific locations)?

Diversity strand / Yes / No / Don’t know / How? What evidence do you have for this?
Age / X
Disability / X
Gender, including gender reassignment / X
Race or ethnic origin (includes Travellers and Gypsies) / X
Religion or Belief / X
Sexual orientation / X

NB Refer to the Equality Standard for the Police Service Framework to help you with these sections. You will find this on the Strategic Development intranet site. Click on ‘Equality Standard’ and you will find the framework and a supporting overview document.

Relevance / Low

There will not be a full equality impact assessment of this policy because it is of very low relevance to equality. To date there have been no complaints or grievances about the expenses procedure and the expenses policy in relation to the Special Constabulary.

The reputational; issues are important and the Constabulary is mindful of this.

Signature of EIA author:

Date:

Signature of complete EIA by Director/Commander:

Date:

STAGE 2: IMPACT ASSESSMENT

A: DATA COLLECTION AND EVIDENCE

  1. What evidence, data or information do you have about how this piece of work and its potential take-up might affect equality and what does this tell you?
  2. Are there any examples of existing good practice in this area

NB Refer to the Equality Standard for the Police Service Framework to help you with this section.

B: INVOLVEMENT AND CONSULTATION

What consultation has been undertaken which is relevant to the development of this piece of work?

Who has been consulted? / Which diversity group was represented? / Briefly summarise responses / Briefly summarise any action taken or reasons action as not been taken in relation to any responses
Age
Gender
Disability
Religion or belief
Sexual orientation
Ethnicity
Staff affected by the change
Social-economic
*See note below
Educational attainment
*See note below
Social deprivation
* See note below

C: PARTNERSHIPS

  1. Does this piece of work involve a partner organisation- at any stage?
  2. How will you make sure that any partner you work with complies with equality legislation?
  3. How will you monitor this?

NB Refer to the Equality Standard for the Police Service Framework to help you with this section.

D: FURTHER EVIDENCE

  1. Do you think that your piece of work (including how it is delivered or accessed) presents any barriers or problems to any community or group?
  2. What different needs, experiences or attitudes are particular communities or groups likely to have in relation to this piece of work?
  3. What measures does, or could, the piece of work include to address existing patterns of discrimination, harassment or disproportionality?
  4. How will the piece of work promote good relations and wider community cohesion?

5AWhat impact is the piece of work likely to have on specific groups of people in the community or wider public?
What has or can be done to mitigate the impact?

Can you justify your actions and decisions?

5BWhat impact is the piece of work likely to have on staff?
What has or can be done to mitigate the impact?

Can you justify your actions and decisions?

5CWhat impact is the piece of work likely to have on the organisation?
What has or can be done to mitigate the impact?

Can you justify your actions and decisions?

E: GAPS

  1. Based on the results so far, what additional research or data is required to fill any gaps in your understanding of the potential or known effects of this piece of work?
  2. Have you considered commissioning new data or research?

NB Refer to the Equality Standard for the Police Service Framework to help you with this section.

F: ACTIONS

  1. What practical actions do you recommend to reduce, justify or remove any adverse/negative impact and fill any gaps in knowledge?
  2. How will people be made aware of the piece of work?
  3. Ways of monitoring should use existing systems rather than creating new ones – for example, debrief processes, dip sampling, existing performance measures.
  4. How will people know how to become involved in any part of the piece of work that they feel affects them?
  5. Make sure you include any positive actions to promote equality in your piece of work
  6. As a result of your findings do you think that this piece of work meets the Constabulary’s responsibilities in relation to equality legislation?
  7. Include all the above in your action plan.

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NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Equality Impact Assessment FORM Final

Diversity strands: Race  Religion/Belief  Age Gender  Disability  Sexual Orientation

ACTION PLAN

ACTION / Source / Owner / TARGET DATE / How and when monitored / Progress update

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NOT PROTECTIVELY MARKED

Equality Impact Assessment FORM Final

Diversity strands: Race  Religion/Belief  Age Gender  Disability  Sexual Orientation

G: STRATEGY FOR REVIEWING, MONITORING AND EVALUATION

  1. How will you monitor the impact and effectiveness of the new piece of work?
  2. How will the results of the impact assessment, consultation and monitoring be published and/or feedback to relevant interested parties?

NB Refer to the Equality Standard for the Police Service Framework to help you with this section.

H: SIGN OFF

The final stage is to formally sign off the document as being a complete, rigorous and robust assessment.

The piece of work has been fully assessed in relation to its potential effects on equality and all relevant concerns have been addressed.

(Once you have completed the EIA sign below and forward to Internal Diversity Officer)

Author of EIA

Name:

Job title and department:

Date:

Signature

Director/Commander level sign off

Name:

Job title and department:

Date:

Signature

I. PUBLICATION

It is a legal requirement to publish EIAs. It is also important to show communities and staff that the Constabulary is actively engaged and committed to challenging potential discrimination, improving service delivery, having good employment practices and promoting opportunity for everyone.

The aim is to be open aboutthe way policies are made and transparentabout the decisions which shape the design anddelivery of public services. By focussing on theissues considered and the practical actionstaken or planned, this will demonstrate that the Constabulary has considered equality issues and demonstrates our commitment topromoting equality.

If your EIA relates to a policy or procedure that needs to be published in the internal policy library on the Constabulary intranet, you must send a copy of the approved document and the relevant EIA to Strategic Development. A copy of the policy and the relevant EIA must also be sent to Marketing and Communications so that they can publish them on the internet.

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