Using the Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) Toolkit Equality and Diversity Team Dalian House Level 2C 350 St Vincent Street GLASGOW G3 8YY

Equality Impact Assessment This presentation explains: what an EQIA is the process of EQIA within NHSGGC the role of the Equality and Diversity Team in supporting this process.

What is an EQIA? EQIA is a legal requirement which identifies actions that are required to address discrimination and promote equality across all major equality groups. EQIA considers discrimination on the basis of “ Gender, Ethnicity, Disability, Sexual Orientation, Religion and Belief, Age, Socioeconomic Status, Additional marginalisation”

Why conduct an EQIA? In addition to legislative requirements, an EQIA can –Help drive out inequalities in health; –Develop equitable services; –Improve the quality of your service by identifying gaps and barriers; –Stimulate new ways of thinking and ways in which services can be delivered; –Target finite resources more effectively; –Help develop inclusive policies and procedures.

What needs to be EQIA’d There are a number of areas which can be EQIA’d including: –Frontline services –Policies/ Strategies –Training Programmes –New services

Who is responsible for EQIA? EQIA is a devolved responsibility. }CEO} Directors} Equality Leads} In most cases the person(s) leading/managing the service will be responsible for the EQIA in that area. This person would have detailed knowledge about their service area. In the EQIA toolkit, they are referred to as the “Lead Reviewer” The “Lead Reviewer” will review the EQIA will also monitor progress against agreed actions

Who else needs to be involved The lead reviewer will: –need to bring together a team of people which can give various perspectives on the service/ policy/ strategy; this can be a pre-existing group –need to liaise with appropriate Equality Leads for support/ advise/ guidance on the EQIA; –need to consider whether additional supports are required, e,g. facilitators for the day.

Example An authority’s Social Services Department has decided to impact assess all of its services for children and families over the next 18 months. They are considering how best to cater for the growing need for services from the growing number of refugees settling permanently into the area. The team for reviewing these services has been selected by the Assistant Director and will include: Service Manager, Fostering and adoptions Team leader, Children Looked After Human Resources Officer, Social Worker After care support adviser A community representative from the BME community or refugee forum A manager from Barnardo’s as a critical friend

Process of Completion Identify good practice. This can include: –Diversity Monitoring of patients; –Ongoing consultations with marginalised groups; –CPD/Learning and Education opportunities for staff; –Accessible Information; –Loop systems to support communication with Hard of Hearing; –Others.

Process of Completion Identify Negative Impacts –Services aren’t equally accessed by men/women/ minority ethnic groups –Information about services not available in different formats/ language that people understand

Additional Negative Impact There is also additional negative impact. This is where something that is proposed or currently practiced could disadvantage some or more equality groups –E.g. A hospital regularly holds consultation events/ board meetings in a building with no induction loop facilities. This would have a negative or adverse impact on some attendees with a hearing impairment.

Completion The Lead Reviewer must –Collate feedback –Write up the EQIA report with appropriate timescales and responsibilities –Circulate for additional comments and amend as necessary –Sign off document and send to the Corporate Inequalities Team –Keep the EQIA under the review

How The Equality and Diversity Team Can Support You Pre – EQIA Questionnaire –A useful self assessment questionnaire designed to help you understand how your current service currently addresses equalities issues. This can help you identify what equality areas you currently address and importantly where you need to improve. Presentations –We can deliver presentations to groups/ offer one to one meetings to answer any questions you have about EQIA Checklist –The EQIA checklist allows you to prioritise where an EQIA will have the biggest impact on the promotion of equality.

How The Equality and Diversity Team Can Support You Good Diversity Practice –We can give you examples of good diversity practice relating to each Diversity Strand. Monitoring –We monitor the number of proposed, current and completed EQIA’s across NHSGGC. We can identify common actions across the system to prevent duplication

Support For further help and guidance, please contact: Imran Shariff