City of York Council

Equalities Impact Assessment

Who is submitting the proposal?

Directorate:
Service Area:		Corporate Policy and City Partnerships
Name of the proposal :		Updates to the Council Plan 2019-2023
Lead officer:		Will Boardman
Date assessment completed:		11/05/2021
Names of those who contributed to the assessment :
Name	Job title		Organisation	Area of expertise
Will Boardman	Corporate Policy and City Partnerships		City of York Council	Policy and Strategy

Step 1 – Aims and intended outcomes 

1.1	What is the purpose of the proposal? Please explain your proposal in Plain English avoiding acronyms and jargon.
	To update the Council Plan 2019-2023 to take into account the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and propose additional actions required in order that the outcomes of the original plan can be delivered.

1.2	Are there any external considerations? (Legislation/government directive/codes of practice etc.)
	This plan is non-statutory but represents the key guiding strategic document for the work of the council. In doing so, it interfaces with the work of many organisations across the city and impacts on the lives of all residents of the city.

1.3	Who are the stakeholders and what are their interests?
	All residents, communities, organisations, businesses and council staff are stakeholders to the Council Plan.

1.4

What results/outcomes do we want to achieve and for whom?  This section should explain what outcomes you want to achieve for service users, staff and/or the wider community. Demonstrate how the proposal links to the Council Plan (2019- 2023) and other corporate strategies and plans.

The updated actions seek to achieve the same outcomes as the original iteration of the Council Plan. The equalities impacts of these outcomes were assessed during the initial approval of the plan. The equalities impacts of the proposed additional actions will be considered through the decision making process associated with the work to progress each action individually. It is, therefore, not possible to assess the overall impacts of all the actions, other than to say that the overall ambitions of the plan are to make the city a fairer and more inclusive place. It states that “ Despite our strengths, we know that life in the city is not always great for some of our residents and unfortunately, some people do not share in the successes of our city. Educational, health and economic outcomes, for some people, can be much improved.  As a city, we cannot be satisfied until everyone has as equal a chance to achieve their ambitions. Seeking to address this issue has to be a key priority to make our city strong for the future. “ We consider that the overall impact of the plan is highly positive in equalities terms. The subsequent steps in the EIA process will be completed as decisions are brought forward in respect of the actions within the plan.

Step 2 – Gathering the information and feedback 

2.1	What sources of data, evidence and consultation feedback do we have to help us understand the impact of the proposal on equality rights and human rights? Please consider a range of sources, including: consultation exercises, surveys, feedback from staff, stakeholders, participants, research reports, the views of equality groups, as well your own experience of working in this area etc.
Source of data/supporting evidence		Reason for using

Step 3 – Gaps in data and knowledge

3.1	What are the main gaps in information and understanding of the impact of your proposal?  Please indicate how any gaps will be dealt with.
Gaps in data or knowledge		Action to deal with this

Step 4 – Analysing the impacts or effects.

4.1	Please consider what the evidence tells you about the likely impact (positive or negative) on people sharing a protected characteristic, i.e. how significant could the impacts be if we did not make any adjustments? Remember the duty is also positive – so please identify where the proposal offers opportunities to promote equality and/or foster good relations.
Equality Groups and Human Rights.		Key Findings/Impacts	Positive (+) Negative (-) Neutral (0)	High (H) Medium (M) Low (L)
Age
Disability
Gender
Gender Reassignment
Marriage and civil partnership
Pregnancy and maternity
Race
Religion and belief
Sexual orientation
Other Socio-economic groups including :		Could other socio-economic groups be affected e.g. carers, ex-offenders, low incomes?
Carer
Low income groups
Veterans, Armed Forces Community
Other
Impact on human rights:
List any human rights impacted.

Use the following guidance to inform your responses:

Indicate:

- Where you think that the proposal could have a POSITIVE impact on any of the equality groups like promoting equality and equal opportunities or improving relations within equality groups

- Where you think that the proposal could have a NEGATIVE impact on any of the equality groups, i.e. it could disadvantage them

- Where you think that this proposal has a NEUTRAL effect on any of the equality groups listed below i.e. it has no effect currently on equality groups.

It is important to remember that a proposal may be highly relevant to one aspect of equality and not relevant to another.

High impact (The proposal or process is very equality relevant)	There is significant potential for or evidence of adverse impact The proposal is institution wide or public facing The proposal has consequences for or affects significant numbers of people The proposal has the potential to make a significant contribution to promoting equality and the exercise of human rights.
Medium impact (The proposal or process is somewhat equality relevant)	There is some evidence to suggest potential for or evidence of adverse impact The proposal is institution wide or across services, but mainly internal The proposal has consequences for or affects some people The proposal has the potential to make a contribution to promoting equality and the exercise of human rights
Low impact (The proposal or process might be equality relevant)	There is little evidence to suggest that the proposal could result in adverse impact The proposal operates in a limited way The proposal has consequences for or affects few people The proposal may have the potential to contribute to promoting equality and the exercise of human rights

Step 5 - Mitigating adverse impacts and maximising positive impacts

5.1	Based on your findings, explain ways you plan to mitigate any unlawful prohibited conduct or unwanted adverse impact. Where positive impacts have been identified, what is been done to optimise opportunities to advance equality or foster good relations?

Step 6 – Recommendations and conclusions of the assessment

6.1	Having considered the potential or actual impacts you should be in a position to make an informed judgement on what should be done. In all cases, document your reasoning that justifies your decision. There are four main options you can take:
- No major change to the proposal – the EIA demonstrates the proposal is robust.  There is no                         potential  for unlawful discrimination or adverse impact and you have taken all opportunities to    advance equality and foster good relations, subject to continuing monitor and review.
- Adjust the proposal – the EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. This involves taking steps to remove any barriers, to better advance quality or to foster good relations. - Continue with the proposal (despite the potential for adverse impact) – you should clearly set out the justifications for doing this and how you believe the decision is compatible with our obligations under the duty - Stop and remove the proposal – if there are adverse effects that are not justified and cannot be mitigated, you should consider stopping the proposal altogether. If a proposal leads to unlawful discrimination it should be removed or changed. Important: If there are any adverse impacts you cannot mitigate, please provide a compelling reason in the justification column.
Option selected		Conclusions/justification

Step 7 – Summary of agreed actions resulting from the assessment

7.1	What action, by whom, will be undertaken as a result of the impact assessment.
Impact/issue		Action to be taken	Person responsible	Timescale

Step 8 - Monitor, review and improve

8. 1	How will the impact of your proposal be monitored and improved upon going forward?   Consider how will you identify the impact of activities on protected characteristics and other marginalised groups going forward? How will any learning and enhancements be capitalised on and embedded?