Environmental Health Enforcement Policy EQA

Stage 1: Equality Impact Assessment

1. What are the main aims purpose and outcomes of the Policy and how do these fit with the wider aims of the organization?

 

 

To ensure that officer’s within the Environmental Health Service are provided with guidance to act in a consistent way when proposing any formal enforcement action.

 

2. How do these aims affect our duty to:

·           Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimization and other conduct prohibited by the act.

·           Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

·           Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

 

The aims support the duties identified by focusing on the evidence associated with the contraventions; any action taken by the service should be proportionate to the offense.  Action taken by the service has to follow national guidance and relevant codes of practice.  Managers are required to confirm that these processes have been followed.

The policy should ensure that formal enforcement actions follow good practice, are transparent and open to scrutiny by managers, Head of Service, and Legal Services.

 

3. What aspects of the policy including how it is delivered or accessed could contribute to inequality?

 

 

None

 

4. Will the policy have an impact (positive or negative) upon the lives of people, including particular communities and groups who have protected characteristics ? What evidence do you have for this?

 

The policy should have a positive impact.  It ensures that businesses compliant with the regulations and laws are protected, that serious non compliance is dealt with in a proportion way irrespective of the individual background of the person running the business or activity.

The policy relates to the protection of public health and environmental health.

 

If the answer to the second question has identified potential impacts and you have answered yes to any of the remaining questions then you should carry out a full EQIA set out as stage 2 below.

 

Stage 2: Equality Impact Assessment

 

Name of Policy/Service/Function

 

 

Purpose

What are you trying to achieve with the policy / service / function?

 

 

 

 

Who defines and manages it?

 

 

 

 

Who do you intend to benefit from it and how?

 

 

 

 

 

What could prevent people from getting the most out of the policy / service / function?

 

 

 

 

How will you get your customers involved in the analysis and how will you tell people about it?

 

Evidence

 

How will you know if the policy delivers its intended outcome / benefits?

 

 

 

 

How satisfied are your customers and how do you know?

 

 

 

 

What existing data do you have on the people that use the service and the wider population?

 

 

 

 

What other information would it be useful to have?  How could you get this?

 

 

 

 

Are you breaking down data by equality groups where relevant (such as by gender, age, disability, ethnicity, sexual orientation, marital status, religion and belief, pregnancy and maternity)?

 

 

 

 

Are you using partners, stakeholders, and councillors to get information and feedback?

 

 

 

 

Impact

Are some people benefiting more – or less - than others?  If so, why might this be?

 

 

 

 

Actions

If the evidence suggests that the policy / service / function benefits a particular group – or disadvantages another - is there a justifiable reason for this and if so, what is it?

 

 

 

 

Is it discriminatory in any way?

 

 

 

 

Is there a possible impact in relationships or perceptions between different parts of the community?

 

 

 

 

What measures can you put in place to reduce disadvantages?

 

 

 

 

Do you need to consult further?

 

 

 

 

 

Have you identified any potential improvements to customer service?

 

 

 

 

 

Who should you tell about the outcomes of this analysis?

 

 

 

 

Have you built the actions into your Service Plan or Policy Implementation Plan with a clear timescale?

 

 

 

 

 

When will this assessment need to be repeated?