Equality Impact Assessments

St Helens Borough Council's  Equality Impact Assessment Tool (PDF) [234KB]  is used to demonstrate 'due regard' to the Public Sector Equality Duty (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010), within Council decision making processes.   The EIA tool is designed to analyse evidence (statistical, testimonial, and anecdotal) relevant to a proposed decision to identify if there are any issues for, or impact upon people who share different characteristics protected under the Equality Act 2010. 

Due regard is defined as "a rigorous, substantial, open minded consideration".  Protected characteristics (section 4 of the  Equality Act 2010) are age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion, sex, and sexual orientation.  The Council's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Policy states that the Council "may decide to include other Equality, Diversity, or Inclusion related factors into its Equality Impact Assessment processes, such as socio-economic disadvantage, modern slavery, or hate crime, where required, in line with wider Policy commitments."

Through the EIA process the Council identifies and understands who may be disadvantaged, or have an unmet need, or may be disproportionately affected by a proposed decision. Where there is a potential negative impact, the Council will identify mitigation to lessen or remove that impact. 

The outcomes of the Equality Impact Assessment and any mitigation to lessen or remove adverse impact, is recorded explicitly in the Council decision making processes: either as a Full Council decision, a Cabinet decision, or a Delegated Executive decision.

Publishing Equality Impact Assessments

In line with Regulation 4 of the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties and Public Authorities) Regulations 2017, St Helens Borough Council publishes the outcomes of EIAs to provide details of the impact of policies and practices on people who share different protected characteristics.  

Equality Impact Assessments are available within published Agenda Packs and Report Summaries on the following webpages.

• Committee details - Council St Helens Borough Council (moderngov.co.uk)
• Committee details - Cabinet St Helens Borough Council (moderngov.co.uk)
• Published Delegated Executive Decisions - St Helens Borough Council

Each decision has a named council contact officer.  If you are unable to view the EIA for a decision, then it may be requested by contacting the named officer.  NB Where a decision is lawfully exempt from publication because it includes confidential personal or business information, the corresponding Equality Impact Assessment will also be exempt from publication, and cannot be provided even if requested under a Freedom of Information request.