The Equality Act 2010: Specific Duty, Equality Information
Duty to publish Equality Information Publishing and using equality information is a requirement under the specific duties of the Equality Act 2010. The duty is designed to help us to demonstrate compliance, concentrate our efforts on the most important equality issues and enable us to monitor progress. This will help us to comply with the general equality duty. It will also help employees and service users see how we are performing on equality.
   
How to access the information
The key equality issues in Blackpool can be found in our Single Equality Scheme.
To browse our library of equailty information, click the publications link on the right of this page. All documents are in PDF format, however alternative formats are available upon request.
We also have an extensive library of Equality Analysis (Impact Assessments) which can be accessed here.
The Equality information has been used by Council departments to improve and tailor services in order to meet the needs of the people that use them. This is reflected in our policies and strategies. The information also plays a key role in deciding our Equality Objectives which are under consultation at the moment.
Service Gaps
We are aware that there are some areas that need further assistance with the collection of Equality information. The HR Policy, Equality and Pay team are working with these departments to fill any information gaps.
Making use of the information
Coders and developers, if you would like to get creative with our data, please get in touch with us. We would love to see what you can do with the data, and have it available in readable non-proprietary formats (e.g. cvs and xml).
Background
The new Public Sector Equality Duty covers the following eight protected characteristics:
People with these characteristics are referred to as protected groups. The duty also covers marriage and civil partnership, but not for all aspects of the duty.
The General Equality Duty requires us, by law, to demonstrate that in the exercise of our functions, that we have due regard to the need to:
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Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and other conduct prohibited by the Act.
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Advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
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Foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. These are sometimes referred to as the three aims or arms of the general equality duty. The Act helpfully explains that having due regard for advancing equality involves.
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Removing or minimising disadvantages suffered by people due to their protected characteristics.
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Taking steps to meet the needs of people from protected groups where these are different from the needs of other people.
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Encouraging people from protected groups to participate in public life or in other activities where their participation is disproportionately low. The previous duties covered race, disability and gender. Some aspects of the previous gender duty covered gender reassignment but the new duty now gives full coverage to this group.
We are also covered by the specific duties we must:
Publish (annually) sufficient information to demonstrate their compliance with the general equality duty. The information to be published must include:
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Information on the effect that their policies and practices have had on employees, service users and others from the protected groups
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Evidence of the analysis undertaken to establish whether their policies and practices will (or have) furthered the three equality aims in the general equality duty
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Details of the information used in that analysis, and
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Details of engagement with people with an interest in the aims of the duty. Prepare and publish equality objectives:
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Objectives that it reasonably thinks it should achieve to meet one or more aims of the general equality duty.
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Details of the engagement that it undertook, in developing its objectives, with people whom it considers to have an interest in furthering the aims of the general equality duty. We must also:
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Consider the information that it published before preparing its objectives.
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Ensure the objectives are specific and measurable.
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Set out how progress will be measured. |