{"id":404,"date":"2024-06-07T08:29:22","date_gmt":"2024-06-07T08:29:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/?p=404"},"modified":"2024-06-07T08:29:45","modified_gmt":"2024-06-07T08:29:45","slug":"using-equality-impact-assessments-to-further-your-own-organisations-edi-ambition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.equalityanddiversity.co.uk\/index.php\/2024\/06\/07\/using-equality-impact-assessments-to-further-your-own-organisations-edi-ambition\/","title":{"rendered":"Using Equality Impact Assessments to further your own organisation’s EDI ambition"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

There are not many organisational Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Statements that do not include the words \u2018ensuring or providing opportunity\u2019 or perhaps wording similar to the one I read recently \u2018we strive to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential with dignity\u2019, but as an organisation are these words actionable? are they just intent? Or do we know as organisations that we are delivering on a bold statement that will be read by every future job candidate, member of our staff, client or people we provide a service for?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We cannot rely on simply publishing a statement and believe that staff or managers will simply deliver on the commitment, instead we have to ask ourselves: if people did reach their full potential what would that look like and if we used the word \u2018ensure\u2019 how would we know we were delivering on it.  EDI statements and policies often have bold and valued statements and if delivered would demonstrate the values of the Public Sector Equality Duty but often these statements rest on intent instead of organisations asking themselves \u2018how\u2019 are we delivering on this? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whilst the answer might lie in training and awareness or the demonstration of good practice we cannot overlook or detach the power of policy, working practice and the way we make decisions has on people\u2019s lives, futures and opportunities. We need therefore to ensure that our policies, practices and strategies need to ask how does this demonstrate our organisations values in respect of equity, diversity and inclusion? how is this helping to ensure opportunity? And how are we actioning change?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Equality Impact Assessments completed well could play a fundamental part of delivering on a bold ambition to provide opportunity for everyone, however time and time again we see the forms used only to identify risk of discrimination and mitigate against them instead of focusing on opportunity.  Maybe in reality it\u2019s easier to be reactive than proactive, perhaps that\u2019s because often Equality Impact Assessment forms lead people to think this way, however the Public Sector Equality Duty was never meant to be interpreted like this, it was instead designed for the first time placing an obligation on those carrying out public functions to positively promote equality, not merely to avoid discrimination.  In our EIA sessions we discuss the point of how we can improve the process of EIA\u2019s so that they deliver on all of the three areas of the duty and not one or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n