Equality Impact Assessment

Discrimination law protects people from being treated less favourably because of certain characteristics. These are known as protected characteristics. Undertaking Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) on new and/or revised policies or services is an effective way of identifying any positive or negative impact that the change may have on different people, according to their protected characteristics.

The process provides an effective way of systematically and thoroughly assessing, and consulting on, any potential adverse impact that a new or revised policy or service is likely to have on the protected equality groups. Where data is available, we have summarised information relating to protected characteristics in this report. Information for other geographies is available by clicking on the ‘reports’ icon above. The exact data may not always be available, for example: if it is disclosive. Where the exact data is not available, links to sources of information have been provided, alternatively we have tried to use datasets that provide broadly comparative data. 

Please note in our reports we may use variations on the terminology used in the Equality Act. This may because this is how the source data is defined, or for making the reports easier to read. For example:

  • For the gender section: the word used by the Equality Act is sex rather than gender. The reasoning behind this is that ‘Sex’ can be thought of as the physical biological sex characteristics which include our genes, chromosomes and genital organs. ‘Gender’ however, refers to the more complex social, psychological and emotional experiences relating to an individual’s felt and expressed sense of self.
  • For ethnicity: the wording the Equality Act uses is race.
  • For religion: the word used by the Equality Act is ‘religion or belief’ rather than religion
  • For disability: we use Census data regarding daily activity limitation. The question in the census was designed to capture self-assessed activity restrictions associated with health problems or impairments, which is an indicator of disability. For further information see https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/disability/articles/nearlyoneinfivepeoplehadsomeformofdisabilityinenglandandwales/2015-07-13  

If you have a specific query please contact: soda@suffolk.gov.uk