What is the Equality Standard?

The Equality Standard was launched in 2001 and developed by the Equal Opportunity Commission, Commission for Racial Equality, Disability Rights Commission, the Employers Organisation and the Audit Commission.

It is a framework through which we will deliver all equality issues. It sets all equality issues on an equal footing using one common framework for everything and standardises all equality legislation. It replaces the CRE standards as a Best Value Performance Indicator.

The ESFLG ensures we mainstream equalities in our everyday work, by writing it into our departmental and service plans, Personal Development Reviews, Action Plans, employment practices and into our everyday service delivery.

It provides a framework that extends to all the 6 equality groups of Race, Gender, Disability Age, Sexual Orientation, Religion and or Belief.

There are 5 levels, each one building on the one before:

• Commitment to a comprehensive Equality policy
• Assessment and consultation
• Setting equality objectives and targets
• Information systems and monitoring against targets
• Achieving and reviewing outcomes

The Standard covers four key areas:

• Leadership and Corporate Commitment
• Consultation, Community Development and Scrutiny
• Service Delivery and Customer Care
• Employment and Training

 Aims of the Standard

• Secure equality as a corporate goal – this means all departments must sign up to the action plan and all achieve the levels at the same time to be accredited.
• Ensure that it covers all aspects of policy making, service delivery and employment – the action plan covers all aspects of policy service delivery and employment, including the recommendations from the Institute of Employment Studies
• It creates a culture of questioning and challenging assumptions on service planning/delivery – we need to create a culture of questioning what we do and why.

The authority has achieved levels 1 and 2 of the Equality Standard so far. We are currently working to achieve levels 3 and 4 in the future.

Targets

Level 3 (Setting equality objectives and targets) by December 2005
Level 4 (Information systems and monitoring against targets) by April 2007

Equality Standard Toolkit

The Action on Diversity Team has put this guidance together to show officers what they need to do in order for the Authority to achieve levels 3 and 4 of the Equality Standard:

Title page and contents
Section 1: Background and role of Action on Diversity team
Section 2: Equality and Diversity Policy and Action Plan
Section 3: Requirements of the Standard and templates for meeting levels three and four
Section 4: Collecting Evidence
Section 5: Equality Impact Assessments
Section 6: Service Planning
Section 7: Procurement
Section 8: Community Engagement - to be added
Section 9: Monitoring
Equalities Impact Assessment form
Equalities Impact Assessment guidance