Equality Impact Assessments
At Warwickshire County Council (WCC), we believe that everyone should be treated fairly and equally. We recognise that individuals and communities are different and by embracing and celebrating that diversity we’re able to reflect and serve our customers and communities better. We recognise that people have different needs and endeavour to make sure that different groups are not disadvantaged or discouraged from participating and feel valued and included when it comes to using our services.
In helping us to meet and fulfil our legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality, the Council undertakes Equality Impact Assessments (EIA) when developing or reviewing our services, policies, strategies, practices or plans.
An EIA is an evidence-based approach which analyses our proposed activity against its impact on groups with different characteristics. It is a planning tool intended to influence our proposed activity before a decision is reached, in the same way that a Health and Safety risk assessment might do. It helps ensure decision-making processes are fair and no group is disadvantaged or discouraged from participating. EIAs help us to understand the effects of our activities, think about how to mitigate negative impacts and build upon positive impacts. It also ensures decisions are transparent and able to be evidenced if required, for example as part of a judicial review.