An equality impact assessment is a way of systematically assessing the effects that a policy is likely to have on people from a protected equality group. The main purpose of impact assessments is to pre-empt the possibility that your policy could protect some protected groups unfavourably.

Best practice suggests that an impact assessment is carried out before a policy is put into place in order for an organisation to satisfy itself that the policy will not have a detrimental impact if it is actually implemented.

Fraser Consulting can:

• conduct an equality impact assessment on your behalf by reviewing the impact of your current policies and making recommendations for change. This review would not just include the three public authority areas of race, disability and gender, but would also include the other areas of discrimination, namely religion or belief, age and sexual orientation.
• advise you on implementing a system whereby all new or revised policies are impact assessed before being put into practice. This advice would include practical guidance on how you can conduct impact assessments in house and mainstream equality into your policies and procedures.