Equality Impact Assessment - Dependency Leave (Human Resources)

Name of the policy, service or project

Human Resources Dependency Leave

Is this policy new or existing?

Existing

When was it last reviewed?

2002/2003

A. Preparation

The work on this section should be done in advance and be used as part of your EQIA. Please attach examples of available monitoring information, research and consultation reports.

1. Do you have monitoring data available on the number of people who are using or impacted upon by your policy, service or project?	Yes	No
Number of people with disabilities?	X
Black and minority ethnic communities	X
Women and Men	x

If you have answered ‘Yes’ to the above questions your monitoring data should be compared to the current available census data to see whether a proportionate number of people are taking up your service.

2. If monitoring has NOT been undertaken, will this be done in the future? (Race Relations Amendment Act 2000)

If so, specify the arrangements you intend to make; if not, please give a reason for you decision:

Looking at feasibility of using that information for monitoring purposes

Yes

Although we have the data available no specific monitoring is undertaken. The new HR system will help this process.

3. If you are aware of any relevant local or national equality or diversity-related consultation, research, or good practice guidance, then please list and attach here

Yes

Good practice guidance from organisations eg ACAS, DTI, CIPD. All information is available through the internet.

B. Your Policy, Service or Project

1. What is the main purpose of the policy, service or project?

The aim of a dependency leave scheme is to ensure the provision of paid leave for employees who have to taken time off to care for dependants or to deal with urgent situations

2. List the areas of activity of the policy, service or project e.g. the recruitment strategy might have advertising, interviewing, short listing etc. as activity areas.

Dependency Leave, Parental Leave

3.Who are the main beneficiaries of the policy?

Employees, the Council

4.Is the policy, service or project corporate and far-reaching?
Yes

5. In your view, does the policy assist residents in meeting their most basic needs, i.e. shelter and income?
No

6. Will the impact of the policy, service or project potentially be short-lived or lasting?
Long Lasting

7.Does the policy, service or project deal with delivering front-line services to residents or employees?
No

8. Are you expecting to make any changes to the policy, service or project during the next year?
No

9. Does this policy, service or project potentially have a high impact on Kingston residents or employees?
Yes

If a high impact is indicated you need to progress to a full EQIA

C. The Impact

1. Complete the following tables using ticks.

Consider the information gathered in Section (a) of this Screening Form, comparing monitoring information with census data, and considering any earlier research or consultations. You could also look at point 7 (c) of the EQIA Screening Guidance Notes for areas of possible effect:

·Where you think that the policy could have a negative impact on any of the equality target groups, i.e. it could disadvantage them
Where you think that the policy could have a positive impact on any of the equality target groups or contribute to promoting equal opportunities, or improving relations within the equality target groups

a) How will it impact on men and women e.g. flexible working arrangements might have a positive impact on women with caring responsibilities

Gender	Positive Impact	Neutral Impact	Negative Impact	Reason
Woman/Girls	Yes
Men/Boys	Yes

b) What type of impact will it have on black and minority ethnic communities use Council services differently, e.g. women from certain minority communities may use the Council’s swimming pool more often if same sex swimming arrangements are in place

Race	Positive Impact	Neutral Impact	Negative Impact	Reason
Asia or Asian British (including Tamil, Gujarati and Korean)		Yes
Black or Black British		Yes
Chinese and other		Yes
White (including Irish)		Yes

c) People of different faith such as Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Humanists or Atheist

Race	Positive Impact	Neutral Impact	Negative Impact	Reason
Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Humanists or Atheist		Yes		Unsure, prayer room available on request

d) What type of impact will it have on people with disabilities, e.g. if information about Council Tax benefits are not made available in large print or alternative formats, access to such benefits might be denied to people with a visual impairment or learning disability.

Disability	Neutral Impact	Reason
Visually Impaired	Yes
Hearing Impairment	Yes
Physically disabled	Yes
Learning disability	Yes
Mental Health Problem	Yes	No recorded evidence, but considered possibility that disabled employees may be more likely to have disabled children, resulting in a greater need to take up the scheme.

e) Lesbian, gay men and bisexuals

	Positive Impact	Neutral Impact	Negative Impact	Reason
Lesbian, gay men and bisexuals		Yes

2 .Considering the results of this initial screening, what is the relevance of this policy, service or project to Kingston’s equality target groups? Also see high impact assessment criteria point 7 (c) of the EQIA Screening Guidance Notes, If a high impact is indicated you need to progress to a full EQIA

Medium

3. Does the policy, service or project have a negative impact on any of the equality target groups? If so, you will need to proceed to a Full Equality Impact Assessment.No

Yes

4. Is progression to a full EQIA required?

No

Criteria for moving on to a full EQIA (if the answer is yes to any of the following questions a full EQIA is required)

If the general impact of the policy is side and far reaching
If any of our equality target groups are specifically impacted upon by the policy, service or project
If a differential impact has been identified on the equality target groups
Where a lack of information exists about whether Kingston’s equality target groups have been differentially impacted upon
If a negative impact on any of the equality target groups have been identified

Please keep a copy on record to which the public could have full access. Also e-mail a copy to Johanna Renz, Equalities Advisor and to your Equality Directorate Lead.

Signed (EQIA DIrectorate Lead) Marie Gadsden
SIgned (Completing Officer) Emma Stracey

Date: 29 April 2005

Equality Impact Assessment: Action Plan

Please list below any recommendations for action that you plan to take as a result of this EQIA

Ensuring that front-line staff regularly attend the Council’s Race and Disability Awareness Training
A complete re-think of the way in which the Service is publicised
·An agreement about future monitoring arrangements

Issue	Action Required	Lead Officer	Time-scale	Resource implications	Comments
Same Gender Partners	Change language to be more inclusive of same gender	Marie Gadsden		Staffing	August 2007 - achieved
Monitoring	Employees complete dependency leave forms which are placed on file. However no IT record is held to analyse the data	Marie Gadsden		Staffing	Useful information to extract includes the take up of the scheme, eg whether there is a greater take up by white females compared to the ethnic minority groups. Monitoring slip now included on form

Issue

Action Required

Lead Officer

Time-scale

Resource implications

Comments

Same Gender Partners

Change language to be more inclusive of same gender

Marie Gadsden

Staffing

August 2007 - achieved

Monitoring

Employees complete dependency leave forms which are placed on file. However no IT record is held to analyse the data