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Equality Act 2010The Public Sector Equality Duty - how will it affect the third sector?
Neil Martin
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04/11/23 2
Key provisions
October 2010: Services & Public FunctionsPremisesEmploymentAssociationsEducation
April 6th 2011: Public Sector Equality Duty
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04/11/23 3
Protected Characteristics services, public functions, employment• Disability• Gender reassignment• Pregnancy & maternity • Race• Religion / belief• Sex• Sexual orientation
• Marriage & civil partnership – employment & vocational training
• Age – from 2012
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Prohibited Conduct
1. Direct discrimination, including by association and perception
2. Indirect discrimination
3. Harassment
4. Third party harassment
5. Discrimination arising from disability
6. Duty to make reasonable adjustments
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Purpose of the equality duty
Help public authorities to:
• Integrate equality & good relations into core business (design of policies/delivery of services).
• Develop services more appropriate to users & more cost-effective
• Increase productivity by building a more supportive working environment
• Draw on a wider range of talent & be more representative.
• Better informed decision-making & policy development (improving policy outcomes & satisfaction with services)
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Protected characteristics -Public Sector Equality Duty
• Age• Disability• Pregnancy and maternity • Religion or belief• Race
• Sex • Sexual orientation• Gender reassignment • Marriage and civil
partnerships (but only for eliminating discrimination)
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Key elements of the duty
• Equality information
• Engagement
• Equality analysis
• Equality objectives
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Key dates for the duty in England
• 6 April 2011: general & specific duties come into force
• 31 July 2011: specific duties require listed bodies (except schools) to publish equality information
• 31 December 2011: schools to publish equality information
• 6 April 2012: specific duties require listed bodies (including schools) to publish equality objectives
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General equality duty
In the exercise of their functions, public authorities must have due regard to the need to:
• Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
• Advance equality of opportunity• Foster good relations
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What this means
Advancing equality:• Remove or minimise disadvantages suffered by people
with protected characteristics• Take steps to meet the needs of people from protected
groups (including taking account of a disability)• Encourage protected groups to participate in public life.
Fostering good relations:• Tackle prejudice• Promote understanding
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Who the general duty applies to
• Public authorities listed in Schedule 19 of Act – e.g. local authorities, schools, health bodies, police
& government departments).
• Organisations who exercise public functions– e.g. private/voluntary organisations carrying out
public functions on behalf of a public authority.
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Commissioning and procurement
• General duty will apply to procurement & commissioning by public authorities regardless of the value of the contract.
• No specific duty relating to procurement.
• Commission planning to publish a guide to equality and procurement – spring / summer 2011.
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Specific duties
• Purpose is to help public authorities to comply with the general equality duty
• Complying with the specific duties is part of complying with the general equality duty, but is not sufficient in itself
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Who the specific duties apply to
• The specific duties apply to all public authorities listed in Schedule 1 of the specific duties regulations.
• This covers most (but not all) of the public authorities listed in Schedule 19 of the Equality Act.
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Equality information
• Under specific duties, publish sufficient information to demonstrate their compliance with the general equality duty (at least annually)
• Public authorities with under 150 employees:– not required to publish workforce information– need to collect workforce information for developing
objectives & equality analysis of workforce policies.
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Sensitive equality information
• Where employees & service users are not ready to be asked about sexual orientation, gender reassignment or religion, develop a culture of trust to enable this to be collected in the future.
• Explain why information is being collected, what it will be used for, and how privacy will be protected.
• Analysing national or local research and engagement are useful for identifying key issues if monitoring is not possible.
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Engagement
• General duty requires public authorities to have a good evidence base for decision-making, and engagement is a key part of that information.
• Specific duties require information about engagement undertaken to be published, including when developing equality objectives.
• Specific duties don’t set out how or when engagement should be undertaken.
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Equality Analysis
• A key part of complying with general duty.
• Specific duties require publication of evidence of equality analysis undertaken and details of the information considered.
• Case law on the old duties still has relevance.
– e.g. equality analysis needs to be undertaken before decision-making and written records are needed.
• Current duties still apply until 6th April
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Equality objectives
Authorities covered by the specific duties:• Prepare and publish equality objectives. • Publish objectives at least every 4 years (either
individually or as part of another document).• Consider the equality information that was published,
before preparing equality objectives. • Objectives must be specific and measureable• Publish details of engagement undertaken when
developing equality objectives. • Set out how progress on objectives will be measured.
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Specific duties
1) Publish equality information:• Publish sufficient information to demonstrate compliance
with the general equality duty by 31 July 2011 (31 December 2011 for schools), then annually.
• Publish this in an accessible manner
This shall include:• The effect of policies on protected groups• Evidence of equality analysis• Details of information considered in equality analysis.• Details of engagement undertaken
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Specific duties
2) Prepare and publish equality objectives • Prepare & publish objectives to meet one or more
aims of general duty by April 2012• Publish new objectives at least every four years • Consider the published equality information before
preparing objectives. • Publish details of engagement undertaken when
developing objectives • Ensure the objectives are specific and measureable • Set out how progress on objectives will be measured.
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Monitoring and enforcement
• Commission responsible for monitoring and enforcing the equality duty
• Range of tools set out for the Commission under the Equality Act 2006 still apply
• Enforcement tools include: – compliance notices– judicial review– section 31 assessments– section 23 agreements– legal interventions.
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GuidanceCodes of Practice
• Employment• Services, Public Functions and Associations • Equal Pay • Public Sector Equality Duties
Non-Statutory Guidance• For employers and workers • For service providers and for service users• Public Sector Equality Duties
Equality Act starter kit
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PSED Guidance
Available now:• The essential guide to the public sector equality duty• Equality analysis and the equality duty • Engagement and the equality duty• Equality objectives and the equality duty• Equality information and the equality duty
To be produced:• VCS specific guidance - Equality & Diversity Forum• Code of Practice
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Advice & Guidance
• Website: www.equalityhumanrights.com• EHRC Helpline:
– Tel: 0845 6046610– Email: [email protected]
• Government Equalities Office: www.equalities.gov.uk