Equality and diversity zone

The Public Sector Equality Duty includes a requirement to assess the impact of new or revised policies and practices. 

The Specific Duties require public authorities to:

• where and to the extent required, fulfil the general equality duty, assess the impact of applying a proposed new or revised policy or practice against the needs of the general equality duty;
• in making the assessment, consider relevant evidence relating to persons who share a protected characteristic (including any evidence received from those persons);
• in developing a policy or practice, take account of the results of any assessment in respect of that policy or practice;
• publish, within a reasonable period, the results of any assessment where it decides to apply the policy or practice in question;
• make arrangements to review and where necessary revise any policy or practice that it applies in the exercise of its functions.