Equality Impact Assessments

The Equality Act 2010 includes the Public Sector Equality Duty, this duty requires public bodies to place equality at the heart of everything they do to meet the needs of those across all protected characteristics.  

Coventry City Council is fully committed to ensuring a fair and equal service is provided to all, whether it is a service that is provided to Coventry citizens or to its employees in the context of its role as an employer. To ensure an equal service is provided, the Council makes effective use of the Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) tool.  

The Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) tool ensures that the Council is paying due regard to the requirements of the general duty under the Public Sector Equality Duty.   This has been done by considering the effect that existing / new policies, practices and decisions have on the different groups protected from discrimination as defined within the Equality Act 2010.     

In cases where an EIA has been completed, this is presented to Elected Members as part of the relevant Cabinet or Cabinet Member report for their consideration.

Health Inequalities

The requirement to consider the impact on health inequalities in the city was introduced in 2016 because of the commitment made by Coventry City Council and other statutory organisations to maintain the city status as a ‘Marmot City’ to work together to reduce health inequalities.   

Decisions made by the Council have the potential to impact significantly on the lives of Coventry residents, and often any negative impact is felt most by those in the lowest socio-economic groups, therefore contributing to increasing inequalities. It is therefore important that negative impact is recognised and mitigated where possible.       

Therefore, in addition to the protected characteristics above, as part of the EIA process 2021-22 Coventry City Council has included questions relating to Heath Inequalities. 

Digital Inclusion

During 2022, Coventry City Council introduced a requirement to consider Digital Inclusion within the Equality Impact Assessment process.  Digital literacy in all sectors of society is becoming more important and urgent.  

As the internet becomes increasingly embedded in the lives of individuals, communities and commerce, it is more critical than ever before to ensure digital literacy for everyone. The wide gap between those who have easy access to the internet and those who do not, popularly known as the “digital divide”, is more important than ever. 

By incorporating Digital Inclusion within the form Coventry City Council is ensuring all protected groups and vulnerable groups such as unemployment, homelessness, level of educational qualification etc have equal access to the services provided by the council.    

End of Year Equality Impact Assessment Report

The Council produces a summary report of all EIAs completed during the operational year.