Equality schemes

All public bodies have a legal duty to put in place equality schemes on race, disability and gender to underpin their commitment to promote equality.  The Equality Scheme model is also a useful one for other non profit organisations.

The public duty is, in effect, legislation which is deliberately designed to bring about ‘mainstreaming' of equality. It is about ensuring that equality is not a separate ‘add on', but an integral part of how an organisation goes about all its activities - certainly in relation to employment, but also in relation to policy making and service delivery, access to information and services, public image and confidence, as well as procurement decisions and partnership arrangements, and community relations.

In other words, it is about institutional change - getting the concept of inclusion into the bloodstream of your organisation.

What Equality Schemes cover

Equality schemes are developed around your organisation's key functions.  By and large they are likely to address six main areas:

  • Service delivery 
  • Policy development       
  • Employment of staff      
  • Procurement     
  • Communication
  • Lead responsibility

Research suggests that where lead responsibility for an equality scheme is with the chief exectutive or board, plans are more likely to be integrated with corporate strategic planning.  This makes real mainstreaming more likely.  Organisations most advanced with operational implementation of their equality scheme, however, are usually those with an equality specialist in the lead.

What we offer

The Centre's diversity team can help you put in place a diversity scheme or schemes.  We have worked with the Equality and Human Rights Commission on equality schemes and have in-depth knowledge of  the law (including the differences between the legal duties, the Human Rights Act), public sector ethos and procedures and how to develop and implement a scheme. We will help you with

  • Initial screening
  • Impact assessment
  • Consultation and involvement of stakeholders
  • Drafting scheme and drawing up an Action Plan

Contact Pam Henry on 020 7490 3030 or pam.henry@the-centre.co.uk