Statement of Intent

Winchester City Council is committed to the promotion of equal opportunities in its role as an employer and in its role as a Local Authority responsible for the provision of services within the community.

Accordingly, the Council has committed itself to developing positive policies to facilitate the employment of people with disabilities and to the elimination of discrimination on the grounds of being or becoming a transexual person, race or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, sex, marital status and being pregnant or on maternity leave, in its actions as an employer and in the delivery of the services for which it is responsible.

It will encourage those organisations financially supported or contracted to deliver council services to do likewise.

The Equality Act came into force on 1 October 2010 and brings separate pieces of legislation into a single act. 
It has strengthened the law and provides a straight forward legal framework to tackle disadvantage and discrimination more effectively. The Act protects people from being treated less favourably because of certain characteristics. These are known as 'protected characteristics' and include:

• Age
• Disability
• Race
• Sex
• Gender reassignment
• Marriage and civil partnership
• Pregnancy and maternity
• Religion or belief (or lack of belief)
• Sexual orientation

Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 is the Public Sector Equality Duty. This states that everything a public body does, must have due regard to the need to:

• Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under this Act
• Advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it
• Foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it

The main aim is to support good decision-making by ensuring public bodies consider how different people will be affected by their activities. It also helps to deliver policies and services that are efficient and effective, accessible, and that meet different people's needs, as much as is reasonably possible.

What is an Equality Impact Assessment?

An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is a way of systematically taking equal opportunities into consideration when making a decision. 

Undertaking equality assessments in support of all decision making helps the Council understand how the policies and services we design and run effect Winchester District residents, service users and staff from all communities. It demonstrates our understanding of our communities and our staff, and shows how we have considered them in our decision making. It helps us improve our services by ensuring they are relevant and appropriate to our communities and their needs.

When is an Equality Impact Assessment required?

The Council is required by legislation to undertake an equality impact assessment in the following circumstances:

• When proposing or developing a new policy, strategy, practice, service or function
• When reviewing an existing policy, strategy, practice, service or function
• When decommissioning, ceasing or removing a policy, strategy, practice, service or function.

An equality impact assessment should always be proportionate to the change in question and to the potential equality impact of the changes

Current Equality Impact Assessments:

Please note more EIAs will be added as soon as they are complete.

Benefits Benefits Service Discretionary Housing Payments Policy & Procedure & Applications Review Communications and Customer Service Communications Translation and Interpretation Policy Council Tax Council Tax changes and Council Tax Reduction Environmental Health Food Safety Joint Waste Contract Report Joint Waste Contract Assessment Screening Form Grants Grant Process Housing Choice-based Letting Scheme of Allocation Choice-based Letting Bidding Process  Domestic Abuse Equality Impact Assessment Report Gas Servicing

Hampshire Alliance for Affordable Rural Housing (HARAH) Homelessness Advice Homelessness Strategy Housing Advice - Interview Time Times Housing Strategy Older Persons Housing Action Plan Property Services Rent Accounting Rural Housing Strategy Sheltered Housing Temporary Accommodation Tenancy Services Information Management and Technology Information Management and Technology Licensing Licensing Strategic Planning Draft Traveller DPD Equalities Impact Assessment Traveller DPD Publication (Pre Submission) Equalities Impact Assessment

We are required under the Equality Act 2010 to publish gender pay gap information relating to our employees.

Gender pay gap is concerned with variances in the average earnings of men and women, regardless of role or seniority. It is a broader measure of capturing not only if any equal pay issues exist, but also any pay inequalities resulting from variances in the sorts of jobs performed by men and women and the gender composition of the workforce by seniority.

We have published figures confirming the following:

• Gender pay gap in mean hourly pay
• Gender pay gap in median hourly pay
• Mean bonus pay gender pay gap
• Median bonus pay gender pay gap
• Proportion of males and females receiving bonus pay
• Proportion of males and females in each quartile pay band

The current Gender Pay Gap Report can be found here. ^{(pdf, 42kb)}

If you are affected by the service or policy assessed here and do not agree with the decision or findings set out or think that the recommended improvements will not work, are insufficient or will adversely and unfairly affect you, please contact the Service Lead - Human Resources within 30 days of publication.

Email: humanresources@winchester.gov.uk
Telephone: 01962 840 222
Service Lead -  Human Resources
Winchester City Council
City Offices
Colebrook Street
Winchester
Hampshire
SO23 9LJ