National Probation Service North Yorkshire: Equality Impact Assessment Support

We first started working with NPS North Yorkshire in 2004 when we were commissioned to provide a range of organisational support on Equality Impact Assessment (EqIA). This initially included:

• Foundation and refresher training for managers;
• Support to help them decide on a model for assessment at the most senior level - helping to prioritise areas for assessment and to identify organisational systems to support EqIA; and
• A series of workshops to support initial screenings of EqIAs.

Once managers had started work on their assessments, we provided one-to-one or small group coaching to look at progress. This included answering specific questions, identifying gaps in knowledge/information available and supporting managers to fully consider the different types of barriers in the processes they were evaluating – e.g. a step-by-step consideration of the offender management process and what data they would need to investigate potential or presumed barriers and remove these.

We then reviewed completed drafts and gave verbal feedback, including helping senior and operational managers to decide whether a full EqIA was appropriate.

As the organisation was undertaking a process mapping exercise we were also able to observe a process mapping workshop and make recommendations about links between this and EqIA, in order to ensure a properly mainstreamed approach.

We have since provided additional refresher training and follow-up workshops.