A note on terminology This guidance uses the as shorthand for any activity of your term ‘policy’ organisation. Therefore should be understood broadly to embrace the full ‘policy’ range of your policies, provisions, criteria, functions, practices and activities including the delivery of services essentially everything you do. – This guidance uses the term to mean who share a relevant ‘equality groups’ ‘persons protected and where reference is made to groups and characteristic’ ‘equality this includes person who appears to the authority to represent the communities’ ‘any interests of those persons’. 3| What are equality outcomes? An equality outcome is a result which you as an authority aim to achieve in order to further one or more of the needs mentioned in the general equality duty. In other words, an equality outcome should further one or more of the following needs: eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. By focusing on outcomes rather than objectives, this specific duty aims to bring practical improvements in the life chances of those who experience discrimination and disadvantage. So in practice, you might find it helpful to think of equality outcomes as results intended to achieve specific and identifiable improvements in life chances. people’s For example, your equality outcomes might be to reduce the income gap between women and men in your own workforce or in your local area in partnership with others, or they might be to increase the proportion of disabled people living in homes suitable for their disability. For further examples of equality outcomes see section 7(c). You should take care not to confuse equality outcomes with outputs. Outputs describe what gets done, what an organisation or service produces or delivers training events or an improved evidence base, for example. Outcomes are the
A note on terminology This guidance uses the term ‘policy’ as shorthand for any activity of your organisation. Therefore ‘policy’ should be understood broadly to embrace the full range of your policies, provisions, criteria, functions, practices and activities including the delivery of services – essentially everything you do. This guidance uses the term ‘equality groups’ to mean ‘persons who share a relevant protected characteristic’ and where reference is made to ‘equality groups and communities’ this includes ‘any person who appears to the authority to represent the interests of those persons’. 3| What are equality outcomes? An equality outcome is a result which you as an authority aim to achieve in order to further one or more of the needs mentioned in the general equality duty. In other words, an equality outcome should further one or more of the following needs: eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations. By focusing on outcomes rather than objectives, this specific duty aims to bring practical improvements in the life chances of those who experience discrimination and disadvantage. So in practice, you might find it helpful to think of equality outcomes as results intended to achieve specific and identifiable improvements in people’s life chances. For example, your equality outcomes might be to reduce the income gap between women and men in your own workforce or in your local area in partnership with others, or they might be to increase the proportion of disabled people living in homes suitable for their disability. For further examples of equality outcomes see section 7(c). You should take care not to confuse equality outcomes with outputs. Outputs describe what gets done, what an organisation or service produces or delivers training events or an improved evidence base, for example. Outcomes are the
equality-outcomes-and-public-sector-equality-duty-guide-public-authorities.docx