Equality Impact Assessments
Equality
Impact Assessment
Record Form
Domestic Abuse Guidance
North Norfolk District Council
Page 1
Directorate
Service
Resources
Human Resources/Organisational Development
Domestic Abuse guidance
Title of the document being
assessed
Person
Date
responsible for assessment
the
completed
assessment
10 August 2010
HR Officer
The status of the document
New - draft
1. What are the aims,
objectives and purposes
of the document?
The purpose of this guidance is to support and help staff who are victims or survivors of domestic abuse, but
it also covers those members of staff who are affected by domestic abuse against someone close to them,
rather than against them personally.
This policy is not a workplace violence policy, which is covered in other policies, for example the Reception
Area Difficult Person/Panic Alarm Policy (which has it’s own EqIA).
2. Does the document
support other
objectives of the
council?
3. Who is intended to
benefit from the
document, and in what
Yes, these include:
 Diversity and Equality Policy
 Flexitime Scheme
 Health and Safety Policy
 Authorised Absence Procedures
 Family Friendly Policies
 Disciplinary procedure
 Child Protection Policy
 ICT Security Policy
 Bullying Policy and Procedure
 Information on flexible working requests
All employees and managers – to signpost them to appropriate support and help where they
themselves are affected by domestic abuse directly or indirectly, or if a colleague reports domestic
abuse to them.
2
way?
4. What outcomes are
anticipated from the
document being in
place?
5. Identify and select your
assessment team.
All customers & service users – to ensure that employees receive appropriate support in the
workplace and to maintain service delivery. The training mentioned in the policy will also assist
frontline Officers (where appropriate) to identify the signs of domestic abuse when dealing with
customers.
 Raised awareness of domestic abuse for all parties.
 Clear expectations for employees, managers, HR and UNISON on what their roles are and are
not.
 Information provision for all parties as to what domestic abuse is, and where to seek support and
assistance from.
 To assist in creating a supportive environment where employees suffering from domestic abuse
feel able to come forward.
Name
Role
Responsibilities
HR Officer
Various Consultees
6. What data have you
gathered for this
assessment?
How have you analysed
this data?
Source and
Age of Data
Owner
Domestic Violence Statistics.
Women’s Aid (2009)
www.womensaid.org.uk
INTRAN pages of intranet
Women’s Aid
Views from employee
representatives regarding the
assessment
Human Resources
Richard, Noret & Rivers (2003)
Violence and Abuse in samesex relationships. A review of
literature.
York St John College.
Available at
www.brokenrainbow.org.uk
Customer Services
3
Lead on assessment
See Appendix A
Findings
Data Gaps
Prevalance relating to
gender. See appendix
C.
Services that INTRAN
can offer
Changes made
following this
consultation are listed
in Appendix A.
National statistics
rather than local.
Varying levels of
domestic violence and
abuse in same sex
relationships were
found in the literature,
National statistics
rather than local.
n/a
See Appendix A.
Information on forced
marriages. Accessed August
2010.
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/traveland-living-abroad/when-thingsgo-wrong/forced-marriage
North Norfolk District Councils
accessibility matters standards
7. Who are the main
stakeholders of this
document?
8. Are there any concerns
that the document
could have a negative
impact with regard to
race and ethnicity?
Foreign and
Commenwealth Office
– Forced Marriage Unit.
National not local data.
North Norfolk District Guidelines on how to n/a
Council
make information more
accessible
Community

with several
researchers stating that
it occurs at about the
same rate as in hetero
sexual relationships. In
any case, it is clear that
domestic abuse is not
exclusive to
heterosexual
relationships.
Data relating to forced
marriages. See
Appendix C.
Staff/Members
The entire district – to raise the
profile of this issue as a large local
employer and to support the staff
who deliver services to our
community.




All employees
All managers
Members
Trade union representatives
Partners

Safer Communities
Partnership (in respect of
training delivery)
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support
this?
No
In line with the Council’s Diversity and Equality Policy, this document applies
equally to all employees regardless of race and ethnicity. This is reinforced by the
equalities statement (section 3).
‘INTRAN’ services (translation) would also be available if there was a need to
communicate the document in another language, for example.
4
The aim of this document is to support those experiencing any kind of abuse and
therefore should have a positive impact rather than a negative or adverse impact.
9. Are there any concerns
that the document
could have a negative
impact with regard to
gender?
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support
this?
In line with the Council’s Diversity and Equality Policy, this document applies
equally to all employees regardless of gender. This is reinforced by the equalities
statement (section 3) and again in the ‘Scope’ of the policy (section 1) and Home
Office definition (section 5).
No
Although domestic abuse is not exclusive to either gender, there is evidence that
women are more likely to experience domestic abuse – see Appendix C. As a
large proportion of the workforce at the Council are female (61% at 31/03/2010)
which suggests a higher likelihood of an NNDC employee experiencing some form
of abuse as covered by this document.
The aim of this document is to support those experiencing any kind of abuse and
therefore should have a positive impact rather than a negative or adverse impact.
10.Are there any concerns
that the document
could have a negative
impact with regard to
disability?
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support
this?
In line with the Council’s Diversity and Equality Policy, this document applies
equally to all employees regardless of disability status. This is reinforced by the
equalities statement (section 3).
No
This document should be communicated in a number of different forms – e.g.
intranet, team briefing & briefing newsletter. Communications would need to
comply with the Council’s Accessibility Standards. ‘INTRAN’ services (translation)
would also be available if there was a need to communicate the document in sign
language or Braille for example.
The document will be made accessible to all and covers all employees regardless
of disability status, therefore this policy should have a positive impact rather than a
negative or adverse impact.
11.Are there any concerns
No
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support
5
that the document
could have a negative
impact with regard to
age?
this?
In line with the Council’s Diversity and Equality Policy, this document applies
equally to all employees regardless of age. This is reinforced by the equalities
statement (section 3).
Domestic abuse can happen regardless of age. The aim of this document is to
support those experiencing any kind of abuse regardless of their age and
therefore should have a positive impact rather than a negative or adverse impact.
12.Are there any concerns
that the document
could have a negative
impact with regard to
religion/belief?
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support
this?
In line with the Council’s Diversity and Equality Policy, this document applies
equally to all employees regardless of religion/belief. This is reinforced by the
equalities statement (section 3).
No
13.Are there any concerns
that the document
could have a negative
impact with regard to
sexual orientation?
Some types of domestic abuse may be more prevalent in certain beliefs and
cultures. For example, domestic abuse can occur within a forced marriage, where
duress, whether physical or mental, is used to force a marriage to take place (and
continue) without the free and valid consent of one or both parties. This document
covers all types of domestic abuse and therefore should have a positive impact
rather than a negative or adverse impact.
What evidence (actual data or assumptions) do you have to support
this?
No
In line with the Council’s Diversity and Equality Policy, this document applies
equally to all employees regardless of sexual orientation. This is reinforced by the
equalities statement and again in the introduction of the document and Home
Office definition.
A review of the literature of violence and abuse in same sex relationships
(Richard, Noret & Rivers, 2003) shows that although the prevalence figures
reported for abuse in same sex relationships vary, it does exist. This document
recognises that and covers domestic abuse for all types of relationships and
therefore should have a positive impact rather than a negative or adverse impact.
6
14.Could the negative
impact you have
identified in questions 8
- 13 lead to the
potential for adverse
impact if the document
is implemented?
No negative impact identified.
No
Can this adverse impact be
justified on the grounds of
promoting equality of
opportunity for one group?
N/A
N/A
Or any other reason?
N/A
N/A
Can the impact be
mitigated by existing
means?
N/A
N/A
If yes, what actions will
you undertake to mitigate
these impacts and revise
the document?
N/A
N/A
15.Describe the
arrangements for
reporting and
publishing this
assessment.
Has this assessment been
undertaken by a minimum
of two staff?
This assessment will be reported to the Equality and Diversity Board and will be published on the
NNDC external website (www.northnorfolk.org)
Yes
Has this assessment been scrutinised by your
Directorate Steering Group?
7
Scrutinised by
Organisational
Development
Equality Impact
Assessment
team
If the policy is new, or requires a decision by Councillors to revise, has this Equality Impact Assessment
been included with the report?
Have any actions identified in this assessment been included in your service equality and diversity action
plan?
Completed by:
HR Officer
Signed off by:
8
Yes
See Appendix B
Organisational Development Manager
Appendix A – Consultation information and Edits
People involved in the assessment:








Organisational Development Manager
HR Advisor
HR Officer
Community Liaison Officer
Community Safety Manager
Customer Services Team Leader
Customer Services Manager
UNISON Representative
Actions taken after consultation:

Amendments to box 12
9
Appendix B – Action Plans
No actions arose from this assessment.
10
Appendix C – Domestic Abuse Statistics
Gender



89% of victims of more than four incidents of interpersonal violence (e.g. ongoing domestic or sexual abuse) are women (Walby
and Allen, 2004)
1 in 4 women experience domestic violence over their lifetimes.
30% of domestic violence starts in pregnancy (Lewis & Drife, 2001; 2005; McWilliams and McKiernan, 1993)
Source: Womens Aid – www.womensaid.org.uk
Religion/Belief
Forced marriages are a form of domestic abuse, where young people are forced into marriage by their families when they go
abroad. In a forced marriage you are coerced into marrying someone against your will. You may be physically threatened or
emotionally blackmailed to do so. It is an abuse of human rights and cannot be justified on any religious or cultural basis. It’s not the
same as an arranged marriage where you have a choice as to whether to accept the arrangement or not. The tradition of arranged
marriages has operated successfully within many communities and countries for a very long time.
There is a Forced Marriage Unit which in 2009 gave advice or support to 1682 cases. 86 percent of these cases involved females
and 14 percent involved males.
Source: www.fco.gov.uk
Sexual Orientation
Varying levels of domestic violence and abuse in same sex relationships were found in the literature, with several researchers stating that it
occurs at about the same rate as in hetero sexual relationships. In any case, it is clear that domestic abuse is not exclusive to heterosexual
relationships.
Source: Richard, Noret & Rivers (2003) Violence and Abuse in same-sex relationships. A review of literature. York St John College. Available
at www.broken-rainbow.org.uk
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Equality Impact Assessments
North Norfolk District Council
Page 12