Initial Equality Impact Assessment
Cluster/Department
Academy/Service
Persons responsible for the
assessment
Date
assessment
completed
Marketing, PR and
Communications
Communications
Claire Brown, Corporate Communications
Manager
01/11/2013
Title of the
policy/decision/change in
practice being assessed
Internal Communications Strategy
Status of the
policy/decision/change in
practice
New strategy, encompassing some established practices and outlining new ones
1.) What are the aims,
objectives and purpose of
the policy/decision/change
in practice?
The Internal Communications Strategy aims to increase staff satisfaction with internal communications at
ncn. Specifically it aims to;
1. Increase staff satisfaction with internal communication to 60% in Year 1
2. Increase staff satisfaction with information shared with them by managers to 80% in Year 1
3. Increase percentage of staff who feel they are able to feedback their views to management to 60% in Year 1
4. Increase number of staff who feel they are communicated with effectively about strategic and operational
goals and performance to 40% in Year 1.
2.) Does the
policy/decision/change in
practice support
other ncn objectives?
The Internal Communications Strategy supports ncn’s objective to become an ‘employer of choice’.
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3.) Who is intended to benefit
from the
policy/decision/change in
practice, and in what
way?
All ncn staff are intended to benefit from this new strategy as it aims to improve the clarity and relevance of
communication within the college. Guiding principles are a ‘first to know’ culture and creating channels of
communication with are two-way.
4.) What outcomes are
anticipated from the
policy/decision/change in
practice being in place?
Achieving our objectives will have a positive effect on aspects of staff satisfaction, as measured by the Staff Survey
(current figures relate to 2013 survey).
5.) Who are the main
stakeholders of the
policy/decision/change in
practice?
Customers
Ncn staff
6.) Are there any concerns
that the policy/decision
/change in practice could have
a negative impact with regard
to ethnicity and race?
What evidence (actual data
or assumptions) do you
have to support this?
No
7.) Are there any concerns
that the
policy/decision/change in
practice could have a
negative impact with regard
1.
2.
3.
4.
Staff feel more valued (22.8%)
Staff feel that ncn cares about their welfare (19.7%)
Staff feel more confident in the leadership of the senior management team (18.8%)
Staff become brand advocates for the college
 Staff feeling proud to work for ncn (43.1%)
 Staff who would recommend the college as a place to work (23.9%)
5. Reduction in sickness absence
Staff
Marketing, PR and
Communications to lead on the
proposed changes with support
from HR and the Staff
Development team
Partners
N/A
The new policy will not have a negative impact with regard to ethnicity and race and these factors will not
impede peoples’ ability to communicate or be communicated with. We can assume that those staff with
English as a second language will have a high enough standard of English to be able to participate fully in
college life, as it’ll be required as part of their job role.
No
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to gender?
What evidence (actual
data or assumptions)
do you have to support
this?
We have no evidence to suggest that the men and women within ncn’s staff team prefer their internal
communication to be delivered in different formats. If this is indeed the case, messages are delivered
within a variety of formats e.g. email, team briefings, roadshows etc and therefore already take differences
in preferred methods of communication into account.
Initial Equality Impact Assessment
8.) Are there any concerns
that the
policy/decision/change in
practice could have a
negative impact with regard
to disability?
What evidence (actual data
or assumptions) do you
have to support this?
9.) Are there any concerns
that the policy/decision/
change in practice could have a
negative impact with regard
to age?
What evidence (actual data
or assumptions) do you
have to support this?
Yes
Those who are blind or partially sighted may find it difficult or impossible to read
information sent across in email format.
Briefly describe your position
No
The age of a member of staff has no bearing on the level of communication they will receive. It’s a likely
assumption that different age groups prefer to communicated with in different ways, similar to the issue
around gender and therefore again, the strategy includes a number of different methods, designed to suit
people’s preferences e.g. face to face and online.
No
10.) Are there any concerns
that the policy/decision/
change in practice could have a
negative impact with regard
to sexual orientation?
What evidence (actual data
The sexual orientation of a member of staff has no bearing on the level of communication they will receive.
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or assumptions) do you
have to support this?
11.) Are there any concerns
that the policy/decision/
change in practice could have a
negative impact with regard
to religion or belief?
What evidence (actual data
or assumptions) do you
have to support this?
12.) Could the negative impact
you have identified in
questions 6 – 11 lead to the
potential for adverse impact
if the policy/decision/change
in practice is implemented?
Can this adverse impact be
justified on the grounds of
promoting equality of
opportunity for one group?
Or any other reason?
Can the impact be mitigated
by existing means?
If yes, what actions will you
take to mitigate these
impacts and revise the
policy/decision/change in
practice?
13.) As a result of your
assessment, and any
actions undertaken, should
the policy/decision/change
in practice proceed to a
partial impact assessment?
No
We have no evidence to suggest that religion or belief has any impact upon how people prefer to be
communicated to.
No
On balance, despite there being obvious differences on an individual level as to how
people like to be communicated with, some linked to protected characteristics, others
not, this new internal communications strategy will not have a negative impact. Care has
been taken to ensure messages are available through a variety of different channels. For
members of staff who may be partially sighted or blind, their interaction with email and
written messages on a day-to-day basis should form the basis of how specific messages
are communicated to them on a personal level – e.g. face to face.
N/A
N/A
No
If yes, the date of completion for the partial assessment.
DD/MM/YY
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Initial Equality Impact Assessment
Has this assessment been
undertaken by a minimum of
three staff?
Yes
Has this assessment been quality-checked by the Quality team?
No
Yes
If the policy/decision/change in practice is new, or requires a decision by governors to revise, has this Equality
Impact Assessment been included with the report?
Yes
Have any actions identified in this assessment been included in your Cluster/Service action plan as part of QIP?
Completed by:
Signed off by:
Claire Brown
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