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Equality impact assessment (EIA)
form: evidencing paying due regard to protected
characteristics
(Form updated April 2019)
School Funding 2023-24 (School Block Funding)
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If you would like this information in another language or format such as Braille, large print or audio, please contact the Communications Unit on 01609 53 2013 or email communications@northyorks.gov.uk.
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Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs) are public documents. EIAs accompanying reports going to County Councillors for decisions are published with the committee papers on our website and are available in hard copy at the relevant meeting. To help people to find completed EIAs we also publish them in the Equality and Diversity section of our website. This will help people to see for themselves how we have paid due regard in order to meet statutory requirements.
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Name of Directorate and Service Area |
North Yorkshire County Council: Central Services |
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Lead Officer and contact details |
Howard Emmett - Assistant Director – Strategic Services |
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Names and roles of other people involved in carrying out the EIA |
Sally Dunn – Head of Finance (Schools & Early Years)
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How will you pay due regard? e.g. working group, individual officer |
The proposal will be subject to a school wide consultation process from 28th September 2022 ending 9th November 2022 and this EIA will be updated during and following the consultation responses. The item will be discussed at the North Yorkshire School Forum meetings on 22nd September 2022 and 17th November 2022 |
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When did the due regard process start? |
In setting School Funding each year, it is necessary to consider the level at which the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) is set within the parameters determined by the DfE. This EIA considers this issue in respect of 2023-24 School Funding.
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Section 1. Please describe briefly what this EIA is about. (e.g. are you starting a new service, changing how you do something, stopping doing something?)
The EIA considers the review of the level of the MFG to be used in determining school budgets for the 2023/24 financial year.
The MFG is a protection mechanism which determines the minimum funding uplift which every school will receive in terms of funding per pupil between the 2022/23 financial year and the 2023/24 financial year.
The DfE school funding guidance for 2023/24 allows local authorities to continue to be able to set a MFG in local formulae, which in 2022/23 must be between 0% and +0.5%. This allows every school, dependent on the local decision on the level of the MFG, the opportunity to benefit from the 0.5% more pupil-led funding per pupil compared to its 2022/23 National Funding Formula (NFF) baseline.
The EIA also considers the methodology which will be used to allocate to school budgets any surplus funding remaining in the Schools Block Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) after the school funding formula allocations have been calculated using the NFF values as determined by the DfE.
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Section 2. Why is this being proposed? What are the aims? What does the authority hope to achieve by it? (e.g. to save money, meet increased demand, do things in a better way.) The DfE require each local authority to determine the level of the MFG to be used within their local school funding formula each financial year.
In order to ensure that schools receive optimum benefit from the Schools Block DSG funding consideration needs to be given to the methodology for the allocation of any surplus funding remaining after the calculation of school funding formula allocations using the NFF values as determined by the DfE.
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Section 3. What will change? What will be different for customers and/or staff?
The impact on individual schools may vary in relation to the proposed level of the Minimum Funding Guarantee (MFG) to be implemented in 2023/24 and the methodology used to allocate any surplus funding remaining in the Schools Block DSG after the calculation of school funding formula allocations using the NFF values as determined by the DfE. |
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Section 4. Involvement and consultation (What involvement and consultation has been done regarding the proposal and what are the results? What consultation will be needed and how will it be done?)
The DfE released their 2023/234 funding announcement and the associated detailed funding information required to model funding formula options for the next financial year in July 2022. The North Yorkshire Schools Forum will be updated on the 2023/24 funding arrangements and notified on the intention to consult with schools at its meeting the 22nd September 2022.
A consultation will be undertaken with schools and academies will be undertaken between 28th September 2022 and 9th November 2022.
The responses and results from the consultation exercise will be presented at the Schools Forum on 17th November 2022. This EIA will be updated during and following the consultation responses. Schools will be notified of the outcome of this process before the end of November.
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Section 5. What impact will this proposal have on council budgets? Will it be cost neutral, have increased cost or reduce costs?
Please explain briefly why this will be the result.
The specific proposal in the EIA is cost neutral as all costs will be contained within the ring-fence of the 2023/24 Schools Block DSG
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Section 6. How will this proposal affect people with protected characteristics? |
No impact |
Make things better |
Make things worse |
Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc. |
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Age |
ü |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic. The proposal will be applied to both primary and secondary schools. |
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Disability |
ü |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic. |
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Sex |
ü |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic. |
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Race |
ü |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic |
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Gender reassignment |
ü |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic |
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Sexual orientation |
ü |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic |
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Religion or belief |
ü |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic |
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Pregnancy or maternity |
ü |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic |
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Marriage or civil partnership |
ü |
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic |
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Section 7. How will this proposal affect people who… |
No impact |
Make things better |
Make things worse |
Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc. |
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..live in a rural area? |
ü
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic |
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…have a low income? |
ü
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic |
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…are carers (unpaid family or friend)? |
ü
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It is anticipated there would be no identifiable impact as a result of this proposal for this characteristic |
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Section 8. Geographic impact – Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply) |
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North Yorkshire wide |
ü
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Craven district |
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Hambleton district |
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Harrogate district |
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Richmondshire district |
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Ryedale district |
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Scarborough district |
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Selby district |
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If you have ticked one or more districts, will specific town(s)/village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below. |
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Section 9. Will the proposal affect anyone more because of a combination of protected characteristics? (e.g. older women or young gay men) State what you think the effect may be and why, providing evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information etc.
None identified
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Section 10. Next steps to address the anticipated impact. Select one of the following options and explain why this has been chosen. (Remember: we have an anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments so that disabled people can access services and work for us) |
Tick option chosen |
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1. No adverse impact - no major change needed to the proposal. There is no potential for discrimination or adverse impact identified. |
ü |
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2. Adverse impact - adjust the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We will change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, or we will achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people. |
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3. Adverse impact - continue the proposal - The EIA identifies potential problems or missed opportunities. We cannot change our proposal to reduce or remove these adverse impacts, nor can we achieve our aim in another way which will not make things worse for people. (There must be compelling reasons for continuing with proposals which will have the most adverse impacts. Get advice from Legal Services) |
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4. Actual or potential unlawful discrimination - stop and remove the proposal – The EIA identifies actual or potential unlawful discrimination. It must be stopped. |
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Explanation of why option has been chosen. (Include any advice given by Legal Services.)
No significant adverse impacts have been identified from the EIA affecting one or more protected characteristic.
The consultation with schools will conclude on the 9th November 2022. This EIA will be updated during and following the consultation responses should this be required.
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Section 11. If the proposal is to be implemented how will you find out how it is really affecting people? (How will you monitor and review the changes?)
The school financial governance processes operating within the LA monitor the position of school budgets and the associated impact on the operations of schools.
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Section 12. Action plan. List any actions you need to take which have been identified in this EIA, including post implementation review to find out how the outcomes have been achieved in practice and what impacts there have actually been on people with protected characteristics. |
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Action |
Lead |
By when |
Progress |
Monitoring arrangements |
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1. To undertake a formal consultation with schools
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Howard Emmett – Asst. Director |
9th November 2022 |
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2. To report outcomes to School Forum
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Howard Emmett – Asst. Director |
17th November 2022 |
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Section 13. Summary Summarise the findings of your EIA, including impacts, recommendation in relation to addressing impacts, including any legal advice, and next steps. This summary should be used as part of the report to the decision maker.
The Equality Impact Assessment has assessed the impact of the proposal namely
· To consider MFG levels of 0% and 0.5% for the 2023/24 financial year
· To consider the methodology which will be used to allocate to school budgets any surplus funding remaining in the Schools Block Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) after the school funding formula allocations have been calculated using the NFF values as determined by the DfE.
· To hold consultation with all schools and academies in North Yorkshire over these proposals
· To report findings, conclusions and recommendations to the School Forum
At this stage of the EIA there is no evidence to suggest that the proposal made will significantly disadvantage one or more protected characteristics
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Section 14. Sign off section
This full EIA was completed by:
Name: Sally Dunn Job title: Head of Finance – Schools, Early Years & High Needs Directorate: Central Services
Signature: Sally Dunn
Completion date: 12th September 2022
Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature):
Date: 21/12/2022 |
