Appendix J

Equality impact assessment (EIA) form: evidencing paying due regard to protected characteristics

(Form updated October 2025)

Review of in-house provision

An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) form is a document that proves paying due regard by considering protected characteristics. EIAs that accompany reports presented to Councillors for decision-making are published with the committee papers on our website and are also available in hard copy at the relevant meetings.

Section 1: Initial Equality Impact Assessment Screening

This section documents the equality screening process of actual or potential impacts of the proposed activity on a specific protected characteristic, along with NYC's additional agreed-upon characteristics, to determine whether a full Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) is necessary or appropriate.

Basic Details

Directorate

Health and Adult Services

Service area

Service Development

Proposal being screened

Review of in house provision

Officer(s) carrying out screening

Abigail Barron

Lead Officer and contact details

Abigail.barron@northyorks.gov.uk

Date of the assessment

15 December 25

Please describe briefly what this EIA is about.

(e.g. are you starting a new service, changing how you do something, or stopping doing something?)

A review of in house provision has been undertaken for all existing Elderly Persons Homes (EPHs) due to the upcoming care and support hub programme and for Selby Homecare which was brought in house rapidly in response to a large scale provider failure during the pandemic.

This has identified opportunities to reduce the EPH provision ahead of the opening of the care and support hubs or an extra care scheme, due to lack of referrals and other costs associated with retaining outdated buildings. An assessment of each EPH is being undertaken to identify closure options.

The review of Selby Homecare has concluded that the care market has recovered sufficiently to withstand the care and support being transferred back to the market.

What does the authority hope to achieve by it? (E.g. to save money, meet increased demand, do things in a better way.)

To offset health and safety costs associated with keeping EPH buildings open and to support maintaining regulatory compliance without significant additional capital costs for a time limited resource which will ultimately be replaced with care and support hubs. Options for staff will need to be assessed depending on the site chosen for closure.

For Selby Homecare the packages of support will be commissioned to the care market generating a more sustainable market in Selby, there is potential for staff to TUPE, this will require further assessment. This would generate financial efficiency.

Further Details

1.1 How have stakeholders been involved in this policy/ decision/ proposal? (e.g. a consultation exercise)

Consultation will need to be undertaken with residents and staff.

The ICG and ICB will be involved as key stakeholders

1.2 Will the proposal have a significant effect on how other organisations operate? (e.g. partners, funding criteria, etc.). Please explain briefly

1.3 Impact on people with any of the following protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010, or NYC’s additional agreed characteristics

As part of this assessment, please consider the following questions:

To what extent is this service used by particular groups of people with protected characteristics?

Does the proposal relate to functions that previous consultation has identified as important?

Do different groups have different needs or experiences in the area the proposal relates to?

If for any characteristic, it is considered that there is likely to be an adverse impact or you have ticked ‘Don’t know/no info available’, then a full EIA should be carried out where this is proportionate. You are advised to speak to your directorate representative for advice if you are in any doubt.

Tick and indicate which protected characteristics are identified as relevant to the proposal (positive, negative, neutral or don’t know).

Protected characteristic

Impact

Comments

Positive

Negative

Neutral

Don't know

Age

There is the potential for residents, who may also have elderly family members, to be negatively impacted by the closure of services, however these will be mitigated by commissioning a good alternative provider to deliver ongoing care.

Current residents may find the move difficult due to their age and having made the service their home. It is likely that they will find it stressful and worrying. To minimise the impact as much as possible, experienced Care and Support teams will work with residents all the way through the process.

Disability

There is the potential for residents, who may also have elderly family members, to be negatively impacted by the closure of Ashfield Malton. It may be that a move to alternative services means that people have reduced engagement with their family and/or friends, which may have a negative impact on their mental and physical health. Care and Support teams will assess this before the move and will support residents to find services that meet the need and wishes of residents, and involve families and carers, where appropriate. Location of family/friends, personal choice and current friendship will all be considered when choosing the new service for the person

Sex

Race (including GRTS)

Gender reassignment

Sexual orientation

Religion or belief

Pregnancy or maternity

Marriage or civil partnership

NYC’s additional characteristics

People in rural areas

People on a low income

It is recognised that the proposals have the potential to have a negative impact on the current staff. A sensitive and comprehensive consultation will be undertaken with staff, and wherever possible the Council will seek to redeploy staff within suitable alternative roles. Where redeployment has increased travel implications, time-limited financial protection can be offered.

Carer (unpaid family or friend)

It is likely that residents will have elderly family members and family carers involved in their care and support who may be negatively impacted by the closure and relocation of services. In the event that people move a distance from the area, it may mean they find it difficult to visit their family member in their alternative service. Location of family/friends, personal choice and current friendship will all be considered as part of the assessment and identification of alternative care provision for people.

Are from the Armed Forces Community (including veterans)

1.4 To which Part(s) of the Public Sector Equality Duties is the Policy/decision/proposal relevant? Tick and briefly describe.

General Duties	Yes	No	Details
Eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation
Advance equality of opportunity
Foster good relations between different groups

1.5 Decision (Please tick one option)

Decision to recommend this policy/ decision for an Equality Impact Assessment?

Yes

If the answer is “Yes”, or you indicate a negative impact on any of the characteristics mentioned in the table above, please continue to Section 2 and complete the full Equality Impact Assessment.

If the answer is “No”, please give a brief reason here.

Signed (Assistant Director or equivalent)

Abigail Barron

Date

15 December 25

Section 2: Equality Impact Assessment

This section aims to provide a full assessment of the actual or potential impacts on specific protected characteristics, along with NYC's additional characteristics. It will also identify the proper actions to mitigate these impacts, if needed.

2.1 Evidence, Consultation and Data: What data or evidence source(s) has/ have been used to inform this assessment? Select the relevant source (s): Demographic data Service usage data Expert Opinion
2.2 Stakeholder Engagement: What engagement has been done regarding the proposal and what are the results? The decision to re-configure services and cease delivery of any services will be taken by the Council’s Executive Committee. There will be a five working day call-in period following this. If the proposal is approved, consultation with the affected individuals will be carried out once the call-in period is concluded. The consultation period would last a total of 30 days. The consultation for residents (and their families/carers) will involve: · Information on the replacement of the home; · How they will be supported to find a new service by the Council’s Social Care teams, considering personal choice alongside personal and social needs; · Availability of advocacy and counselling. The consultation for staff will involve: · Information on the re-configuration of services; · Alternative employment options, and any other options specific to their circumstances; · Availability of support throughout the process. Briefing sessions will take place with staff and residents ahead of the publication of the report. Further briefing sessions will be arranged for residents, families/carers and staff once the decision is known. One-to-one staff meetings and individual person-centred support from care and support teams for residents and their families/carers will also be arranged. Human Resources and Trade Unions will also be available to staff, as well as counselling services. Residents and staff will be kept up to date throughout the consultation period with clear lines of communication being available
2.3 What positive impact will this proposal have on the council budget, people, community, economic growth and environment, etc? Please explain briefly The closure of an EPH would incur savings in terms of the running and maintenance costs of the Building. The building would be handed back to property services for alternative use or disposal/sale. It is envisaged the staff would be redeployed although there may be a redundancy cost. Savings anticipated at £450k per annum The closure of the home care service would generate a saving of approve £270 per annum
2.4 Please briefly describe how will this proposal affect people with protected characteristics? Only those who are identified as relevant to the proposal in section 1.
protected characteristics	Negative	Don’t know	Why will it have this effect? Provide evidence from engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information, etc.
Age	X		There is the potential for residents, who may also have elderly family members, to be negatively impacted by the closure of an EPH. It may be that a move to alternative services means that people have reduced engagement with their family and/or friends, which may have a negative impact on their mental and physical health. Care and Support teams will assess this before the move and will provide support to find services that meet the need and wishes of residents, and involve families and carers, where appropriate. Location of family/friends, personal choice and current friendship will all be considered when choosing the new service for the person. Current residents may find the move difficult due to their age and having made the service their home. It is likely that they will find it stressful and worrying. To minimise the impact as much as possible, experienced Care and Support teams will work with residents all the way through the process. Communication will be open and honest as soon as the decision can be shared, with a resident briefing set up. At this briefing we will inform residents of their next steps, their options, and the support available to them. The availability of independent advocacy and counselling will be communicated to the residents. The entire process will be guided by established best practice and experience in supporting residents with this type of transition.
Disability	X		As above
Sex
Race (including GRTS)
Gender reassignment
Sexual orientation
Religion or belief
Pregnancy or maternity
Marriage or civil partnership
NYC’s additional characteristics
People in rural areas
People on a low income
Carer (unpaid family or friend)
Are from the Armed Forces Community (including veterans)

2.5 Geographic impact: Please detail where the impact will be (please tick all that apply)

North Yorkshire wide

Craven

Hambleton

Harrogate

Richmondshire

Ryedale

Scarborough

Selby

If you have ticked one or more areas, will specific town(s)/ village(s) be particularly impacted? If so, please specify below.

The proposal would affect the Town in which the EPH is situated, this is to be determined. Selby Homecare would affect a small group of people in Selby

2.6 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, citing evidence from Q2.1 & Q2.2, e.g. engagement, consultation and/or service user data or demographic information, etc.

2.7 Mitigation and Actions: List the actions that will be taken to reduce or eliminate any negative impact identified above and how positive impacts will be enhanced. Briefly describe the action you defined.

Actions	Lead	By when
Work with current residents to ensure that they are supported to find an alternative service which best meets their current needs with their personal choice, current friendships and family circumstances considered.	ASC Team	TBD
Monitor demand in affected areas	Market Development team
Assess the impact on residents	ASC Team

2.8 Monitoring and Review: If the proposal is to be implemented, how will the impact be monitored? Briefly describe the monitoring arrangements/systems that will be put in place to find out how the expected outcomes have been achieved in practice.

The impact will be monitored by the Care provider services management team and reported to ASC Leadership Team.

2.9 Conclusion: Please summarise the findings of your EIA, including impacts, recommendations 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.

Overall, the re-configuration of services will have a positive impact on local people. Due to the property condition and service model or the existing EPHs. The Selby homecare service can be delivered like for like from the independent sector who work to the same specification.

Staff will undoubtedly be impacted by the proposals. This will be mitigated by clear communications and sensitive consultation with the staff team, supported by HR, with staff involved in all elements of the process as much as possible.

Next steps will depend on the outcome of the decision to be taken on the EPH to close and consultation.

2.10 Sign off section

This full EIA was completed by:

Name: Abigail barron

Job title: AD Service Development

Directorate: HAS

Signature: A Barron

Completion date: 16/12/25

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature):

Date: 16/12/25

Once this has been signed off, please send it to webteam@northyorks.gov.uk for publication on the appropriate webpage.

Publication:

To help people find completed EIAs, we publish them in the Equality and Diversity section of the NY Council website.

Contact details

If you need further support and guidance about carrying out EIA, please contact your directorate equality representative as listed in Stage 4 on our Intranet: Paying due regard to equality using equality impact assessments

Or contact North Yorkshire Council’s equality team on email Equality@northyorks.gov.uk