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

(Form updated October 2025)

Development of a Harrogate Care & Support Hub

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 & Adult Services

Service area

Service Development / Care Provider Services

Proposal being screened

Development of a Harrogate Care & Support Hub

Officer(s) carrying out screening

Hannah Brown

Lead Officer and contact details

Hannah Brown – hannah.brown3@northyorks.gov.uk

Date of the assessment

01/04/26

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 strategic business case was previously approved in January 2025 to address escalating pressures within the Health and Adult Services budget, driven by increasing demand for high‑cost specialist residential dementia care and intermediate care in the independent sector. The approved proposal set out an invest‑to‑save market management intervention to replace the Council’s in‑house Elderly Person’s Homes with up to five new‑build Care & Support Hubs (CSH) across the county, delivering specialist dementia and rehabilitation‑focused intermediate care. The Executive decision was informed by an options appraisal, market analysis and indicative modelling of capital and revenue impacts, including phased delivery and site feasibility work.

This report sets out a proposal to move forward with the development of a new 60-bed CSH in Harrogate. Site-specific capital costs on the confirmed site on Ainsty Road in Harrogate and associated feasibility studies and surveys are explained. Revenue costs, financial benefits and return on investment calculations are tailored to meet the exact proposals set out within this Hub. Key risks and legal considerations are set out alongside mitigations.

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

In delivering on this proposal, the aim is to address:

• the escalating pressures on HAS budgets driven by the requirement to purchase increasing levels of specialist older people’s residential care in the independent sector; and

• the risks and issues faced as a result of the age and condition of the current Elderly Person’s Homes which mean this provision is unable to meet need for specialist residential care.

Further Details

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

Engagement with key stakeholders, service users and carers has been critical to the development and refinement of both the service model and architectural design. This work is being carried out in line with the principles and standards set out in the Health and Adult Services Involvement Charter and Framework, which emphasises the importance of listening to and working with people and communities to design effective, high‑quality services. The approach to engagement has been, and will continue to be, flexible and inclusive, using a range of methods to ensure involvement is accessible and meaningful as the proposals are taken forward.

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

Key stakeholders, service users and carers will be involved in the further development and refinement of the service model and architectural design. Key stakeholders identified will include, but may not be limited to:

· Integrated Care Boards

· Occupational Therapy Leads; Local Authority and Health

· Community Nursing Team

· Local Authority Social Care Teams

· Community Mental Health Teams including Older People’s Mental Health Teams

· Primary Care Networks / GPs

· Dementia Forward

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

Disability

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)

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			Developing a new Care & Support Hub will advance equality of opportunity by providing purpose‑built, specialist dementia residential and intermediate care environments that remove physical, sensory and service barriers faced by people with complex needs. By improving local access to high‑quality, needs‑led care and rehabilitation—regardless of disability, age, income or complexity—the Hub enables people to achieve better outcomes, maintain independence and access the right level of support at the right time.
Foster good relations between different groups			Developing a new Care & Support Hub will foster good relations between different groups of people with protected characteristics by creating an inclusive, accessible environment that is designed around dignity, understanding and shared use, particularly for people with dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. Through ongoing engagement with residents, carers, families, staff and health partners, and by delivering integrated dementia and intermediate care services, the Hub helps reduce stigma, build mutual understanding and strengthen positive relationships across diverse communities and care settings.

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)

C. Watson (AD – Adult Social Care)

Date

27/04/26

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? Demographic data Service usage data Consultation feedback National/local research and report Expert opinion
2.2 Stakeholder Engagement: What engagement has been done regarding the proposal and what are the results? Engagement with key stakeholders, service users and carers has been critical to the development and refinement of both the service model and architectural design. This work is being carried out in line with the principles and standards set out in the Health and Adult Services Involvement Charter and Framework, which emphasises the importance of listening to and working with people and communities to design effective, high‑quality services. The approach to engagement has been, and will continue to be, flexible and inclusive, using a range of methods to ensure involvement is accessible and meaningful as the proposals are taken forward. Key stakeholders include, but are not be limited to: · Integrated Care Boards · Occupational Therapy Leads; Local Authority and NHS · Community Nursing Teams · Local Authority Social Care Teams · Community Mental Health Teams including Older People’s Mental Health Teams · Primary Care Networks / GPs · Dementia Forward · Representatives of people who use services Involvement of key stakeholders has supported deeper understanding of demand and care market data, and the impact of the current position on people and their families and carers as well as other local services. Involvement has also been critical to the development and refinement of both the service model and architectural design. A public consultation has also been undertaken. An in-person event was held locally and a two-week online consultation was undertaken.
2.3 What positive impact will this proposal have on the council budget, people, community, economic growth and environment, etc? Please explain briefly Developing a new purpose‑built specialist dementia residential and intermediate care home will deliver clear benefits across the council budget, people and the wider community. By increasing high‑quality, council‑run specialist provision, the scheme reduces reliance on increasingly expensive independent sector placements, helping to manage escalating Health & Adult Services budget pressures while improving value for money over the long term. Replacing ageing Elderly Person’s Homes that are no longer fit for specialist care will significantly improve outcomes for people with complex needs, support carers, and strengthen community confidence in local services. The investment supports local employment and economic activity during construction and operation, while modern, energy‑efficient design reduces environmental impact and contributes to a more sustainable public estate.
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. This proposal will have a positive impact on older and disabled people by providing a purpose‑built, accessible and specialist care environment that better meets the needs of people with dementia, physical frailty and complex health or rehabilitation needs. Improved facilities, specialist staffing and integrated intermediate care will support independence, recovery and wellbeing. Carers will benefit from greater reassurance, improved communication, and better opportunities for involvement, alongside reduced stress through access to high‑quality local provision that supports continuity of care and safer transitions.
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
Disability
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 does not impact any specific towns or villages in particular. The proposed Harrogate Care & Support Hub will be centrally located and will serve the whole of Harrogate; directly replacing Station View in Starbeck which also services the whole locality as a short-term residential care service.

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.

Older people with a disability are the most likely to be affected by this proposal. This is because residential care services predominantly provide care and support for people over the age of 65 with care needs. The longer-term effect of the proposal, however, is anticipated to be positive with the proposed developments providing further advancements in care provision for the Harrogate locality.

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
Care home closure undertaken in line with the Council’s formal procedures; which will involve sensitive consultation and involvement with any current residents of the service and the staff team	Chris Watson / Hannah Brown	TBC
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	Chris Watson	Ongoing
Progress proposals/procurement for Extra Care Housing in Whitby	Mike Rudd	TBC

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.

Monitoring of the proposal will take place through established adult social care governance and quality assurance arrangements. This will include regular contract and performance monitoring, qualitative feedback from residents, families and carers, CQC inspection outcomes, and workforce feedback, alongside data on service access, costs, outcomes and flow through intermediate care pathways. Equality impacts will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, with findings reported through programme governance to ensure the expected benefits are being delivered and any issues are identified and addressed promptly.

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 proposal to develop a Care & Support Hub in Harrogate will have a positive impact on local people. A modern, purpose-built facility in Harrogate, as the principal town serving the area, will better meet current and future need by consolidating specialist capacity in a location with strong transport links, workforce availability and access to health services. It will deliver more resilient dementia and intermediate care services, supporting higher acuity need, system flow and efficient use of resources, while ensuring people across the locality can access high‑quality specialist care in a sustainable and future‑proofed setting.

Staff will also 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. Staff will also have access to additional support, counselling and/or advocacy. Any additional needs of staff will be discussed as part of the consultation, and reasonable adjustments made to enable people with disabilities to take part in the consultation and identify alternative employment and re-deployment options, where appropriate. The preferred option is to retain staff within the Council’s Care Provider Services and for them to take up roles in the new Care & Support Hub wherever possible.

A further EIA will be required at the point of making changes to current service provision within the affected EPHs. As this programme of work is planned over the next two years, it is anticipated that circumstances and learning will be applied at regular intervals to ensure the EIA remains accurate and relevant to the decision made at the time of delivery.

2.10 Sign off section

This full EIA was completed by:

Name: Hannah Brown

Job title: Commissioning & Provider Services Development Manager

Directorate: Health & Adult Services

Signature: H. Brown

Completion date: 27/04/26

Authorised by relevant Assistant Director (signature): C. Watson (AD – Adult Social Care)

Date: 27/04/26

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