Equality impact assessment - registration services

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1. What is the name of the function, policy or service that is being assessed?

Providing Registration Services

• Implementing civil partnership
• Access to services

2. What are the aims of the function, policy or service? Whose needs it is designed to meet? What are the current priorities?

• To provide ‘good practice’ consistent services across all districts
• To provide a number of options to citizens for accessing services
• To provide services that supports the needs of local communities

Local citizens of Wiltshire as required under the various Registration Acts and the Local Government Act 2000 – power to promote well being

• Statutory duties
• New Governance arrangements
• National standards for registration

3. In what ways might this function, policy or service affect some groups of people differently? Might some groups find it harder to access the service? Do some groups have particular needs that are not well met by the current policy or service?

English is not the first language

Limited knowledge about the legal requirements and procedures involved

Access to some services e.g office located on first floor with no lifts, elderly and housebound, very young/under age mother unable to travel to registration office;

Out of office/emergency e.g culture and religion - 24 hour burial, muslim woman registering to male registrar.

Apprehension about formation of civil partnerships, level of discretion, other users of the service

4. What evidence do you have for your judgement? Is there evidence of public concern (e.g. complaints)? Have staff raised concerns? Is there local or national research to suggest that there could be a problem?

National advice from GRO about procedures for civil partnership should match marriage to ensure no discrimination.

Occasional comments by customer about access to Salisbury Register Office.

Arrangements in place to undertake home visits where there are issues around housebound and incapacity.

Where office is located on a first floor then registrars swap over to ensure service to the public is maintained, this is managed by receptionists locally.

Emergency numbers provided to local funeral directors.

Interpreters organised/used when required.

5. Who have you consulted with as part of your assessment? What were the results? Have you published the results of that consultation? If so, where?

Prior to introduction of Civil Partnership consultation undertaken with specific groups in terms to gather from them concerns and how we could plan to overcome.

Discussion took place with local police to ensure procedures in place to prevent any public protest at first ceremonies.

Internal procedures put in place, training provided to all staff. Approach to civil partnership published on the website, brochures available and staff operate confidential surroundings and provide confident advice, when requested. Needs lead.

6. If you have found that the function, policy or service might have an adverse impact on a particular group of people, can you justify this?

Not applicable

7. If the impact cannot be justified, what do you intend to do about this? Are there changes that you could introduce which would make the function, policy or service work better for this group of people? Is further research or consultation required?

Nothing further required

8. How will you monitor the take-up or impact of the function, policy or service in future?

Data recorded and submitted to General Register Office on number of Civil partnership formations and ceremonies. Questionnaires provided to all customers are standard operating practice. The level of compliments received by customers demonstrates level of satisfaction.

No complaints received

9. What actions do you plan to take as a result of this equality impact assessment? Please state any resource implications

Relocate to Salisbury building. Due to take place by January 2009. This continues to form part of our future service planning.

10. There is a legal requirement to publish the outcomes of Equality Impact Assessments. Please outline how / where this will happen

Approach to Civil Partnership already available on the website, with a brochure available. A new e.brochure will be available in September to cover all ceremonies at approved venues.

Criteria for home visits is being drawn up and will form an integral part of the business deliver/service plan. This will be published on the website in the next 2-3 months

11. Name of person completing form

Head of Registration & Support Services

Date assessment completed

27 June 2007

12. Senior manager approval

Assistant Director - Corporate Services

Date

27 September 2007

Last updated: 13 May 2009