Initial Equalities Screening Record Form

Date of Screening:	Directorate: People								Section: Early Help and Communities
1.  Activity to be assessed	Preparation of a new Domestic Abuse Safe Accommodation Strategy as required under part 4 of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021
2.  What is the activity?	X Policy/strategy    Function/procedure     Project     Review     Service    Organisational change
3.  Is it a new or existing activity?	X New        Existing
4.  Officer responsible for the screening	Ian Stone
5.  Who are the members of the screening team?	Ian Stone, Alison O’Meara, Sophie Wing-King
6.  What is the purpose of the activity?	The Strategy assesses the need for and provision of support for victims of domestic abuse in relevant safe accommodation and identifies priorities and recommendations for ensuring victims receive appropriate support.
7.  Who is the activity designed to benefit/target?	Victims of domestic abuse and their children
Protected Characteristics	Please tick yes or no		Is there an impact? What kind of equality impact may there be? Is the impact positive or adverse or is there a potential for both?  If the impact is neutral please give a reason.							What evidence do you have to support this? E.g equality monitoring data, consultation results, customer satisfaction information  etc Please add a narrative to justify your claims around impacts and describe the analysis and interpretation of evidence to support your conclusion as this will inform members decision making, include consultation results/satisfaction information/equality monitoring data
8. Disability Equality – this can include physical, mental health, learning or sensory disabilities and includes conditions such as dementia as well as hearing or sight impairment.	Y ü	N	Positive. The evidence shows that 5-10% of victims had a disability or long-term sickness, similar to estimates of disability in the population as a whole.							The strategy identifies recommendations to deliver positive outcomes for victims with a disability, learning disabilities and mental health issues through: better information and awareness raising of available services ensuring it is fully inclusive to all groups; improved assessment and co-ordination of support services; improved staff training; increasing the range of accommodation with support for victims with particular needs who cannot access refuge accommodation; and commissioning specialist support services for victims in these groups.
9.  Racial equality	Y ü	N	Positive. The evidence shows 90% of victims were from white groups, with under 5% from Asian groups and under 5% from black and black British groups, reflecting the make-up of the population locally. Whilst the number of BAME are relatively small, nationwide and local evidence shows that victims from these groups face particular issues relating to culture, language, etc.							The strategy identifies recommendations to deliver positive outcomes for victims from BAME communities through: better information and awareness raising of available services ensuring it is fully inclusive to all groups; improved assessment and co-ordination of support services; improved staff training; increasing the range of accommodation with support for victims with particular needs who cannot access refuge accommodation; and commissioning specialist support services for victims in these groups.
10. Gender equality	Y ü	N	Positive. The evidence shows that the majority of victims are women. 95% of Berkshire Women’s Aid outreach services were used by women and about 90% of housing cases were female; the police recorded a higher proportion of male victims (25%). Whilst the number of male victims is lower, nationwide and local evidence shows that male victims from these groups face particular issues and a lack of locally available services.							The strategy identifies recommendations to deliver positive outcomes for male and female victims: better information and awareness raising of available services ensuring it is fully inclusive to all groups; improved assessment and co-ordination of support services; improved staff training; increasing the range of accommodation with support for victims with particular needs who cannot access refuge accommodation; and commissioning specialist support services for male victims.
11. Sexual orientation equality	Y ü	N	Positive. The available evidence shows that a large majority of referrals were heterosexual/straight. Only a small number of organisations collected data on sexual identity and these recorded 2% of victims as gay/lesbian and/or bisexual; however, all of these organisations recorded large numbers of unknowns.							The strategy identifies recommendations to deliver positive outcomes for all cohorts of victims: better information and awareness raising of available services ensuring it is fully inclusive to all groups; improved assessment and co-ordination of support services; improved staff training; increasing the range of accommodation with support for victims with particular needs who cannot access refuge accommodation; and commissioning specialist support services for LGBT+ victims.
12. Gender re-assignment	Y ü	N	Positive. The evidence shows that there was little data available on gender re-assignment. There was some anecdotal evidence in the local area relating to trans-gender victims highlighting the lack of specific provision and support.							The strategy identifies recommendations to deliver positive outcomes for all, including transgender victims: better information and awareness raising of available services ensuring it is fully inclusive to all groups; improved assessment and co-ordination of support services; improved staff training; increasing the range of accommodation with support for victims with particular needs who cannot access refuge accommodation; and commissioning specialist support for transgender victims.
13. Age equality	Y ü	N	Positive. The evidence shows that the most common age group recorded is between 25 and 44 years old. Smaller numbers of victims between 18 and 24 were recorded and over 45. Whilst the number of older victims is lower, nationwide and local evidence shows that older victims may face particular issues.							The strategy identifies recommendations to deliver positive outcomes for all ages of victims: better information and awareness raising of available services ensuring it is fully inclusive to all groups; improved assessment and co-ordination of support services; improved staff training; increasing the range of accommodation with support for victims with particular needs who cannot access refuge accommodation; and considering access to specialist support services for older victims.
14. Religion and belief equality	Y ü	N	Positive. No evidence was available on the religion of victims.							The strategy identifies recommendations to deliver positive outcomes for all cohorts of victims: better information and awareness raising of available services ensuring it is fully inclusive to all groups; improved assessment and co-ordination of support services; improved staff training; increasing the range of accommodation with support for victims with particular needs who cannot access refuge accommodation; and considering access to specialist support services for victims from particular religious groups.
15. Pregnancy and maternity equality	Y ü	N	Positive. The limited evidence available from data collected by Berkshire Women’s Aid showed that between 5 and 10% of victims were pregnant.							The strategy identifies recommendations to deliver positive outcomes for all cohorts of victims: better information and awareness raising of available services ensuring it is fully inclusive to all groups; improved assessment and co-ordination of support services; improved staff training; increasing the range of accommodation with support for victims with particular needs who cannot access refuge accommodation; and considering access to specialist support services for pregnant victims.
16. Marriage and civil partnership equality	Y ü	N	Positive. The evidence available from data collected by Berkshire Women’s Aid and MARAC (Multi Agency Risk Assessment Conference) showed that victims who were married or in a civil partnership outnumbered those cohabiting, separated or divorced. But that a significant number of victims stated that they were single.							The strategy identifies recommendations to deliver positive outcomes for all cohorts of victims: better information and awareness raising of available services ensuring it is fully inclusive to all groups; improved assessment and co-ordination of support services; improved staff training; increasing the range of accommodation with support for victims with particular needs who cannot access refuge accommodation; and considering access to specialist support and advice for services for victims of all marital status.
17. Please give details of any other potential impacts on any other group (e.g. those on lower incomes/carers/ex-offenders, armed forces communities) and on promoting good community relations.	A desktop needs assessment has been undertaken, supplemented by evidence from providers and qualitative research based on interviews with victims. The latter included victims from a range of groups with protected characteristics. The data available on incomes and employment was insufficient to draw any conclusions.
18. If an adverse/negative impact has been identified can it be justified on grounds of promoting equality of opportunity for one group or for any other reason?	No negative impacts of the strategy have been identified. The strategy brings forward recommendations that seek to improve the support and accommodation options for victims across the board, as well as improving the offer for victims from groups with protected characteristics.
19. If there is any difference in the impact of the activity when considered for each of the equality groups listed in 8 – 14 above; how significant is the difference in terms of its nature and the number of people likely to be affected?	As above, the impact of the strategy is considered to be beneficial for all of the equality groups above.
20. Could the impact constitute unlawful discrimination in relation to any of the Equality Duties?	Y			N ü
21.  What further information or data is required to better understand the impact? Where and how can that information be obtained?	No further information is needed to determine whether the strategy will have a negative impact on particular groups of victims. Full consultation on the needs assessment has been undertaken with a wide range of organisations within the DA Executive Group and DA Forum, to enable any concerns, issues, or negative impacts to be identified.
22.  On the basis of sections 7 – 17 above is a full impact assessment required?	Y			N ü		No. A full impact assessment is not required. The strategy has as one of its specific objectives the promotion and improvement of support services for people from groups with protected characteristics, and includes actions and recommendations to this end within the strategy. If you think you may need to produce a full equality impact assessment, please contact Abby Thomas.
23. If a full impact assessment is not required; what actions will you take to reduce or remove any potential differential/adverse impact, to further promote equality of opportunity through this activity or to obtain further information or data?  Please complete the action plan in full, adding more rows as needed.
Action					Timescale		Person Responsible	Milestone/Success Criteria
24.  Which service, business or work plan will these actions be included in?
25. Please list the current actions undertaken to advance equality or examples of good practice identified as part of the screening?					Engagement with survivors and victims and front-line staff reflecting the experience of a range of different groups with protected characteristics was commissioned and undertaken by an independent consultant. Proposed action to review information on available support services to ensure it is fully inclusive and enables victims from groups with protected characteristics to identify appropriate services. Proposed action to undertaken further work on the need for specialist support and to commission specialist provision for particular cohort groups where needed.
26. Assistant director’s signature.					Signature:                       Sarah Gee                                                                    Date:                 2/12/21