Meeting the Public Sector Equality Duty

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) is an important part of all decision making for the public sector, and the Towns Fund is no exception. All public bodies, including local authorities, have a duty to consider how their policies or decisions affect the nine ‘protected characteristics’ under the Equality Act 2010.

There are no additional or specific Towns Fund requirements for the PSED. However, in order to make it easier to ensure that the PSED is considered and discharged, we have developed an optional assessment format which can be used as a framework for the PSED process and can be tailored to reflect local circumstances. The format includes separate assessments at project level and at the programme level, and it is important that impacts are considered in the round across the suite of projects proposed in your Town Investment Plan. (For example, there may be a more significant cumulative impact on a protected characteristic than when considered simply on a project-by-project basis).

We have included the Family Test in this optional assessment format. Whilst the Family Test only applies to government departments and not local authorities, you may choose to consider it alongside the protected characteristics.

As well as simply discharging the PSED for its own sake, assessing how projects and the wider programme impact on different groups of people is a valuable exercise in making sure that the Towns Fund investment benefits all and is as successful as possible. Following your assessment, there may be a need for further actions, including changing aspects of the projects or even re-prioritising projects. It is therefore doubly important that equalities and the PSED are robustly and proportionately considered.

Please speak to your Town Coordinator if you would like further support on what the PSED means for your Town.