Equality Act

The Equality Act has replaced the variety of separate equality laws, such as the Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000. The act has replaced the range of different duties imposed by those acts with a single Public Sector Equality Duty. This came into force on 5 April 2011.

Salford City Council is committed to meeting its responsibilities under the public sector equality duty, as defined by the Equality Act. The duty requires local authorities, in the exercise of their functions, to have 'due regard' to the need to:

• eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the act;
• advance equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it; and
• foster good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and people who do not share it

We have to show that we considered how the decisions that we make and the services we deliver affect people from different groups protected by the act. These are:

• age
• disability
• gender reassignment
• marriage and civil partnership (but only in respect of eliminating unlawful discrimination)
• pregnancy and maternity
• race - this includes ethnic or national origins, colour or nationality
• religion or belief - this includes lack of belief
• sex (gender)
• sexual orientation

With certain limited exceptions (for example, age currently only applies to employment, and will not be extended to goods and services until 2012), the general duty now applies to both the employment sphere and the delivery of goods and services. Many of the provisions came into force in October 2010, but certain aspects are being implemented throughout 2011 and 2012.

A number of specific statutory duties are in place to support public authorities meet the Public Sector Equality Duty. This includes publishing:

• Equality objectives, at least every four years by 6 April 2012
• Information to demonstrate their compliance with the equality duty by 31 January 2012 and then at least annually

Information must relate to employees (for authorities with 150 or more staff) and others affected by their policies and practices, such as service users. Schools will be required to publish both their information and their equality objectives by 6 April 2012.

This information can be accessed on a separate equalities data page. We will continue to review and develop it as additional or more up to date information becomes available. Where gaps in our information exist we will identify those and prioritise areas for improvement as part of our Single Equality Scheme.

A number of guidance documents have been published by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission to advise councils and other public bodies of their responsibilities under the Act. More information can be found on the commission's website.

This page was last updated on 31 January 2012