Certain named public bodies will also be required to comply with the specific duties of the act. This requires the body to produce and publish equality schemes. Named bodies are listed in the Orders of the Acts.

The equality scheme should outline how the organisation has consulted on developing the scheme, what actions will be taken, how evidence will be gathered to monitor the impact of the actions and how this information will be used for developing future schemes.

The actions required should be identified using equality impact assessments on policies, procedures and activities of the organisation to highlight areas of negative impact, or opportunities for achieving positive impact on equality for these groups.

In practice, in order to comply effectively with the general duties, there is a need to begin to take steps towards the specific duties also.

Specific duties and developing the equality schemes:

Race Consultation Monitoring Policies Publishing results Ensuring Public Access Training staff Review every three years, and annual monitoring of staff by racial group

Disability Involving disabled people Action plan Gathering evidence on performance Assessing the impact of actions How evidence will be used to improve further Training staff Review every three years and report annually on progress.

Gender (England) Consult employees, service users and others (including trade unions) Use information to identify how policies and practices affect gender equality Set objectives to address gender equality including the gender pay gap Gather information to assess and monitor impact Review every three years and report annually on progress.

The equality schemes package the specific duties into a coherent strategy and action plan. They should cover all relevant functions and policies, bringing them within a single framework.

A scheme must make clear how a public authority plans to meet both its general and specific duties. Separate schemes can be produced for each duty or a single equality scheme covering all three can be produced instead. This must demonstrate how all elements of all the duties have been fulfilled.

(Note that the 3 strands of age, sexual orientation and religion or belief are covered by other regulations and do not require an equality scheme.)

---