How to Improve EDI in Public Services: A Practitioner's Guide

How to Improve EDI in Public Services: A Practitioner's Guide

Most public sector organisations don't lack EDI activity. They have policies, training programmes, staff networks and Equality Impact Assessments as a minimum. What many lack is evidence that any of it is changing how decisions are made. If you want to improve EDI in public services, that gap between activity and impact is the place to start.

1. Start with leadership, not training

It's always tempting to begin with a training programme, because it's visible and easy to report. But if senior leaders don't model inclusive behaviour, staff will quickly notice the gap between what's taught and what's rewarded.

Good leadership on EDI is not rocket science. Simply asking "who does this affect?" in every major decision, making sure equality information reaches the people signing off policies, and attending the same training their teams do makes leaders visible.

2. Make training specific to people's roles

Generic EDI training has its place as a foundation, but the biggest improvements come from training linked to the decisions people make. A recruiting manager needs to understand bias in shortlisting and interviews. A policy officer needs to know how to complete a meaningful Equality Impact Assessment. A frontline officer needs the confidence to respond when a service user is targeted because of their race or religion.

Face-to-face training works well for sensitive topics and discussion. eLearning works well for consistent coverage across a large workforce, with completion records you can report to members and auditors. Most organisations benefit from a two-tier approach of implementing both.

3. Treat EIAs as a decision tool, not paperwork

Under the Public Sector Equality Duty (Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010), public bodies must show due regard to equality when making decisions. The Equality and Human Rights Commission publishes guidance on the duty for public authorities.

An Equality Impact Assessment is one of the clearest ways to evidence that due regard. In my experience, the most common problem is timing. Far too frequently, EIAs are completed after a decision has effectively been made, to justify it rather than inform it. A good EIA is started early, uses real evidence, involves the people affected, and is read by the decision maker before they decide.

If your EIAs feel like a box-ticking exercise, EIA training and an independent EIA review are practical ways to raise the standard.

4. Take specific forms of discrimination seriously

"Equality" can become so broad that specific problems get lost. Anti-Muslim hatred, racism, disability discrimination and homophobia each show up in different ways and need different responses. Organisations that name these issues directly, and equip staff to recognise and respond to them, tend to build more trust with staff and communities than those that only talk about inclusion in general terms.

5. Measure outcomes, not activity

Training completion rates tell you who clicked through a course. They don't tell you whether anything changed. To improve EDI in public services in a way you can demonstrate, look for measures like:

• Are EIAs completed earlier and to a better standard?

• Do staff from underrepresented groups report better experiences in staff surveys?

• Are more incidents of harassment being reported, and resolved?

• Is your workforce data improving at senior grades, not just overall?

Rising reporting figures can be a good sign, as they often reflect growing trust rather than more incidents.

6. Listen to staff networks and communities

Staff networks and community groups often see problems long before they appear in data. Give network chairs a direct line to senior leaders, involve them in reviewing policies, and act on what they tell you. Consultation that leads to visible change builds trust. Consultation that goes nowhere erodes it.

Frequently asked questions

How often should we review our EDI policies?
We would recommend annually at best or every two years at least. It's always useful to review after any significant incident, legal change or major organisational change also.

Is eLearning enough on its own?
It's an effective way to give a large workforce consistent knowledge and to evidence completion. For sensitive topics and behaviour change, it works best alongside face-to-face or live online sessions.

How DiverseCT can help

DiverseCT supports public sector organisations with face-to-face training, eLearning, EIA training and EDI consultancy, drawing on over 30 years of practice in central and local government, the NHS and a range of public bodies. Get in touch to talk about what would make the biggest difference in your organisation.