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REPORT WRITING

GUIDE

Democratic Services December 2015

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PRINCIPLES OF REPORT WRITING

The process to be followed to obtain a Council decision will depend on what the issue is. If you are not sure what process to follow, check with your line manager before proceeding.

A written report is required for all decisions made by the Council, Cabinet and Committees provided for in the Council’s Constitution, and for delegated decisions made by individual Cabinet Members and Key Decisions made by officers. This guide and the template attached at Appendix 1 apply to all meetings, except those dealing with planning or licensing applications.

Basic Rules Typeface: Ariel, 12pt Number pages consecutively Number paragraphs consecutively

List appendices by number and title Complete all sections of the template Try not to exceed 5 A4 sides in length

General Principles Reports should: (a) inform the decision maker of all the relevant considerations that they should bear in

mind when reaching their decision; (b) clearly identify the decision sought and the actions or consequences arising in the

event that the decision is made or not made; (c) provide information to the public in order that they can understand what decisions are

proposed and make representations upon them if they wish.

Clarity is the most important quality of any report and this is often enhanced by succinctness; however, detail should not be sacrificed in the interests of brevity where that would exclude information necessary for an informed decision. With lengthy reports, consider using appendices. Remember that the report will, in most cases, be published and should be written, as far as possible, so that a member of the public can understand it.

Reports must be signed off by the relevant Head of Service and/or Corporate Director and most reports will need to be considered at SMT before being finalised for Members. Financial and Legal implications should be discussed and agreed with officers from Finance and One Legal before any reports go to SMT. At an early stage report authors should also consider whether the report will generate any media interest and liaise with the Communications Team accordingly. Final reports should be sent to Democratic Services via the relevant Corporate Director (or Corporate Support Officer) so that the Democratic Services Officer can be certain that the report has been appropriately signed off.

Decisions and the Forward Plan The Forward Plan is a document prepared by Democratic Services containing details of forthcoming decisions and is published monthly on behalf of the Leader of the Council.

Details of Key Decisions and Budget and Policy Framework decisions must be published in the Forward Plan at the earliest opportunity, but at least 28 days in advance of the decision being taken. A Key Decision can be taken by Members or Officers and is one which fulfils the following criteria:

a decision in relation to a Cabinet function which results in the Local Authority incurring expenditure or making of a saving which is significant having regard to the budget for the service or function to which the decision relates; or

a decision that is likely to have a significant impact on two or more wards within the Local Authority; or

a decision in relation to expenditure in excess of £100,000 or significant savings; or decision in relation to any contract valued in excess of £500,000

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If a Key Decision report is not included in the Forward Plan 28 days before the decision is taken, a statement explaining the reasons for this should be included in the report and the Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee must be notified 5 clear working days before the decision is taken and a notice to that effect published. If this procedure cannot be followed, consent to proceed must be obtained from the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Chairman and a notice to that effect published.

In addition to Key Decisions, the Council has agreed, in the interests of transparency and openness, that all matters requiring Cabinet decision will be included on the Forward Plan at the earliest opportunity. The Forward Plan must also include notice of any intention to consider a report in private and this must be given at least 28 days before the decision is due to be made.

To place an item on the Forward Plan the template attached at Appendix 2 to this guide must be completed and sent to the relevant Corporate Director for approval. Once approved, the template will be sent to Democratic Services who will publish the item on the Forward Plan. Please note that, to ensure that the item goes on the Forward Plan within the requisite timescales, the report author must be mindful of the publication deadlines, which can be obtained from Democratic Services.

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Role of Democratic Services The role of Democratic Services is to support you as you write your report and take it through the decision-making process by answering key questions and offering procedural advice. We play a gatekeeper role by checking your report for completeness and ensuring that recommendations are properly formulated. The earlier Democratic Services receives your report, the more time we will have to perform the necessary checks; an agenda must be published 5 clear working days before a decision is made, therefore the deadline for reports to be sent to Democratic Services is set at 7 clear working days. Please let us know as early as possible if you are going to find it difficult to meet a deadline and we will discuss the options with you; our aim is to offer you as much flexibility as possible.

Tanya Davies Democratic & Electoral Services Manager Tel: x6125 Email: tanya.davies@gloucester.gov.uk

Council Organisational Development Committee ICT Working Group

Parvati Diyar Democratic Services Officer Tel: x6192 Email: parvati.diyar@gloucester.gov.uk

Employee Forum Trade Union Consultation Meeting Grants & Community Services Forum Constitutional & Electoral Working Group

Atika Tarajiya Democratic Services Officer Tel: x6192 Email: atika.tarajiya@gloucester.gov.uk

Forward Plan Cabinet SMT Audit & Governance Committee Gloucestershire Airport Shareholder Forum

Sonia Tucker Democratic Services Officer Tel: x6126 Email: sonia.tucker@gloucester.gov.uk

Overview & Scrutiny Committee Overview & Scrutiny Task & Finish Groups Regeneration Advisory Board

Tony Wisdom Democratic Services Officer Tel: x6158 Email: anthony.wisdom@gloucester.gov.uk

Planning Committee Planning Policy Sub-Committee Licensing & Enforcement Committee and Sub-Committees

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CONTENT OF THE REPORT

This guide should be read alongside the report template attached at Appendix 1 and, where applicable, any prescribed text should be retained and amended in accordance with the notes.

Information Grid Meeting and Date: insert the name of each of the meetings that the report will go to for consideration along with the corresponding dates. For reports that will eventually go to a public meeting, do not include non-public meetings such as GLT or Cabinet Briefing as the public do not need to be made aware that such meetings take place. Subject: insert the formal title for the report. This should be clear and give a good idea of the content without being too long. Report Of: insert the title of the lead Member or Officer. For Cabinet reports or reports with Cabinet Member involvement, this will be the relevant Cabinet Member portfolio. For all other reports insert the title of the relevant senior officer. Wards Affected: insert the individual wards affected in alphabetical order. Reports will often affect all wards; if so, simply state ‘All’. Key Decision: delete as appropriate.

Budget/Policy Framework: delete as appropriate. A Budget and Policy Framework decision is one relating to the Council’s budget or any of the plans and strategies identified in Article 4 of the Constitution. Such items must be considered by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and the final decision must be made by the full Council.

Contact Officer: insert the name, job title, email address and telephone number of the report author. List all report authors as appropriate.

Appendices: list all appendices to the report with an appropriate title. Appendices can be in any format and should each be a separate document rather than being included in the same document as the report. Use of colour appendices should be avoided where possible and Democratic Services will assume that appendices can be printed in black and white unless otherwise notified. Please note that appendices can be viewed in colour on the Council’s website.

Explanatory Notes

For General Release/Exemptions: delete as appropriate. All reports should be written for public release unless it is absolutely necessary for information in the report to remain confidential; therefore most reports will be ‘for general release’. Where possible report authors should seek to contain exempt information within a confidential appendix so that the main report can be publicly released. A report or appendix can only be made exempt from disclosure to the press and public if it meets one of the following categories defined by law in Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended):

1. Personal information relating to an individual 2. Financial information relating to an individual 3. Negotiations / consultations regarding employees 4. Confidential legal matters

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5. Information regarding a notice, order or direction 6. Information regarding the prevention, investigation or prosecution of a crime 7. Certain matters relating to the Standards Committee

Exempt reports or appendices must state which of the paragraphs applies to the exempt information and Members will consider whether the report should remain confidential at the meeting. Advice can be sought from Democratic Services or Legal Services, but report authors are ultimately responsible for identifying whether an exemption applies.

Late reports: delete if not applicable. Reports that are not available for publication with the agenda five clear days in advance of the meeting must state the reason why.

Key Decision reports not on the Forward Plan: delete if not applicable. Reports containing Key Decisions that have not been published on the Forward Plan at least 28 days prior to the meeting must state the reason why. The Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee must be notified 5 clear days before the decision is made and a notice published or, if this is not possible, the Chair of the Overview & Scrutiny Committee’s approval to proceed must be sought in order for the decision to be made on the proposed date and a notice published.

1.0 Purpose of Report

This section should be brief, preferably one sentence highlighting why the report is being written and what you are asking the decision-maker to do. The Democratic Services Officer will use this section to form the preamble to the minutes.

2.0 Recommendations

Recommendations must be clear, unambiguous and able to stand alone, setting out exactly what the decision maker is being asked to do. They should contain all the necessary information even where that may repeat information contained within the body of the report.

Recommendations must follow the format in the report template with distinct recommendations for each decision maker, making it clear whether the decision maker is making the final decision (RESOLVE) or making recommendations to another decision maker (RECOMMEND). The Overview & Scrutiny Committee will usually be asked to consider the report and put forward its recommendations to the Cabinet.

3.0 Background and Key Issues This is the main body of the report. It should include the background to the decision and take the reader through proposals by highlighting relevant facts and figures and explaining significant arguments. This section should also include details of any consultation undertaken; it is essential to build in sufficient time to consult relevant Members, officers and other interested parties (e.g. partners, businesses, local residents, communities of interest, community and voluntary sector groups and organisations, staff/union representatives) as appropriate. For help with consultation please contact BusinessImprovement@gloucester.gov.uk.

In a more complex report which addresses a number of matters, sub-headings may be used to assist understanding.

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4.0 Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Considerations

This section should explain how ABCD relates to the content of the report. For example, what community needs have been identified and what strengths and assets can be utilised from within that community to enable the content of the report to happen. For help with the section please contact gareth.hooper@gloucester.gov.uk.

5.0 Alternative Options Considered Cabinet reports must include details of any alternative options considered and rejected by the decision making body at the meeting at which the decision was made. It is good practice to include this section in all reports. Where no alternative options have been considered it is appropriate to state ‘none considered’.

5.0 Reasons for Recommendations Cabinet reports must include the reasons for the decision and it is important that the proper drivers for the decisions are accurately reflected. It is good practice to include this section in all reports.

6.0 Future Work and Conclusions This section should detail what, if anything, needs to be done after the recommendations have been approved, giving timetables and whether any further reports are needed. This section should also summarise the decision, identifying the relevant and important issues. Do not introduce any new information in this section.

7.0 Financial Implications All reports must be prepared in consultation Financial Services and this will be stated on the report; however, the report author is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the financial implications are accurately recorded. This section should detail any one-off or ongoing revenue and/or capital implications for the Council and should identify the budget or alternative source of funding for the proposals. All draft reports should be sent to Finance before they are submitted for the SMT agenda.

8.0 Legal Implications All reports must be prepared in consultation with One Legal and this will be stated on the report; however, the report author is ultimately responsible for ensuring that the legal implications are accurately recorded. This section should explain what local government powers the decision maker is being asked to use and the legal implications of carrying out/not carrying out the recommendation. Reference should be made to relevant legislation and also to the relevant paragraph of the scheme of delegations or other parts of the Constitution (eg. Codes of Practice) where appropriate. Human Rights Act implications should also be considered ie. whether the recommended action interferes with the right to family and private life and if so, whether the action is necessary and proportionate. All draft reports should be sent to legalservices@tewkesbury.gov.uk before they are submitted for the SMT agenda.

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9.0 Risk & Opportunity Management Implications Reports should identify potential risks and opportunities to the authority arising from recommendations by considering the following categories: Assets Contractual and procurement Financial Legal Environmental Health and safety

Service delivery Human Resources ICT Socio-economic Political Public relations

This section should demonstrate that the risks and opportunities have been assessed, and that there are risk management actions planned to ensure the proposal has a successful outcome. Not all reports will require detailed risk analysis and it is the responsibility of the report author to gauge the extent of risk analysis that needs to be undertaken. Review of the Risk Management Strategy and completion of a risk register should be considered to support completion of this section. Both documents are available on Intranomic under Corporate Information – Risk Management. For help completing this section contact RiskManagement@gloucester.gov.uk.

10.0 People Impact Assessment (PIA): When making recommendations reports should identify the impact of decisions on customers and staff. In order to establish if a recommendation will have a negative impact on a particular section of the community, a People Impact Assessment (PIA) must accompany a report. The PIA template and guidance is attached as Appendix 3 to this document. Report authors must complete the PIA Screening Stage even if no impact is identified. Follow the guidance to assess any obvious negative/positive impact on a particular group. The completed Screening form must be signed off, including the relevant Cabinet Member where appropriate. If no potential or actual negative impact is identified you do not need to complete a full PIA; simply state this in the report and highlight the issues considered. The Screening form should be emailed to emily.jones@gloucester.gov.uk for publication.

If any potential or actual negative impact is identified the report author must complete a full PIA, which will be appended to the final report. Follow the guidance to identify how impact will be mitigated and undertake any necessary consultation. The report should state that a full PIA has been completed and highlight the issues explored. Again, the completed PIA must be signed off, including the relevant Cabinet Member where appropriate. The PIA must be emailed to the relevant Democratic Services Officer with the final report and copied to emily.jones@gloucester.gov.uk.

For help completing this section contact emily.jones@gloucester.gov.uk.

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11.0 Other Corporate Implications

Community Safety

Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act imposes a legal duty on the Council to consider crime and disorder implications whenever exercising its duties; and to do all that it reasonably can to prevent crime and disorder in the district.

The report must highlight any likely impact on crime and disorder locally and consider the effect on the safety of its communities. Where appropriate is should explain how the recommendations might contribute to creating a safer environment for the City’s residents.

For help completing this section contact edward.pomfret@gloucester.gov.uk.

Sustainability

The report should highlight any relevant positive or negative sustainability or environmental implications associated with the decision, such as the impact on any of the following: Energy / carbon Water use Green space Habitats and species

Air quality Noise Ground water and/or soil quality

The report should also explain proposals to mitigate any negative impact on the environment.

For help completing this section contact meyrick.brentnall@gloucester.gov.uk (energy, green space, water, habitats and species) or lloyd.griffiths@gloucester.gov.uk (air quality, noise, ground water).

Staffing & Trade Union

The report should describe the impact, if any, upon staff, either individually or collectively and where appropriate consultation should take place with Human Resources, GLT, staff and trade unions and be recorded in the report.

For help completing this section contact emma.cartlidge@gloucestershire.gov.uk.

12. Potential Media Interest

Report authors must consider whether the report is likely to generate media interest and liaise with the Communications Team accordingly and in good time. If the report would benefit from a press release, append it to the report so Members can consider it at the earliest opportunity. This section should be completed for SMT and Cabinet Briefing purposes, but must be removed prior to publication of report. All draft reports should be sent to pressoff@gloucestershire.gov.uk before they are submitted for the SMT agenda.

Background Documents:

Background documents are items that are not already publicly available. This does not include previous reports, legislation or any other document that can be accessed elsewhere by a member of the public. You must send both an electronic and a paper copy of any background document to Democratic Services so that it may be made available for public inspection. If there are no background documents, please state ‘None’.

Appendix 1

Meeting: [Insert all meetings at which the report will be considered]

Date: [Insert all dates]

Subject: [Report title]

Report Of: [Relevant Cabinet Member (for executive reports)] OR [Relevant Corporate Director]

Wards Affected: [Relevant Wards Affected]

Key Decision: Yes/No Budget/Policy Framework: Yes/No

Contact Officer: [Name and Job Title]

Email: Tel: 39-

Appendices: 1. [List Appendices]

FOR GENERAL RELEASE/ EXEMPTIONS [Delete as applicable]. [Complete this paragraph if the report is confidential. Part 4 of the Constitution sets out the rules on confidential items. If necessary consult with Legal Services or Democratic Services] The public are likely to be excluded from the meeting during consideration of this report as it contains exempt information as defined in paragraph (X) of schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended). [Delete if not applicable]. [Complete this paragraph is the report is to be published late] Note: The special circumstances for non-compliance with Access to Information Rule 5 and Section 100B (4) of the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended) (items not considered unless the agenda is open to inspection at least five days in advance of the meeting) were that… [Delete if not applicable]. [Complete this paragraph if the report is a Key Decision and was not included on the Forward Plan at least 28 days prior to the meeting at which the decision will be taken]. Note: The special circumstances for non-compliance with Access to Information Rule 13 and Part 3, paragraph 9 of the Local Authorities (Executive Arrangements) (Meetings and Access To Information) (England) Regulations 2012 (that a Key Decision may not be taken unless a document containing information specified by the Regulations been published at least 28 clear days prior to the meeting at which the decision will be taken were that… [Delete if not applicable]. 1.0 Purpose of Report [Brief one paragraph summary of what you are asking the decision maker to do and why (i.e. the policy context). Note: Report should not usually exceed 5 sides of A4 in total] 1.1 2.0 Recommendations [Clear and freestanding with one sentence per recommendation, setting out exactly what the decision maker is being asked to do. Set out distinct recommendations for each decision maker].

Appendix 1

2.1 Overview and Scrutiny Committee is asked to consider the information contained in

the report and make any recommendations to the Cabinet. 2.2 Cabinet is asked to RESOLVE/RECOMMEND that

(1) 2.2 Council is asked to RESOLVE that

(1) 3.0 Background and Key Issues [Main body of the report including background, facts and figures, significant argument and any consultation. Continue to number each new paragraph where sub-headings headings are used]. 3.1

4.0 Asset Based Community Development (ABCD) Considerations [Explain how an ABCD approach has been applied to the subject of the report] 4.1 5.0 Alternative Options Considered [Details of any alternative options considered and discounted. This information is required by Regulations]. 5.1 6.0 Reasons for Recommendations [Main grounds for the decision that is being sought, justifying why the recommendations should be approved. This information is required by Regulations]. 6.1 7.0 Future Work and Conclusions [Details of what, if anything, needs to be done after the recommendations have been approved, giving timetables and whether any further reports are needed, and a short summary of the main points.] 7.1 8.0 Financial Implications [Address all capital and revenue financial and property implications arising out of the report proposals. This section to be completed in consultation with the relevant finance officer]. 8.1 (Financial Services have been consulted in the preparation this report.)

Appendix 1

9.0 Legal Implications [Address legal implications, including power to carry out the proposal, implications of not carrying them out and any legislation that affects the proposals. This section to be completed in consultation with One Legal]. 9.1 (One Legal have been consulted in the preparation this report.) 10.0 Risk & Opportunity Management Implications [Identify all key risks for the recommendation including the impact and likelihood of the risk occurring and what measures will be taken to mitigate the risk. Also consider the opportunities associated with the decision.] 10.1 11.0 People Impact Assessment (PIA): [See separate PIA guidelines and delete as applicable. The Screening Stage must be completed for all reports. If a full PIA has been completed it must be included as an appendix to the report.] 11.1 [Explain the issues considered during the Screening Stage.] 11.2 The PIA Screening Stage was completed and did not identify any potential or actual

negative impact, therefore a full PIA was not required. OR 11.1 A full PIA has been completed and is appended to this report. 11.2 [Explain the issues explored in the full PIA.] 12.0 Other Corporate Implications Community Safety

12.1 Sustainability 12.2 Staffing & Trade Union 12.3

Potential Media Interest – to be completed for SMT/Cabinet Briefing purposes. Remove prior to publication of report. Draft report to be sent pressoff@gloucestershire.gov.uk.

Appendix 1

Background Documents: None [Background papers are documents materially used in the preparation of reports, including published documents. This section must be completed as fully as possible, if no background papers, please state ‘None. Departments must have arrangements for background papers to be available on request.]

Appendix 2

FORWARD PLAN ITEM DETAILS TEMPLATE

This template must be completed for all items to be included on the Council’s Forward Plan. This includes: Key Decisions to be taken by Members or Officers

All Cabinet decisions

All individual Cabinet Member decisions

Budget and Policy Framework decisions

A Key Decision is one that is:

a decision in relation to a Cabinet function which results in the Local Authority incurring expenditure or making of a saving which is significant having regard to the budget for the service or function to which the decision relates; or

a decision that is likely to have a significant impact on two or more wards within the Local Authority; or a decision in relation to expenditure in excess of £100,000 or significant savings; or a decision in relation to any contract valued in excess of £500,000

A Budget and Policy Framework decision is one relating to the Council’s budget or any of the plans and strategies identified in Article 4 of the Constitution. Such items must be considered by the Overview & Scrutiny Committee and the final decision must be made by the full Council. Details of Key Decisions must be published on the Forward Plan at least 28 days before the decision is due to be made. The Forward Plan is updated and published every month on the Council’s website approximately 28 days prior to the next scheduled Cabinet meeting. Report authors must be mindful of the publication deadlines, which can be obtained from Democratic Services. All sections of the template must be completed. Please state ‘not applicable’ if a section is not relevant. See the Report Writing Guide or contact Democratic Services for more information.

KEY = Key Decision BPF = Budget and Policy Framework

NON = Non-Key Decision

KEY/ BPF/ NON

Insert report title Insert brief summary of decision to be taken Wards affected: insert wards

Insert meeting dates

Insert decision maker/s and Cabinet portfolio where appropriate

If applicable, insert the reason why the report is exempt. The public are likely to be excluded from the meeting during consideration of this report as it contains exempt information as defined in paragraph (X) of schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 (as amended).

List documents submitted to decision maker for consideration in relation to the decision (must be made available to the public on request unless exempt)

Insert Lead Officer Name Insert Lead Officer Title Tel: Insert number Email: Insert email address

SUBJECT

(and summary of decision to be taken) PLANNED

DATES

DECISION MAKER

& PORTFOLIO NOTICE OF PRIVATE

BUSINESS (if applicable)

RELATED

DOCUMENTS (available on request,

subject to restrictions on

disclosure)

LEAD OFFICER

(to whom requests for documents should be

directed)

Appendix 3

People Impact Assessment Template - Helping you through the process

The Screening Stage Explained

Part 1 of the template we have developed is classed as the screening stage. This should always be completed. You should never consider doing an Impact Assessment on your own, it is much better to have several people talking through the assessment; more people will bring more thoughts to the table! Remember it should be an integral part of policy development not a last minute thought!

At this stage you should be assessing obvious negative/positive impact or gaps in knowledge about likely impact. It should be a relatively short process which makes use of any previous consultation results, any differences in user satisfaction among groups, personal knowledge and experience, research, reports, existing equality data about service usage, internet searches, internal and external specialist advice, employees with previous experience of similar work, known inequalities etc. If the likely impact on a particular group is unknown, then action needs to be taken to acquire this information.

A Full People Impact Assessment

If the activity has the potential to cause adverse/negative impact or discriminate against different groups in the community it will require a full people impact assessment. In some cases it might be easy to put in place simple adjustments to eliminate any negative impact while you are working through the screening process, especially if you already have clear evidence/consultation and the process is an integral part of your policy development. It should only be done if you are absolutely confident that no other impact will be identified. If you choose to do this you should clearly document the reasons/evidence and put in place monitoring to ensure action is taken if unanticipated impact occurs.

Part 2 of the template guides officers through the full people impact assessment process, ensuring that research/consultation with relevant equality groups has been carried out and leads to an action plan aiming to minimise the negative impact/s.

Consultation involves engaging with representatives from the ‘protected characteristic’ groups who are likely to be affected by the activity. It could involve engaging with employees and Members, trade unions, other public bodies, voluntary and community groups. It is important to ensure sufficient time and resources are dedicated to the consultation/research process to encourage full participation. You should refer to the Consultation Toolkit to ensure your consultation follows good practice and protocol. The Focus system should also be used and is able to give you information relating to other consultation activities across the council as well as existing groups/volunteers you may be able to access.

Take a Proportionate Approach

Your approach to assessing the people impact of a policy, strategy, function, process or service should be proportionate to the likely impact it will have. Issues you should consider include:

- the number of people likely to be affected - the size of the budget/amount of money involved - the extent of the proposed change - wider public policy implications

This means you will assess more rigorously policies, which are likely to have a significant impact on the local community.

Additional guidance notes to help you through the process are available on the intranet under Corporate Information, Equalities

\\gloscitys62\CommsPolPerf\CorporateInformation\Equalities\EqualitiesImpactAssessment\Additional Guidance Notes.doc

People Impact Assessment Template Directorate: Service:

Accountable Officer:

Telephone & e-mail:

Date of assessment:

Who was involved in completing this assessment?

Name of service/function/policy/strategy or process: Is this new or existing? Part 1 – Screening 1. Please provide an Executive Summary including who is to benefit from this service/function/policy/strategy or process, remembering to demonstrate how you have shown due regard to the following:

Eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other prohibited conduct Advance equality of opportunity: (remove or minimise disadvantage; meet people’s

needs; take account of disabilities; encourage participation in public life). (Does not apply to marriage and civil partnership or pregnancy and maternity)

Foster good relations between people by tackling prejudice and promote understanding

2. Could a particular group be affected differently in either a negative or positive way, please include the evidence (i.e. consultation/research) as to how you reached this decision? (Positive – it could benefit, Negative – it could disadvantage, Neutral – neither positive nor negative impact or Not sure?)

‘Protected Characteristic’ Type of impact, reason & evidence base for decision

Age

Disability

Gender

Marriage and Civil Partnerships

Pregnancy and Maternity

Race (including Gypsy & Traveller)

Religion/Belief

Sexual Orientation

Transgender

Community Cohesion

Other Socio-economic Groups (i.e. Single Parents)

Any Human Rights implications?

3. Is any part of this policy/service to be carried out wholly or partly by contractors? If yes, please consider equalities impact through procurement.

Yes No 4. Please note if you have identified any potential or actual negative impact you will need to complete a Full People Impact Assessment. Is a Full People Impact Assessment required?

Yes No Date it is to be completed:

I AM SATISFIED A FULL PEOPLE IMPACT ASSESSMENT IS NOT REQUIRED

Author of People Impact Assessment to complete:

Assessment completed by: Role:

Date:

GM/ Director to Complete

Countersigned by: Role:

Date:

Date Reviewed at GLT

Date:

Cabinet Member to complete:

Signature: Post:

Date:

Please keep the signed hard copy with your team for auditing purposes and forward an electronic copy to Emily Jones, Neighbourhood Manager, so that it can be published:

emily.jones@gloucester.gov.uk..

Part 2 – Full People Impact Assessment 1. Summarise the likely negative impacts for relevant groups identified in the screening process (start to think about possible alternatives)

2. What consultation/involvement activities have taken place or will need to take place with groups/individuals from each relevant equality group? (do not forget to use the Consultation Toolkit on the intranet & Focus)

3. What other research has been or will need to be carried out to help you with the assessment?

4. Results of research/consultation (what does it tell you about the negative impacts?)

5. Conclusions & Action Planning You should explain what and how negative impacts have been reduced or removed and how positive impacts are to be improved or included.

Your final decisions or recommendations may include making immediate changes, stopping or proceeding with a new policy, justifying a decision or adding objectives/targets to the service development plan/equality scheme (long term changes).

You could use the template below to record your conclusions/actions. You should also make reference to any additional monitoring or research that is still required, or was not retrievable at the point of assessment, but will be required in subsequent reviews or in order to complete actions.

Impact/Issue Action/Objective/Target or Justification

Will this remove negative impact?

Resources Lead Officer &

Timescale

6. How will you monitor, evaluate and check the policy in the future?

7. When will a review take place?

Please complete

We are satisfied that a full people impact assessment has been carried out.

Author of People Impact Assessment to complete:

Assessment completed by: Role:

Date:

GM/ Director to Complete

Countersigned by: Role:

Date:

Date Reviewed at SMT

Date:

Cabinet Member to complete:

Signature: Post:

Date:

Please keep the signed hard copy with your team for auditing purposes and forward an electronic copy to Emily Jones, Neighbourhood Manager, so that it can be published:

emily.jones@gloucester.gov.uk.

Appendix 4

Press release request form Subject

Requester Date of request

Service area

Required date of issue

About the piece of work MTC2 related Yes/No Verto ref (if

appropriate)

Lead Officer/Director

Cabinet member aware?

Yes/No

Interdependencies (Is this linked to other initiatives or policies?)

Communications plan? Is there a wider communications plan and key messages?

Will this need further press releases in future?

Yes – list dates No – confirm this is a one-off

Brief background and description of what the press release is about.

Please consider the following when completing this section. It will help inform the story. What is happening? When is it happening? How is it happening? Why is it happening? Who is involved?

Suggested quotes (please feel free to suggest a comment, however, this section is not compulsory) NB: All press releases MUST contain cabinet member quotes unless specifically agreed otherwise.

Is this release linked to any council meeting, ie: Cabinet decision, scrutiny committee?

Give comments & dates