1 SCREENING TEMPLATE Section A – General Information: What is the function being screened for impact assessment? Financial Services -Community Care Finance -Revenues NOTE – insert name of the function being impact assessed (Functions mean the full range of an institution’s duties and powers, ie. everything that the institution does, whether formal or informal, written or unwritten. As long as it is E&D relevant it has to be IAd) 1 – What is the aim, objective or purpose of the function? -Invoicing Service Users -Collecting Income (Revenue) -Validating and authorising provider invoices -Financial Assessments -Budget Monitoring NOTE – Wherever possible quote directly from function documentation linking with institutional Vision, Aims, Values, Objectives and good institutional practice for all our stakeholders. 2 – What outcomes are intended through this function and for whom? -That Service Users receive accurate information on their financial services (outcomes). -Must meet Corporate Deadlines and contractual arrangements. -Must meet the Equality Standards set out by NELC. NOTE – Wherever possible in responding to these questions, be specific & name the stakeholders involved & base your answers on all the E&D category requirements. 3 – What factors will contribute to the intended outcomes of the function? -Financial Assessments within timescales. -Billing and processing financial data. -Benefit checks. -Debt collection process -Accurate information for Service Users (i.e. Charging Policy). -Government Guidelines 2 4 – What barriers if any, could detract from the function’s intended outcomes? -Outstanding financial assessments -Capacity of team -Availability of Service User/Carer for assessment -Monthly Returns (Schedules) -Care Management Paperwork outstanding -Unrealistic deadlines 5 – How do the intended outcomes link with other institutional functions? -BVPI’s /PI’s -Complying with Government Guidance 6 – Who defined or defines the function and determines the intended outcomes? -Government guidance and key legislation -Director of Finance -Executive Director Community Care -Deputy Director, Business & Performance Management -Finance Manager -Service Users -PCT -Complainants -Team Capacity -Members 7 – Who is responsible and accountable for implementing the function and what IA training have they had? -Members -Deputy Director -Service Manager -Team Manager -Team 8 – Who are the stakeholders, both inside and outside the institution, who should be involved with this function? -Care Homes ) Private Sector -Domiciliary Care Agencies ) Providers -In-house Providers -Service Users /Carer /Advocate 3 -Payment Section -Cashiers -The Team (Business & Financial Services) -Care Management Team -Benefits Agency -PCT -Crossroads -Day Centres -CCF Team -Revenues Team 8a – What roles do the stakeholders play in the implementation of the function and how? Private Sector – Provide care (invoice for payment) Care Homes – Collect Service User contribution Payment Section – Pay Provider Team – Process, validate and pass invoices for payment, monitor accounts/budgets Cashiers – receive payment Visiting Officers – Financial Assessments and Benefit Clerk Monitor Accounts and Budgets 9 – How relevant is this function to each of the E&D categories? (Based on your answers above, decide whether this function is of High, Medium or Low relevance: (tick one box for each E&D category) Category High Medium Low Age √ Disability √ Ethnicity (Race) √ Gender (Sex) √ Religion, Belief and/or Non-Belief √ Sexual Orientation √ 4 10 – Are there any concerns the function could have differential impact on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin and why? Finance Team would need to be aware of different Religious Beliefs and Practices. -(SWIFT Checks -Flexible Working Practice) (during EIA check out what process Validation Officers take prior to going to Service Users homes) 11 – Are there any concerns the function could have differential impact on the grounds of religion, belief and/or non-belief and why? Officers would need to be aware of different Religious Beliefs and Practices. 12 – Are there any concerns the function could have a differential impact on the grounds of disability and why? Officers would need to be aware of disability (carer /relative/advocate present during Assessment). Care Management – Liaison with Officers for ability of Service User to engage. 13 – Are there any concerns the function could have a differential impact on the grounds of age and why? Officers would need to be aware of age of service user disability (carer /relative/advocate present during Assessment). 14 – Are there any concerns the function could have differential impact on the grounds of sexual orientation and why? Officers may need to be aware of. sexual orientation to match a visiting officer. 15 – Are there any concerns the function could have differential impact 5 on the grounds of gender and why? Visiting Officers would need to be aware of gender of service user, in some cases, to be able to match visiting officer to the individual requirements of the service user. EXAMINE THE DATA AND RESEARCH AVAILABLE 1 – What information (including data) is available and/or is needed, to inform the assessment of the impact of the function to E&D? Charging Policy – non residential services -Information Handbook -Fairer charging – a fairer way to work out the cost of services you receive (Pictoral) -Fairer charging for Supporting People users -NELC invoice processing procedure. Domiciliary care. EXAMPLES/THINKING PROMPTS: Demographic data and other statistics, including census findings Recent research findings The results of consultations or recent surveys (NB qualitative and quantitative data) The results of E&D monitoring data, from our own records or from other partner bodies Information from groups and agencies directly in touch with particular groups in the communities we serve (for example, qualitative studies by trade unions and voluntary and community organisations) Comparisons with similar policies in other departments or public authorities Analysis of records of public enquiries about our services or policies, or complaints about them Analysis of complaints of unlawful discrimination within the institution’s employment or service delivery practice Recommendations of inspection and audit reports and reviews Recommendations/reports by representative groups/bodies If this stage identifies gaps in the information or data which you need to assess impact, identify other sources of information or take steps to collect the necessary information. You now need to interrogate the information and all the data available and ask the following questions: 6 What differences between groups do the quantitative data show? What differences between groups do the qualitative data show? Do the differences amount to some form of disadvantage or detriment being caused, and for which groups? Could the policy have other differential impact on any other groups? If so, which ones? This concludes the Primary Stage of impact assessment. If your initial screening has identified the function as having no differential impact or relevance to E&D, exit the process here by signing and dating the form below. (You will still need to continue monitoring the policy until you have to impact assess it again). ____________________________ _________________________ Signature Job Title Date Where the evidence (data and/or any other information) from your answers above suggests any differential and or adverse impact for one or more groups of people, you need to progress to either the Secondary Stage or direct to the Full Impact Assessment Stage, depending on how high the degree of the identified differential or adverse impact is.