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# 2.5.1 Specific duties in Wales

The Equality Act 2010 (Statutory Duties) (Wales) Regulations 2011 are a set of specific duties that apply to public bodies in Wales. They build upon the general Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in the Equality Act 2010, outline specific actions public bodies in Wales must take to enhance the performance of the general duty.

It seeks to do this by adding a focus on outcomes. Complying with the specific duties in Wales is not therefore just about processes and procedures as per the general PSED – the Wales regulations add requirements for generating positive equality outcomes.

The specific duties are interlinked and complement each other continuously to inform the listed authority as to how to better achieve better equality outcomes:

Equality Objectives

Public bodies must set and publish equality objectives, which are specific, measurable goals aimed at improving equality. These must be revised and published at least once every four years.

Strategic Equality Plans

Public bodies must publish a Strategic Equality Plan (SEP). These plans draw together various elements of the specific duties to detail how public bodies intend to achieve their equality objectives, including how they will measure and report progress. They can be used as a timetabled action plan for meeting the duties.

Transparency and accountability

The regulations promote transparency by requiring public bodies to publish their objectives and plans, and to report on their progress. This means publishing annual reports setting out compliance with specific duties. The annual report can include specified employment information; if this is not included, it must be published separately on an annual basis.

Impact Assessments

Public bodies are expected to assess the impact of their policies and practices on different groups with protected characteristics. The public body will have to consider how policies and practices affect groups with different protected characteristics. There is a requirement for assessments to engage with appropriate persons and have due regard to information that the authority holds. Such assessments are sometimes referred to as Equality Impact Assessments.

Engagement with appropriate persons

For all of the aspects above, the regulations emphasise the importance of engaging with diverse communities to understand their needs and inform the development of policies and services. The Act describes what effective engagement looks like, with people who share protected characteristics and others with interest.

Effective engagement should be:

- Well-structured and focused
- Adequately resourced and accessible
- Influential and transparent
- Respectful of confidentiality
- Proportionate

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) acts as the regulator for the PSED in Wales, monitoring compliance and ensuring actions are taken to support equality.

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