Equality Impact Needs Assessment
The Diversity Promise – Making it Happen!Title of Policy/Service/Project Bournemouth Libraries: Changes to Fees & Charges for 2012-13
Service Unit ICC
Lead Responsible Officer and Job Title Medi Bernard: Service & Strategy Manager
Members of the Assessment Team: Rose Johnson; Vicki Goldie; Graham Brown; Heather Young; Medi Bernard
Date assessment completed: 11.04.2012
About the Policy/Service/Project:
What type of policy/service/project is this? (delete as appropriate) Existing New/proposed Changing
What are the aims/objectives of the policy/service/project? (please include here all expected outcomes)
To set out the fees and charges to be levied by Bournemouth Libraries during the financial year 2012/13 so all residents/users are aware of them; to generate income for the library service;
List the main people, or groups of people, that this policy/service/project is designed to benefit and any other stakeholders involved?
Council, library staff, residents, library users
Will this policy/service/impact on any other organisation, statutory, voluntary or community and their clients/service users? No
Consultation, Monitoring and Research
Where there is still insufficient information to properly assess the policy, appropriate and proportionate measures will be needed to fill the data gaps. Examples include one-off studies or surveys, or holding informal consultation exercises to supplement the available statistical and qualitative data.
If there is insufficient time before the implementation of the policy to inform the EINA, specific action points will be need to be clearly set out in the action plan. Steps must include monitoring arrangements which measure the actual impact and a date for a policy review.
Consultation:
What involvement/consultation has been done in relation to this (or a similar) policy/service/project and what are the results? Library managers and staff, other senior staff and the Service Director have been consulted. This is not a new policy but part of an annual change
If you have not carried out any consultation, or if you need to carry out further consultation, who will you be consulting with and by what methods?
Monitoring and Research:
What data, research and other evidence or information is available which is relevant to this EINA? Fees and charged set for previous years
Service use statistics
Income targets and statistics Previously completed EINAs
Is there any service user/employee monitoring data available and relevant to this policy/service/project? What does it show in relation to equality groups?
Use of alternative book formats by people with disabilities
If there is a lack of information, what further information do you need to carry out the assessment and how are you going to gather this?
Assessing the Impact
Actual or potential benefit Actual or potential negative outcome
Age
Loan of children’s/teen audiobooks on a Child/Teen ticket is free.
Reduced adult overdue book/ audiobook charges during first four weeks overdue
Reduced maximum overdue charge for adult books No change to notification charge for children’s/teen overdue books despite rise of 2nd class stamps to 50p
Reduced charge for lost/damaged videos/Playstation games
Charge overdues for non-bank holiday closed days in libraries open fewer than 6 days per week
Increased charges for lost/damaged books for adults and children.
Increased charge to replace lost/damaged audiocassettes
Disability
Charge overdues on adult books for non-bank holiday closed days in libraries open fewer than 6 days per week
Staff assisted scanning plus email – charge introduced
Actual or potential benefit Actual or potential negative outcome Race Religion or Belief Sexual Orientation Any other factor/ groups e.g. socio-economic status/carers etc
Reduced adult overdue book charges during first four weeks
Reduced maximum overdue charge for adult books/music CDs
No change to notification charge for children’s/teen overdue books despite rise of 2nd class stamps to 50p
Overdue charges for DVDs/videos except Top Titles & < 6mths to match those for books, replacing pro-rata loan charge. O’due charge for videos reduced for first four weeks overdue
Reduced charge for lost/damaged videos/Playstation games
Reduced charge for replacement library card Removal of digital photo licence charge
Charge overdues for non-bank holiday closed days in libraries open fewer than 6 days per week
Overdues increase for CDs/DVDs/videos after first four weeks overdue
Microfilm reader prints increased charge
Increased charges for lost/damaged books for adults and children.
Increased charge to replace lost/damaged audiocassettes & music CDs
Increased rebinding charge for damaged books
Actual or potential benefit Actual or potential negative outcome
Human Rights
Stop - Any policy which shows actual or potential unlawful discrimination must be stopped, removed or
changed.
If impacts have been identified include in the action plan what will be done to reduce these impacts, this could include a range of options from making adjustments to the policy to stopping and removing the policy altogether. If no change is to be made, explain your decision:
Charge overdues for non-bank holiday closed days in libraries open fewer than 6 days per week : This charge is avoidable Increased charges for lost/damaged books for adults and children. : this charge is avoidable
Increased charge to replace lost/damaged audiocassettes : This charge is avoidable
Staff assisted scanning plus email – charge introduced : If a library user has a disability which prevents the individual from
using the scanner then staff will not charge for this service.
Overdues increase for CDs/DVDs/videos after first four weeks overdue : This charge is avoidable
Microfilm reader prints increased charge: Reflects higher costs of printing; first increase in charges for four years; increase
minimal (5p per sheet)
Increased charge to replace lost/damaged audiocassettes & music CDs This charge is avoidable Increased rebinding charge for damaged books This charge is avoidable
Action Plan
Include:
What has/will be done to reduce the negative impacts on groups as identified above.
The arrangements for monitoring the actual impact of the policy/service/project
Issue identified Action required to reduce impact Timescale Responsible officer
Which Business Plan does this action link
to e.g. Service Equality Action Plan/Team Plan Charge introduced for staff
scanning and emailing a document on behalf of a library user may adversely affect disabled people and people with low socio-economic status
Library staff will offer to drop the charge for library users who have a disability that prevents them from using a scanner.
Library staff will offer free training to people who do not know how to use a scanner to enable them to do this themselves
30.04.2012
Service & Strategy
