Debt Management Policy

Home > Council > Equality, Diversity and the Disability Duties > Screening Outcome Reports > Screening Reports 2020 > Screening Reports January to March 2020 > Debt Management Policy
Sub Menu

S75 Equality And Good Relations Screening Form

 

General Information 

Service/
Function
   ☐

 Policy/
Procedure
   ☒		 Project
   ☐		 Strategy
   ☐		 Plan
   ☐		 Guidance
   ☐
Is this an existing, revised or a new function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?
Existing   ☒         Revised   ☒       New   ☐
Operational Area Governance
Title Debt Management Policy
Brief Summary 
Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council is committed to reducing the probability of bad debts arising. The Council will ensure that a robust debt management procedure is adhered to by all relevant staff and is applied to all customer sales transactions.
What is it trying to achieve? (intended aims and outcomes)
The aim of this policy is to communicate to staff and council debtors the Council strategy for the avoidance of bad debts arising, in meeting its financial obligations. This policy sets out the framework within which debt management will be administered within the Council.
Who owns and who implements each element of the function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?

Members
Finance
Senior Management Team
Heads of Service
Budget Holders

Other policies etc. which have a bearing on this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?

Pricing and invoicing policies across all council services
Data Protection
Freedom of Information
Data retention and disposal
 
Available Evidence
Evidence to help inform the screening process may take many forms.  Public authorities should ensure that their screening decision is informed by relevant data.
What evidence/information (both qualitative and quantitative have you gathered to inform this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?  Specify details for relevant Section 75 categories.

Council service areas engage with a wide range of customer types from individuals to large multi-national companies. These customers are located mainly in Northern Ireland, Great Britain and Ireland however some business is also transacted with overseas customers. 
Section 75 Category  Details of Evidence/Information
 
Religious Beliefs 

 
Political Opinion

 
Racial Group

 
Age 

 
Marital Status

 
Sexual Orientation

 
Men and Women Generally 

 
Dependants 

 
Disability

 
Screening Questions
1. What is the likely impact on equality of opportunity for those affected by this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?
Section 75 Category Positive
impact 		 Neutral  Negative
impact 		 Reason
Gender  Women    ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐   		  
Men    ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐   
Transgender men/women    ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐   
Other please specify   ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐   
Race
(As used in the 2011 census) 		 Asian   ☐   ☐  Major  ☐     
​Minor    ☒

Possibly negative impact on people with English as a second language or people from another culture may require additional assistance in understanding the policy.
Black                      ☐   ☐  Major  ☐     
​Minor   ☒
Chinese                ☐   ☐ Major  ☐     
​Minor     ☒
Mixed race
White               		   ☐   ☐ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☒   
Other please specify   ☐   ☐ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☒   
Disability Long term health impairment could include mental health problems, asthma, heart conditions, chronic fatigue etc.   ☐   ☐ Major  ☐     
​Minor    ☒   

Possible negative impact on the ability of people with a disability to access information.

 
Sexual orientation  Heterosexual, lesbian, gay men, bisexual, others    ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐   		  
Age  Older People   ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐  

 

 
Younger people and children   ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐   
Political Opinion     ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐   		  
Religious Belief     ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐   		  
Marital Status     ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐   		  
Dependants     ☐   ☒ Major  ☐     
​Minor  ☐   

 
 
Screening Questions
2. Are there opportunities to better promote equality of opportunity for people within any of the Section 75 categories?
Section 75 Category  If Yes, provide details  If No, provide details
Gender  Women     
Men
Transgender men/women
Other please specify
Race
As used in the 2011 census. 		  Asian

Development of strategies which address communication issues with people who do not speak English as a first language.

  
Black
Chinese
Mixed race
White
Other please specify
Disability Long term health impairment could include mental health problems, asthma, heart conditions, chronic fatigue etc.

Development strategies which address issues relating to promoting the ability of people with a disability to access information.

  
Sexual orientation  Heterosexual, lesbian, gay men, bisexual, others     
Age  Older People,
Younger people and children 		    
Political Opinion       
Religious Belief      
Marital Status      
Dependants       
 
Screening Questions
3. To what extent is the policy likely to impact on good relations between people of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group?
Section 75 Category Details of policy impact   Level of impact
major/minor/none
Religious Belief  No perceived impact  
Political Opinion  No perceived impact  
Racial Group No perceived impact  
 
Screening Questions
4. Are there opportunities to better promote good relations between people of different religious belief, political opinion or racial group?
Section 75 Category  If Yes, provide details  If No, provide details
Religious Belief    No impact
Political Opinion    No impact
Racial Group    No impact
 
Additional Considerations

Generally speaking people can fall into more than one Section 75 category.  Taking this into consideration, are there any potential impacts of the function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance on people with multiple identities?  (For example:  disabled minority ethnic people, disabled women, young Protestant men, young lesbians, gay and bisexual people.)

No
 
Provide details of data on the impact of the function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance on people with multiple identities.  Specify the relevant Section 75 categories concerned.
N/A
 
Disability Considerations
Is there an opportunity to better promote positive attitudes towards disabled people by altering this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?
         ☐ Yes    ☒  No
 
If yes, please give further information and examples:
 
 
Is there an opportunity to encourage participation by disabled people in public life by altering this function, service, policy, procedure, project, strategy, plan or guidance?
          ☐ Yes       ☒ No
 
Please give further information and examples:
 
 

Screening Decision
Likely Impact
          ☐        Major                   ☐      Minor                  ☒        None


If the decision is to subject the policy to an equality impact assessment (i.e. likely impact – Major), please provide details of the reasons for this:
N/A


If the decision is not to conduct an equality impact assessment (i.e. likely impact = Minor) the Council should consider if the policy should be mitigated or an alternative policy be introduced: 
N/A

If the decision is not to conduct an equality impact assessment (i.e. likely impact = None), please provide details of the reasons for this:

The impacts identified were minor in nature and applied to two groups – Racial Group and Disability.  It was considered that the policy itself did not require any mitigating actions as the issues identified could be addressed by an overarching strategic approach to communication generally, ie provision of support mechanisms for translation and alternative formats, provision of reasonable adjustments for staff with a disability, etc.
 
Mitigation
When the Council concludes that the likely impact is ‘Minor’ and an equality impact assessment is not to be conducted, the Council may consider mitigation to lessen the severity of any equality impact, or the introduction of an alternative policy to better promote equality of opportunity or good relations.
Can the policy/decision be amended or changed or an alternative policy introduced to better promote equality of opportunity and/or good relations?
                                    ☐   Yes                          ☒  No

If YES, give the reasons to support your decision, together with the proposed changes/amendments or alternative policy:

N/A
 
Timetabling And Prioritising
If the policy/decision has been ‘screened in’ for equality impact assessment, then please answer the following questions to determine its priority for timetabling the equality impact assessment.
On a scale of 1 to 3, with 1 being the lowest priority and 3 the highest, assess the policy in terms of its priority for equality impact assessment.
Priority Criterion Rating (1 to 3)
Effect on equality of opportunity and good relations N/A
Social Need N/A
Effect on people’s daily lives N/A
Relevance to the Council’s functions N/A
 
Monitoring
Please outline proposals for future monitoring of the policy/decision:
Policy operation will be monitored in an ongoing basis and any complaints/challenges arising will be considered with a view to reviewing/amending the policy if necessary
 
 
Approval And Authorisation
Screened and Approved By Position/Job Title Date Date
Chief Finance Officer 6 February 2020