National Islands Plan: equality impact assessment

Key Findings

Impacts Across Protected Characteristics

The assessment identified generally positive or neutral impacts across most protected groups, with several opportunities to advance equality of opportunity. Key findings include:

• Age: Positive impacts for both younger and older islanders through improved access to education, childcare, transport and services. The focus on retaining young people is balanced by recognition of older residents’ essential community role, reducing risk of indirect discrimination.
• Disability: Potentially positive impacts through commitments to accessible services, inclusive design of infrastructure, and improved digital connectivity. Continued attention is needed to ensure that accessibility is embedded in local delivery.
• Sex and Pregnancy/Maternity: Positive impacts through improved childcare provision, economic participation initiatives and enhanced access to healthcare. Ensuring gender-sensitive engagement and monitoring will help avoid indirect barriers.
• Race: Opportunities to advance equality by ensuring that migration-related actions and population attraction strategies include support for minority ethnic residents, newcomers, and seasonal workers.
• Sexual Orientation and Gender Reassignment: Inclusive engagement commitments and community-building activity have the potential to foster more welcoming environments, though some LGBTQ+ islanders reported concerns regarding visibility and safety in small communities.
• Religion or Belief: No negative impacts identified; actions focused on community participation and inclusion are likely to support intercultural understanding.
• Marriage and Civil Partnership: No specific impacts identified; actions to strengthen community cohesion have broad, positive implications for family and household structures.

No Unlawful Discrimination Identified

No element of the Plan constitutes direct or indirect unlawful discrimination. The equality risks identified relate primarily to implementation, highlighting the importance of ongoing monitoring and inclusive delivery approaches.

Need for Improved Evidence

Stakeholder feedback and data analysis indicate gaps in equality-relevant evidence for smaller island populations, particularly for disabled people, minority ethnic residents and LGBTQ+ islanders. The Plan therefore commits to improved data gathering.

Health Considerations

Access to Healthcare Services

Geographical isolation, limited specialist provision, workforce shortages and travel requirements can disproportionately affect older people, disabled residents, pregnant women, carers, and people with long-term conditions. The Plan’s commitments to improve transport links, digital connectivity (including remote health services), and community-based service models are therefore likely to have positive and equality-enhancing impacts.

Mental Health and Wellbeing

Small population sizes, social isolation, limited youth opportunities, and the pressures associated with seasonal employment may negatively affect mental health. These impacts can be particularly acute for:

young people seeking education or employment,

• disabled people who experience additional barriers to participation,
• LGBTQ+ islanders who may face visibility or inclusion challenges,
• minority ethnic residents who may be under-represented or lack support networks.

The Plan’s emphasis on community resilience, participation, cultural life, and youth opportunity contributes positively to addressing these risks.

Health Inequalities

Health inequalities can be more pronounced in island areas due to transport barriers, fuel poverty and limited service choice. Older people and disabled residents are particularly affected. Actions in the Plan focusing on energy efficiency, cost of living, housing quality, and island-proofed service delivery are expected to reduce these inequalities.

Impact on Carers

Carers, many of whom are women or older people, can experience increased physical and mental health pressures due to limited respite options or travel requirements. The Plan’s commitments around workforce, digital support, and community-led service delivery models may help mitigate these pressures.

Public Health and Climate Resilience

The Plan's alignment with climate adaptation and community resilience also has health dimensions. Extreme weather events, energy insecurity, and supply chain disruption pose greater risks for vulnerable groups such as disabled residents, older people, and those with chronic health conditions. The Plan’s climate-resilience actions therefore may have indirect but important positive health impacts.

No Negative or Discriminatory Health Impacts Identified

The EQIA did not identify any health-related impacts that could amount to unlawful discrimination. However, it highlighted areas where monitoring is needed, for example, ensuring telehealth does not disadvantage those with poor digital access or confidence, or ensuring transport improvements reach those who need them most.