The duties we answer to
Public sector equality duty and codes of conduct.
- Level
- Bitesize
- Learning time
- 1 hour 15 minutes
- Where
- Boards and governance
- Price
- £39
When you step up to a higher level, what you paid in the last 12 months for lower-level courses inside the bigger course comes off its price, in proportion to how much of each is inside it, whichever topic it's from. Courses at the same or a lower level don't give credit against each other. A Focus course or above always costs at least £15. Read the full terms
Certificate of Completion
Overview and Outcomes.
Overview
Public office carries duties owed to the public, honoured or neglected in ordinary decisions every day. First comes the Public Sector Equality Duty: due regard as a way of deciding rather than a document, the three aims of section 149, the Brown principles, the specific duties in England and Wales, the Welsh socio-economic duty and the 2025 EHRC agreement with the Welsh Government. Then the focus moves to codes of conduct, distinguishing them from behavioural frameworks, setting out the Civil Service Code's four core values and who oversees standards, and comparing the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales with the English system.
What you'll develop
In this Bitesize, you will develop the ability to:
- Explain the three aims of the general duty in section 149 and the Brown principles that show whether due regard was given.
- Distinguish a code of conduct, which sets minimum standards, from a behavioural framework, which describes what good looks like.
- Plan an equality impact assessment that starts while options are open, uses evidence and engagement, and changes the decision where needed.
- Describe the route of a code of conduct complaint in Wales and compare it with the current and proposed position in England.
- Compare the specific duties and the socio-economic duty in Wales with the position in England.
- Apply the principles of fair process when supporting the people involved in a conduct complaint.
The Modules.
1 hour 15 minutes of learning.
- 03The Public Sector Equality Duty, Wales and the Socio-economic DutyFor public bodies, the Equality Act places a positive duty to think about equality in every decision. This module explains due regard as a way of deciding rather than a document, the three aims of section 149 and the Brown principles the courts apply. It compares the specific duties in England and Wales, covers the Welsh socio-economic duty, and draws lessons from the 2025 EHRC agreement with the Welsh Government.40 min
- 04Codes, Standards and the RegulatorsA code is a promise made in public, and this module explains how that promise is overseen and enforced. It distinguishes codes of conduct from behavioural frameworks, sets out the Civil Service Code's four core values, maps who oversees standards, and compares the Welsh route through the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales with the English system and its announced reforms, including why fair process protects everyone.36 min