Derbyshire County Council has been recognised for the design of a new Equalities Impact Assessment (EIA) and embedding it successfully into the Council's ways of working, particularly within project management across the Council. The revised EIA assisted in achieving Level 3 of the National Equality Standard for Local Government. During the Level 3 assessment Derbyshire County Council was particularly commended for its work in the use of equality mapping, consultation and research, as well as for its strong record on promoting disability equality.

The development of a new Equality scheme in 2009 gave Nottingham City Council the opportunity to simplify its approach to equalities and embed it into services, departments and key processes such as performance management and commissioning.

This approach has already brought a number of benefits including clearly showing the Council's equality priorities and how people can support them, an emphasis on outcomes rather than activities, clear accountability and a greater freedom for officers to achieve outcomes through existing work.

The strategic alliance of High Peak Borough Council and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and the sharing of its services, including an Equality & Diversity Policy Officer, has already begun to generate savings and increase efficiency in just under a year.

In just twelve months, Leicestershire County Council implemented substantial service improvements to achieve the Level 3 Equality Standard.Using an innovative programme of Positive Action methods, team engagement and member training, it has effectively embedded Equality and Diversity into the culture of the organisation.