Brent Council is set to formally adopt the Socio-Economic Duty (SED) to ensure its policies and programmes address the needs of residents experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. The decision, made at a Cabinet meeting on Monday, 17 November 2025, will add socio-economic status to the characteristics considered in Equality Impact Assessments (EIAs). This move aims to strengthen the council's response to the cost-of-living crisis and tackle the root causes of inequality in Brent, ensuring programmes are explicitly targeted at those most affected by deprivation.
Councillor Mili Patel, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Finance & Resources, highlighted the importance of this step: The proposed adoption of the Socio-Economic Duty demonstrates the Council's determination to ensure that every decision we make is informed by a clear understanding of its impact on the lives of our residents.
The SED, originating from the Equality Act 2010, requires public bodies to consider how their decisions affect those facing socio-economic challenges. While the UK government has yet to fully enact Section 1 of the Act, Brent is proactively embedding these principles into its framework. The council acknowledges that Section 1 of the Equality Act 2010 has not been brought into force in England, and that individuals who feel this duty has been breached are statutorily barred from claiming damages although they are still permitted to bring a claim for Judicial Review proceedings against a public body who is covered by the duty, or if they believe the public body has not considered socio-economic disadvantage when taking decisions of a strategic nature.
To ensure the SED leads to tangible changes, the council plans to integrate socio-economic status into EIA templates and guidance. The Adopting the Socio-Economic Duty report states this will ensure policy and programme decisions give due regard to the potential impacts on people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. Furthermore, the council will use the Social Progress Index tool to monitor compliance with the SED. Impact will also be monitored through the updated EIA approach.
To facilitate understanding of people's lived experience, the council will engage in participative consultation and problem-solving with socio-economically disadvantaged people and relevant stakeholders to effectively strategise about how to tackle socio-economic disadvantage. The council also plans to incorporate the SED into mandatory Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) training for all staff, with HR exploring mechanisms to integrate it into existing EDI e-learning, as outlined in the Action Tracker Adopting the Socio-Economic Duty.
Councillor Fleur Donnelly-Jackson, Cabinet Member for Housing, who advocated for the duty, shared her personal connection to the issue, recalling her experience growing up in poverty and emphasising the importance of considering the backgrounds of those less fortunate when making decisions.
The Adopting the Socio-Economic Duty report presented to the Cabinet highlighted that poverty affects a third of Brent residents, with a high proportion of children growing up in poverty. The formal adoption aims to tackle the root causes of inequality in Brent.
The council will monitor compliance on an ongoing basis and assess at regular intervals whether change has happened and is being sustained, and that any assessment should be made publicly available, as noted in the Action Tracker Adopting the Socio-Economic Duty. Monitoring impact will be achieved in part through the updated EIA approach.
Councillor Grahl supported the proposal, noting that it would enshrine the rights of people who are most disenfranchised, and that it will be a new way of working for the council.
