Equity and inclusion · Service review
Equity review for community services: questions to ask before a redesign
An equity review examines who can access a service, who encounters barriers and how proposed changes may affect people differently. It should inform the design while choices remain open.
Understand the review and its responsibilities
Clarify the service change, intended users and decision-maker. Determine whether the review is an organisational equity exercise or also needs to meet a specific requirement. For Victorian defined entities, check the Commission for Gender Equality’s guidance on when a gender impact assessment is required [1].
Keep the broader equity review and any formal assessment obligations clear in the brief. Identify the organisation’s responsible officer and current procedures. This article offers practice questions for scoping a review; it does not determine whether a particular proposal meets its legal obligations.
Follow the service from first contact to use
Map how a person finds information, establishes eligibility, books, attends and seeks help. At each step, ask what they must know, pay, provide or be able to do. Examine the proposed design as well as the current service.
An illustrative example is moving bookings online. The change may simplify access for some people while making it harder for those without suitable digital access or language support. Explore alternatives and support arrangements before assuming that one channel works for every user.
Examine differences without flattening experience
The Victorian Government’s inclusive engagement guidance considers the needs of different communities and an intersectional approach [2]. Use that guidance as a starting point for asking whose circumstances the review has overlooked. Avoid treating a broad group as having a single experience.
Review relevant service evidence and seek perspectives appropriate to the issue. Analyse access barriers and outcomes at a level the evidence supports, while protecting privacy. Where information is missing, record the uncertainty and consider whether a targeted conversation or design test can help.
Turn findings into options and checks
For each barrier, set out a possible response, who should consider it and what evidence would show improvement. Test proposed changes with affected people where appropriate. A revised form, booking route or session time may need several iterations before it is useful.
Document why an option was chosen and which risks or questions remain. Connect the review with implementation and monitoring rather than leaving it as a separate report. Soft Infrastructure can support equity and inclusion review through research, facilitated discussion and practical recommendations, with the organisation retaining responsibility for decisions and applicable requirements.
- Scope, accountability and applicable requirements are clear.
- The full service pathway is examined.
- Differences, information gaps and privacy are considered.
- Options, design testing and review measures are assigned.
Put this into practice
Equity and inclusion reviewSources and further reading
Sources checked 9 October 2026. Numbered references support the factual statements identified in the text. The suggested workflows and illustrative scenarios are Soft Infrastructure’s practice guidance.