This de-identification removes personal identifiers from the programme that carries a public authority's equality objectives. Those objectives sit under Equality Act 2010 s.149, and the specific duties regulations expect them to be published and reviewed at least every four years. anonym.plus marks names and identifiers on your device, so the objectives and target figures stay usable while named staff are shielded.
When this applies
An action plan is where a duty becomes a decision. Measures aimed at an under-represented group are lawful only within the limits Equality Act 2010 s.158 sets for positive action generally, and s.159 sets for recruitment and promotion, where a tie-break between equally qualified candidates is permitted but a quota is not. The document that records those measures also names the manager who owns each one, and often the small group it targets.
How anonym.plus handles it
- Open the document in anonym.plus on your device.
- The tool flags incumbents, IDs, and contacts.
- Local OCR reads a scanned page.
- Keep the objective text and target figures.
- Swap or black out the confirmed identifiers.
- Save the clean draft locally.
What you need to provide
- The action plan (XLSX export, PDF, DOCX).
- An operator (Replace keeps the layout aligned).
- Optional allow-list for objective codes.
PII entity types detected
| Category | anonym.plus entity type | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Names | PERSON | objective owner → [OWNER] |
| Identifiers | NATIONAL_ID | staff no. 33120 → [STAFF_ID] |
| NRP | NRP | target group → [GROUP] |
| Contact | EMAIL_ADDRESS | work email → [EMAIL] |
| Dates | DATE_TIME | review 2026 → [YEAR] |
| Organisation | ORGANIZATION | directorate → [DIR] |
Compliance achieved
- Supports the objectives set under Equality Act 2010 s.149, published and reviewed at least every four years under the specific duties regulations.
- Keeps positive-action measures readable within the limits s.158 sets generally and s.159 sets for recruitment and promotion.
- Preserves the target figures the s.149(1)(b) aim of advancing equality of opportunity is measured against.
- Removes named owners and staff IDs, which no reviewer of the objectives needs.
- Works towards the anonymity bar in UK GDPR Recital 26 where a target group is small.
Anonymise equality action plans offline — see plans & start free →
Limitations & cautions
The plan can name an owner or cite a target group small enough to point to one person. The tool flags named items. It does not judge whether a measure stays inside s.158 or s.159 — that assessment is yours.
Frequently asked questions
Why de-identify an equality action plan?
It names owners and often small target groups. Stripping those lets you circulate the objectives without identifiable staff data.
What are the limits on positive action?
Equality Act 2010 s.158 permits proportionate measures aimed at disadvantage or under-representation, and s.159 permits a tie-break in recruitment or promotion between equally qualified candidates. Quotas are not permitted.
Is the plan uploaded?
No. The app is fully offline, so the draft stays on your machine.