Developing Discrimination Advice
Who's doing it?
This workstream is co-ordinated by the Law Centres Federation, but also involves other members of the Working Together for Advice Project. Citizens Advice and Advice UK are funded service providers for the workstream. The Advice Services Alliance is contributing as a non-funded service provider.
Why was this workstream developed?
The workstream was developed to meet needs and gaps identified from previous research into availability of discrimination advice within the advice sector.
What is its aim?
The overall aim of the discrimination workstream is to increase the availability of high quality discrimination advice to members of the public.
What are the expected outcomes of the workstream?
- Increased availability of high quality discrimination advice
- Influence EHRC to create a workable national discrimination advice training strategy
- Increased confidence and skills for advisors in the sector
- Ensuring clients don't fall through the net or are passed through the referral process incorrectly, leading to ineffective result
- Potentially thousands of people experiencing discrimination are either enabled to solve their problems by gaining knowledge and confidence to take action, or are supported by the advisors' action
- At least 1,700 frontline advice agencies will be empowered to reach further into our disadvantaged communities ensuring that 10% more people get the advice they need to turn their lives around
What has it achieved so far?
- Mapped provision of discrimination advice across England capturing up to date picture of level of provision of discrimination advice on the ground
- Identified gaps in discrimination advice provision in terms of subject and level
- Identified gaps in training and support available to discrimination advisors through seven regional focus groups
- Identified good practice case studies of discrimination advice referral arrangements and 5 referral network models. Developed workstream strategies on developing referral networks and training/ learning.
What about future plans?
- Workstream is piloting 6 discrimination advice referral network models between June 2009 and May 2010. (This is being done in 2 phases)
- As part of its training and learning strategy, workstream is piloting a mentoring scheme in partnership with Bar Pro-Bono Unit between July 2009 and June 2010.
- Workstream is piloting training in non-employment discrimination across 9 English regions between June 2009 and February 2010.
- Workstream is running 9 regional forums for discrimination advisors between September 2009 and May 2010.
Workstream strategies
Developing Discrimination Advice Strategy paper 1
Developing Discrimination Advice Strategy paper 2
Training courses
We are piloting three training courses. Places are currently available on our two generalist level courses, Identifying More Discrimination Issues and Advising Clients with Discrimination Issues, which are being run across the country. Please see the course information and booking form for more information.
Free Discrimination Advice courses
Pre-course reading
The pre-course reading for both the Identifying More Discrimination Issues and Advising Clients with Discrimination Issues courses is the Identifying Discrimination booklet.
Resources from Developing Discrimination Advice Regional Events
Between October 2009 and March 2010, the Developing Discrimination Advice Workstream held a regional event in each of the nine English regions. A report from these events will be available soon. Each event included workshops and presentations from guest speakers on a variety of discrimination advice issues. Below are a few of the resources from those workshops and presentations.
Discrimination in Employment – Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
Religion and belief- powerpoint presentation
Pregnancy and Maternity
Equalities Mediation Service
Equalities and Mediation
Human Rights and Discrimination – Liberty
Liberty presentation
Public Legal Education – Advicenow (Advice Services Alliance)
PLE Resources
How to plan an equalities PLEproject
Pro Bono Support for Discrimination Work – LawWorks
LawWorks presentation
Individual casework factsheet for clinics
Individual processes flowchart
Mediation Flyer
If you have any questions please contact Flora Williams at LCF
Work: 020 7842 0735 Mobile: 07590 050 898
