1. MAKING EQUALITIES COUNT 25 September 2013 Tracey Bignall (Race Equality Foundation) and Kristine Wellington (HCVS)

2. Agenda Tools to measure local authorities progress to reduce inequalities – Sonia Khan, London Borough of Hackney Exploring equalities within your organisation – Tracey Bignall, Race Equality Foundation Moving beyond equality and diversity policy – Kristine Wellington, Hackney CVS

3. Engage London programme Providing sustainability and capacity support to children, young people and family voluntary sector organisations. Through: leadership and coaching, policy support, safeguarding resources and training, targeted and thematic networks, support for representational structures, and other specialised training. Partners – Children England, Partnership for Young London and Race Equality Foundation http://www.childrenengland.org.uk/engagelondon/ Engage London

4. Equality Act 2010 Individuals, private, public and voluntary organisations and other bodies should not discriminate (treat someone unfairly) because of a protected characteristics. sex Age Disability Gender re-assignment Marriage and civil partnerships Pregnancy or maternity Race Religion or belief Sexual orientation Engage London

5. Public Sector Equality Duty The Act imposes positive obligations on public authorities in the exercise of it’s duty to have due regard to: a) eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation; b) advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it c) foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.’ Engage London (

6. What does this mean for VCS? If you carry out public functions you may be subject to the duty and funders may expect you to comply – provision, employment issues Has anyone been in such a situation? You could use the Equality duty to help advance goals with an equality focus You might use the duty if you feel a funder or public body has made a decision without considering the equality consequences – holding to account eg Southall Black Sisters case Engage London

7. You can work represent issues for ‘protected characteristics’ with the statutory sector to put strategies in place to help achieve positive changes for service users (also help statutory sector with existing duties). How? Which of the key aims /priorities of statutory body are relevant to your work? What can you offer? What evidence to you have to support your arguments Some solutions/suggestions for work Engage London

8. Exploring equalities within your organisation Governance Engage London G overnance Governance is the process of overseeing an organisation. It is about having overall responsibility. This involves ensuring that an organisation’s work contributes to its mission and purpose and its resources are used wisely and effectively.

9. A diverse board will????? Thinking about your board of trustees, how diverse are they in terms of: ethnicity, gender, age, disability? Some issues to think about Who is represented? How do you recruit Who is involved in decision making How are children and young people involved? Where are the equality gaps What can be done to look at diversity Does the board celebrate and value the contribution of people from diverse groups? What contribution could a more diverse board make to the success of your organisation? Be more responsive to the community it services Bring fresh perspectives to the way the organisation is governed Be more inclusive in the way it’s mission is fulfilled Engage London

10. Exploring equalities within your organisation Service provision Can you identify how addressing equality and diversity has helped you do well in your work? Who do you work with? Are there gaps in service users that can be addressed How do you demonstrate you are embedding equality and diversity in services, that you are inclusive and responsive to the needs of all children, young people and families? Representation –in relation to services users; local populations; and organisational structure. Participation – what ways do you enable or encourage children, young people and families to participate in your organisation? How do you address equality issues through participation in your organisation? Engage London

11. Progressing equality within your organisation What is your equality and diversity check list? How are you demonstrating your compliance? What systems are in place to monitor equality and diversity, and address any equality issues? Use quality assurance systems to assess – eg PQASSO standard on communications, user centred services and monitoring and evaluation What are the areas in your work that you want to look to address relating to equality and diversity? Engage London