This will help raise the profile of the CAB service as an agency committed to anti-racism. You can use some of the contacts suggested in this action guide to reach out to local communities. If this is the first time you have contacted your local REC, you may need to explain the role of the CAB service and what you can offer.
Contact your local Race Equality Council for details of support services for asylum seekers locally.
Partnership working
This section of the guide is an overview of some of the key partnership opportunities for CABx.
Some potential partnership opportunities for CABx
Talk to district/county councils about their plans for local regeneration schemes in light of recent reports. 26 Health Action Zones were established in 1999 to try to improve health in some of the most disadvantaged areas of the country. Regional Government Offices (GOs) GOs will gain a higher profile in furthering the government's priorities for social cohesion in the regions.
Many local crime reduction and community safety partnerships have developed as a result of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Your CLS regional planning and partnership team should raise awareness of the advice needs of black and ethnic minority communities. The Legal Services Commission is a public authority within the definition of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and therefore has the express duty to promote racial equality.
CSNs offer an opportunity for strategic planning of local consumer advice, ensuring that the needs of the whole community are addressed. Get a copy of the DTLR Action Plan and consider how it applies to your locality. Many local authorities will review their allocation policies in light of the Homelessness Bill and move towards a choice-based approach to letting.
15This section is a guide to participation in local multi-agency schemes to monitor
Racist incidents monitoring
CABx experience of racist incident monitoring schemes
Sandwell CAB is an active member of the Sandwell Racial Harassment Inter Agency Approach Group (SHIRAAG), which has a clear mandate. The group has both policy and action groups and a very clear work program that includes: tackling under-reporting of incidents; development of common monitoring systems; publicity and awareness; school exclusions; action against perpetrators and preventive work. Group members include: directors and heads of departments of local authorities; Criminal law authorities;. voluntary sector organisations, including the CAB, Victim Support, CVO, Mediation Service, the Sandwell Ethnic Minorities Umbrella Forum and other bodies. A multi-agency approach to monitoring racist incidents is also very important in rural areas: All 14 CABx in rural Suffolk are reporting centers and work with the Suffolk Multi-Agency Forum against Racist Harassment. They use a common reporting form. A CAB in Northern England reports a less than successful initiative: X Alliance Against Racial Harassment is a police initiative for reporting racial harassment. X CAB has agreed to prepare questionnaires and complete them as reporting agency. Unfortunately, since this started, they have not been able to gain access to relevant police personnel. Some members of the police force they approached were not even aware of the initiative. NACAB encourages CABx to become involved in local monitoring programs to help increase their effectiveness. NACAB would like all agencies to submit social policy evidence on racist incidents so that we can influence national and local policy more effectively. Are you involved with multiple agencies that deal with racist intimidation and reporting racist incidents? If this is not the case, please contact your local Race Equality Council, chief constable, victim services or local authority community safety manager. Is your multi-agency group working effectively? Establishing a monitoring system, but not investing in development, will be seen as a symbolic gesture by those parts of the community that experience racial harassment. Discuss what the group can do to be more effective. Then take the initiative and arrange one. Check the RaceActionNet website for examples of good practice. Read the Home Office guidance: Code of Practice;. reporting and recording racist incidents in response to Recommendation 15 of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report, April 2000. applies to all statutory, voluntary and community groups involved in multi-agency reporting and recording of racist incidents. The Code of Practice makes it clear that all agencies involved in multi-agency work must receive appropriate training. Everyone in the agency, including Trustee Board members, will need to have a common understanding of what constitutes a “racist incident.” The Code of Practice adopts the definition used in the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report. The definition is broad and is not limited solely to criminal offences. any incident that is experienced as racist by the victim or another person'. Recommendation 12, Stephen Lawrence Research Report). Copies of the Code of Practice can be found at (www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ppd/oppu/coderi.htm or on the NACAB Rural Race Equality website (www.oneworld.org.rrep/).
How should multi-agency partnerships work?
I feel uncomfortable sometimes at these meetings, but they are interesting and a valuable network and meeting point. The main dilemma for me of course is confidentiality versus wanting to help present the whole picture.
Other resources and agencies
Using the media
General media guidance
Launching the action guide
Social policy action
Maximising effectiveness of bureau evidence forms
It accepts the specific recommendations arising from the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry, particularly in relation to the need to include the police service in the provisions of the Act. The law covers all functions of the police, as well as the regulatory and executive functions of local authorities. When adopting policies and decisions on the provision of services, public authorities must ensure that these are fair and in accordance with the purposes of the law.
Although not currently listed as a public authority under the Act, NACAB is committed as an organization to the spirit of the legislation. NACAB will issue further guidance on the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 in BMIS. The Commission for Racial Equality has issued a Draft Statutory Code of Practice on the Duty to Promote Racial Equality. The final version of the code must be approved by Parliament and this is likely to be in May 2002. Copies of the Code of Practice and more guidance on the 2000 Act are available on the CRE website www.cre.gov.uk) . When engaging in partnerships such as Health Action Areas, Local Health Groups in Wales or local regeneration schemes etc, CABx must bear in mind that all public authorities involved in the partnership must consider how the overall duty to promote racial equality for partnership activities/objectives.
CABx will be able to use the provisions of the Act to emphasize the CAB service's role in promoting racial equality. CABx should also be able to contribute to and assess the effectiveness of local race equality schemes. CABx social policy work locally should be planned to evaluate the effectiveness of any local racial equality schemes.
Appendix A
The Race Relations Act of 1976 regulated the fight against discrimination in employment and training, the provision of goods and services, education and housing and other specific activities. The law also allowed individuals who had experienced discrimination to bring proceedings and claim compensation. In December 2001, the Minister of Foreign Affairs imposed specific tasks on various government agencies, including schools.
All public bodies, local authorities, government departments, police authorities and others will be required to publish Racial Equality. These public bodies will also have to monitor their recruitment practices and procedures and carry out ethnic surveillance. This action guide encourages CABx to work with various public authorities, including local authorities.
The legislative framework
CABx should request copies of the plans and ask if they can comment on them before May 2002. Towards Equality and Diversity' which outlines its proposals to take forward the implementation of the EC Directives on employment and race (www. dti.gov.uk/er/equality). Discrimination Acts alongside new legislation to make discrimination at work on the grounds of sex illegal.
The new legislation regarding race, sexual orientation and religion will come into force during 2003. There will be further opportunities to comment on the draft regulations before they are submitted to Parliament. It is therefore very important that CABx continues to send relevant evidence on discrimination issues to the Social Policy Department.
These key facts and figures have been extracted from the Commission for Racial Equality website www.cre.gov.uk For more detailed analysis of current data on racial equality see Racial Equality in Public Services, Home Affairs, February 2001.
Public services
The legal system
Housing
Education
Health
Employment
Appendix B
Key facts and figures
Appendix C Key reports
Minimum data content
Minimum data content required in respect of
Appendix D
27Victim details
Person reporting if different from victim details
Type of incident
Location
Geographic position/
Brief description of incident
Suspect(s)/offender details
Action relating to suspect/offender
29Advice columns are mainly intended
Appendix E Advice columns
So if you incur any expenses due to the harassment, for example for medical or counseling help, you should keep good records. If you wish to make a claim for discrimination (on the basis of race, gender or disability) at any stage of employment (including recruitment), you must apply to apply to an employment tribunal. Otherwise, the Citizens Advice Bureau will be able to advise on your options and help you prepare your case if you go to court.
If you are a union member, you should also tell your union what has happened and discuss with the union what action you should take and what outcome you can reasonably seek. If you experience further racism, or feel that the situation has not been dealt with effectively, then you may consider taking a case against your employer to the employment tribunal. You should seek advice from your Citizens Advice Bureau, or, if you are a member of a trade union, speak to your representative.
If you are unhappy with the lack of action or lack of information, you should inform the police. If you cannot find out if the incident is under investigation or if you are. If you want a copy of this record and do not get it on site, you must be told how to obtain it.
33These top ten tips are mainly intended
Top ten tips for employers on combating racism in the
Appendix F Top ten tips
Top ten tips to deal with racial harassment at your
35Top ten tips on dealing
Top ten tips on dealing with racial harassment at work
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