The Equality Law Project aims to support frontline organisations to understand and use the Equality Act 2010. It will do so by:
Supporting frontline organisations to comply with equality law; and
Supporting frontline organisations to hold public authorities to account under equality law (health, education and criminal justice).
The Equality Act 2010 is the most fundamental overhaul of UK antidiscrimination and equality law. Its two main purposes are to 1) harmonise discrimination law and 2) strengthen the law to support progress on equality. The Equality Act has significant implications for frontline organisations and statutory bodies working within the voluntary and community sector.
The Act has come at a time when localism and Big Society agenda require citizens to be ‘active’ in influencing and shaping local priorities and services. In order to effectively represent and provide services to black, minority ethnic & refugee (BME&R) populations within this political context, frontline organisations must have a better understanding of the rights and opportunities as well as the obligations under the Equality Act.
Over the next two years the project will deliver training to 300 frontline organisations on the Equality Act, including holding public authorities to account under the Public Sector Equality Duty; gather statistics on race equality in the service areas of health, education, and criminal justice; develop FAQ pages; and support frontline organisations to hold public authorities to account in service delivery and the commissioning of services for BME&R populations.
Follow us on our website and on twitter for updates on upcoming events / training; law and policy and to learn from each other’s experience.
For further information please contact Poornima Karunacadacharan poornima@rota.org.uk.
Since the disastrous fire at Grenfell Tower in June 2017, serious questions have been raised about whether social housing residents are adequately involved in decisions which affect their homes. The London Assembly Housing Committee is investigating how social housing residents are involved in the management of their homes across London. Our Senior Policy Officer, Poornima Karunacadacharan,…
More than a third of BMER workers in the UK have faced bullying, abuse and racial discrimination by employers, while BMER young people in particular are much more likely to be underemployed and to find themselves in precarious employment (such as zero hours contracts) subject to short-notice hour-reductions. These worrying facts together with the fast-rise…
ROTA has developed a new online employment and anti-discrimination (Equality Law) legal support 'Search Tool' and we invite you to start using it now and to send us your feedback. You can use our searchable database to support your clients to find free legal advice and representation within local communities across the South East. Try…
On 20th November 2017, ROTA held a one day conference to explore multi-disciplinary approaches to tackling inequality at the intersections of race and class. At the conference we heard from legal experts on the domestic and international legislative framework protecting socio-economic rights. In addition to this, speakers also included those who have successfully used collective action…
The devastating fire at Grenfell Tower has cost at least 80 lives, destroyed livelihoods and traumatised survivors. It has exposed the stark inequality in housing provision in Britain, with Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups and migrants bearing the brunt of this injustice. Holding those responsible to account is vital. The ROTA Group and Bramley…
On 21st April 2017 ROTA was back in Birmingham for a seminar on BAME employment in the West Midlands. With Black people three times more likely to be unemployed in Birmingham than White British people, the seminar focused on the barriers and solutions to unequal employment outcomes. Co-hosted with local equality think tank BRAP, the…
On 28th March 2017 ROTA held its second seminar on employment rights. This was particularly poignant as Article 50 to exit the EU was triggered the next day. This government has done little, if anything at all to instil confidence that it will protect the rights of workers i.e. labour as opposed to protecting the…
As part of the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s initiative to identify effective approaches to tackling prejudice and unlawful behaviour, ROTA has requested an independent evaluation of the Equality Law Project. This evaluation which is conducted in partnership by the Runnymede Trust and Greenwich University, will enable us to demonstrate and evidence the value of the training and support we provide in using the Equality Act 2010.
On 15th November 2016 ROTA held the first of its series of workshops on the role of exploitation and discrimination within the workplace. The event was attended by 22 participants with presentations from Rosa Crawford of the TUC and Michael Reed of Free Representation Unit. Guest Speakers included: Michael Reed – Principal Legal Officer, Employment…
