•   Have you ever felt that the police stopped and searched you because of the colour of your skin?
  • Have you struggled to access public services because of a disability?
  • Have you experienced bullying or mistreatment because of your sexuality?
  • Have you ever been a refused services because of any other grounds protected by the Equality Act 2010?

The Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) is a piece of legislation which is designed to protect us from discrimination.  It combines a number of older pieces of legislation, such as the Disability Discrimination Act, Race Relations Act, Sex Discrimination Act etc. and makes sure that when public services are developed, that they take into account the following "protected characteristics": 

  • Race

  • Religion or Belief

  • Age

  • Sexual Orientation

  • Disability

  • Marriage and Civil Partnership

  • Gender

  • Pregnancy and Maternity

  • Gender Reassignment

 

The Public Sector Equality Duty is the only law designed to tackle institutional discrimination and make sure public services meet everyone’s needs. It’s a legacy of the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry which found institutional racism in the police was to blame for the botched murder investigation. 

The Equality Duty makes sense.  We all pay for public services and should all be able to benefit from them, and services that actually meet people’s needs are sound economic sense. 

 

Upcoming training

Using the Equality Act 2010 in Health and Education – Free two day training for organisations supporting Black, Minority Ethnic and Refugee (BME&R) communities.

 

What is the purpose of this website?

Within one year of the duty coming in to force, the Government decided that it needed to review the PSED. Although there have been assurances that the PSED will not be removed altogether, many people are concerned that a serious review is not possible after such a short period and that criticism of “red tape” is actually just an ideological attack on legislation which is designed to protect us.

This campaign is designed to show a commitment to the PSED and to challenge any efforts to undermine this important legal commitment.

 

Best Practice Case Studies

Each week ROTA will feature one best practice example of how the Equality Duty can lead to improved equality outcomes.  The case studies illustrate the importance of the Equality Duty in addressing institutional discrimination and advancing equality of opportunity. See the Best Practice Case Studies here. 

 

Help us protect the PSED!