Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society

Improving Opportunity,
Strengthening Society
A third progress report on the Government’s strategy
for race equality and community cohesion
Volume 1
Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society
A third progress report on the Government’s strategy
for race equality and community cohesion
Volume 1
February 2009
Department for Communities and Local Government
Department for Communities and Local Government
Eland House
Bressenden Place
London
SW1E 5DU
Telephone: 020 7944 4400
Website: www.communities.gov.uk
© Crown Copyright, 2009
Copyright in the typographical arrangement rests with the Crown.
This publication, excluding logos, may be reproduced free of charge in any format or medium for research,
private study or for internal circulation within an organisation. This is subject to it being reproduced accurately
and not used in a misleading context. The material must be acknowledged as Crown copyright and the title of
the publication specified.
Any other use of the contents of this publication would require a copyright licence. Please apply for a Click-Use
Licence for core material at www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/system/online/pLogin.asp, or by writing to the Office of
Public Sector Information, Information Policy Team, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU.
e-mail: [email protected]
If you require this publication in an alternative format please email [email protected]
Communities and Local Government Publications

PO Box 236
Wetherby
West Yorkshire
LS23 7NB
Tel: 0300 123 1124
Fax: 0300 123 1125
Email: [email protected]
Online via the Communities and Local Government website: www.communities.gov.uk
75% This is printed on

75% recycled paper
February 2009
Ref. no. 08 RFC 05754
ISBN: 978-1-4098-1163-3
Contents – Volume 1
Foreword 4
Chapter 1: Executive Summary 7
Chapter 2: Reducing inequalities in public service 15
Chapter 3: Building cohesive communities 119
Chapter 4: The legal framework 155
Chapter 5: Working in partnership 165
Annex A: Victims Fund 2007-08 Recommended Grant Awards 179
Volume 2 – Race Equality in Public Services Statistical Report

(Under separate cover)
4 | Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society
Foreword
I am delighted to introduce the third and final progress
report on ‘Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society’.
Originally launched by the Home Secretary in January
2005, it was the first cross-government strategy to
increase race equality and improve community cohesion.
The strategy set out the Government’s commitment to
create a strong and cohesive society in which every
individual, whatever their racial or ethnic origin, is able to
fulfil their potential through the enjoyment of equal
opportunities, rights and responsibilities.
Since 2005, each successive year has seen gradual progress towards that commitment.
Members of minority ethnic groups are getting better outcomes from public services such
as hospitals, schools and universities; and the gap between the employment rate of the
ethnic minority population and the total population has been shrinking. Meanwhile, the
debate on community cohesion has reached a new level, with Government providing
targeted support to areas experiencing the biggest challenges bringing people of
different backgrounds together. And the inter-faith framework published in July 2008,
Face-to-Face and Side-by-Side, has already begun to stimulate inter-faith dialogue and
build understanding among people of faith and of none.
This progress is thanks not just to central Government and local authorities but also
voluntary and community organisations, whose crucial work at the grass roots makes all
our neighbourhoods stronger and fairer.
For all the progress, however, there remain some challenges: there are still too many
occasions when individuals feel held back because of who they are, still too many streets
and estates where there is no common understanding between people of different
backgrounds. The economic downturn throws these challenges into sharp relief. To
ensure that we can adapt our approach to take account of how far we have come, and
the changing nature of the challenges ahead, I will be consulting on a new strategic
approach to promote racial equality, building on the work done in Improving
Opportunity, Strengthening Society. This report highlights the challenges for the future;
the new strategy will help us to meet them.
Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government
Foreword | 5
Executive Summary | 7
Chapter 1
Executive Summary
Launched in January 2005, Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society sets out the
Government’s commitment to create strong cohesive communities in which every
individual, whatever their racial or ethnic origin, is able to fulfil their potential through
the enjoyment of equal opportunities, rights and responsibilities.
The strategy has two closely linked aims:

• to increase race equality; and
• to build community cohesion by helping people from different backgrounds get along
well together in their local area.
When the strategy was originally launched we promised to report back on its progress
and that is the purpose of this third and final progress report.
The structure of the report

Volume One of the report summarises the background to our work, our progress, and
the key challenges ahead. Volume 2 contains detailed statistical information, the seventh
in the series of reports on Race Equality in Public Services.
We would also like to thank all our partners at national, regional and local levels who
have contributed to this report and, more importantly, to deliver race equality and
community cohesion on the ground.
Equality across public services

As we noted in the second progress report, many members of Black, Asian and minority
ethnic communities are thriving in Britain today, but the picture is not uniform: there
are many improving trends and yet certain communities still suffer poorer outcomes in
education, health, employment, housing and the criminal justice system.
We are therefore working towards creating a society in which public services are
genuinely accessible to everyone regardless of racial or ethnic origin whilst also reflecting
the communities they serve. Chapter 2 sets out progress in achieving equality in public
services whilst also setting out the inequalities that remain and how we are addressing
these. We look at five key public services in turn; and some headlines for each are
summarised here:
Education
There has been good progress in ensuring that all children and young people, regardless
of background are able to fulfil their potential. Some minority ethnic groups continue
to outperform their peers significantly at school, while for others the achievement gap
remains wide. Across most minority ethnic groups there was an increase between 2003
and 2007 in the proportion of pupils who gained five or more A*-C grade GCSEs or
equivalent (in any subject) and new data from 2008 shows continuing improvement.
Teachers from minority ethnic groups made up 5.5 per cent of the teacher population in
2007, a rise from 4.7 per cent in 2004. There has been an increase in the proportion of
teachers from minority ethnic backgrounds in all English regions. The Department for
Children, Schools and Families is ensuring that schools and local partners reach out to
parents from all backgrounds to encourage them to foster a positive attitude to learning
in their children.
Although we believe we are making progress, we do not take that progress for granted
and we will continue to strive to improve outcomes for children and young people as
outlined in The Children’s Plan, building brighter futures and The Children’s Plan: One
Year On, published in December 2008, reporting on the progress and setting out the
next steps for 2009.
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills is working hard with its delivery
partners to ensure that further and higher education continue to deliver at a high level
and maintain their good reputation for engaging people from a diverse range of social
backgrounds. For example, in 2006-07, 19 per cent of students in further education
institutions came from a minority ethnic background.
Despite a great deal of excellent work to date we believe that we can, and must strive
for further improvement. For example, DIUS will support the use of high quality data
to enable further education institutions to compare themselves against others, and to
analyse take-up and success of their services from different communities. DIUS will also
work with the Learning and Skills Improvement Body to develop further guidance for the
sector to promote diversity, in the governing bodies and workforce of further education
colleges. We will continue to work hard to reduce barriers to disadvantaged groups
entering and succeeding in higher education. Action taken earlier in the education
system – in primary, secondary and further education - will play a key part in this.
The labour market
The Government’s key aim is to move towards an 80% employment rate and reduce and
then eliminate child poverty. The Welfare Reform White Paper - Raising expectations and
increasing support: reforming welfare for the future sets out how we plan to take our
proposals forward as part of our vision for a personalised welfare state, where support is
matched by higher expectation for all.
We will continue to work hard to close the gap in the labour market between people for
minority ethnic groups and the wider population. The gap between the employment rate
for the minority ethnic population and the total population has narrowed from around
19 percentage points in 1996 to around 14 percentage points in 2006-07.
The Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force, chaired by the Minister for Employment and
Welfare Reform, continues to oversee the Government’s strategy to reduce ethnic minority
employment disadvantage and is making good progress. The Business Commission’s
recommendations on race equality in the workplace have been largely accepted by the
Government and are being implemented by the Ethnic Minority Task Force.
Housing
We have made continuing progress over the past year as we have started to see the results
of our policies in action. We believe that everyone deserves decent affordable housing.
The number of Black and minority ethnic households accepted as homeless decreased
by 46% between 2003-04 and 2006-07. Rates of overcrowding and dissatisfaction with
housing have declined among the minority ethnic population since 1996-97.
The vast majority of local authorities have now completed Gypsy and Travellers
Accommodation Needs Assessments, which will help local authorities and regional
assemblies plan for, and meet, the accommodation needs of Gypsy and Travellers. In
2008-09, £21.5 million has been allocated across England through the Gypsy and Traveller
site grant that will deliver at least 120 additional pitches and support refurbishment works
at 32 sites.
We continue to make significant progress towards the target of making all social housing
decent and we are looking to achieve at least 95% by 2010 which will have a major
impact on minority ethnic households. Government policies over the last three years have
made a significant difference to improving the quality of housing, but more remains to
be done.
The main challenge in terms of housing policy is shortage of supply. Taking measured
action to address the housing shortages will be a key way to improve integration and
cohesion in some areas. The newly established Homes and Communities Agency
supports delivery of a strategic objective for the Department for Communities and Local
Government to improve the supply, environmental performance and quality of housing.
The Homes and Communities Agency will also ensure that local authorities will also
address issues such as neighbourhood renewal, community empowerment, and Black
and minority ethnic issues.
Health
We have made important progress over the last year working to strengthen our approach
to promoting race equality in health and social care and tackling inequalities. This report
explains that our actions to address the health needs of minority ethnic communities take
place in the context of the Government’s drive to increase healthy overall and reduce
inequalities to give everyone the same chance to lead a long and healthy life. We are
therefore focusing on the 70 local authority areas, known as Spearheads, with the worst
health and deprivation indicators.
The Department of Health’s strategy for meeting the needs of Black and minority ethnic
communities is to include race equality issues in all aspects of its work including policy
development, NHS and social care delivery and workforce issues. This principle is clearly
set out in the NHS Constitution for England published on 21 January 2009 and, in so
doing, the Department of Health aims to make real difference to Black and minority
ethnic people’s experience of the health service.
In many cases minority ethnic communities suffer disproportionately from certain health
conditions and the report outlines the work to tackle particular areas of inequality,
including, for example, the prevalence of diabetes among South Asians (which can be
up to five times that of the general population) and mental health and among Gypsies
and Travellers.
Screening plays a key role in reducing mortality and morbidity through early detection
and treatment. The Government has therefore commissioned a UK-wide project to
examine its role in more detail and make recommendation on what action is needed
to promote higher uptake of screening in groups with a low uptake.
The report sets out the challenges ahead including ensuring a firmer focus on compliance
with race equality duties and a range of measures to improve performance in conducting
and publishing race equality impact assessments.
The Criminal Justice System
We are continuing our work in building a criminal justice system that is fair and seen to
be fair by all members of our society. We are conscious that Black and minority ethnic
people can have a different experience of the criminal justice system to that of the wider
population. And we know that it is critical for long-term confidence in the criminal justice
system that the staff in the five criminal justice system agencies reflect the demographics
of the society they serve. We are therefore working hard to improve staff recruitment and
retention across the criminal justice system.
Disproportionality is a core issue for the criminal justice system and the report summarises
the work being done to tackle this, for example through efforts to monitor and analyse
disproportionality under Public Service Agreement 24.
In 2006-07, Black people were seven times more likely than White people to be stopped
and searched under section 1 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (1984). Asian
people were twice as likely as White people to be stopped and searched. This over-
representation is similar to 2005-06 and has increased since 2004-05. The criminal justice
system is working to ensure there is a steady decrease in the disproportionality in Stop
and Search through the national roll out of the Stop and Search Practice Oriented
Package which aims to develop an action plan to reduce unjustified disproportionality.
Between 2001 and 2007-08 perceptions of race discrimination in the courts, the Crown
Prosecution Service, the police, the prison service and the probation service improved
among minority ethnic communities. We are continuing efforts to recruit more police
officers from Black and minority ethnic communities. There has been slow but steady
progress.
The Citizenship Survey shows that the proportion of people from minority ethnic groups
who felt that they would be treated worse than other races by at least one of the five CJS
organisations is lower in 2007-08 (28%) than it was in 2001 (33%).
The Prison Service will continue its work on its Race Equality Action Plan while the report
of the review into race equality in prisons will help identify the work we need to do.
The ACPO Hate Crime Group and Race for Justice have produced an action plan in order
to build confidence among the victims of hate crime. We will work hard to ensure that
hate crime prosecutions reach court and that prosecution outcomes are successful.
We have started to see many positive and encouraging results. However we know that
we have more work to do particularly with understanding the issues surrounding
disproportionality.
Building cohesive communities

The report sets out the ways in which we are working towards building integration
and cohesion, including by creating a shared sense of belonging, tackling racism and
extremism, supporting areas experiencing challenges to cohesion and engaging with
faith communities.
Cohesion is not about being “the same” but about sharing the same values while
recognising diversity. It is about bringing people together at community level while
also engaging in wider civic life.
This work is underpinned by a cross-government Public Service Agreement (PSA 21)

announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in October 2007 to build cohesive,
empowered and active communities.
Britain is now a more diverse society than ever before and this has brought enormous
economic and social benefits. The challenge for the country is how best to draw on
these benefits and build strong and positive relations between people of different
backgrounds. Different local areas have different needs and priorities and these are
best devised and delivered at the local level.
Following the report of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion, Our Shared
Future, we have renewed our efforts to provide local authorities and the local
communities they serve with the investment and support they need to enable people in
their area to get on well together, build strong and positive relationships and a shared
sense of belonging. The Inter Faith framework published in July 2008, Face to Face and
Side by Side is helping to facilitate inter faith dialogue and social action and build
understanding among people of faith and of none.
Racism and extremism can quickly fuel community tensions and damage cohesion.
The Government is committed to tackling all hate crime and continues to fund projects
which focus on prevention. The Government has made significant progress against the
35 recommendations of the All Party parliamentary Inquiry into Antisemitism and will
continue to take practical, effective action to tackle antisemitism, Islamophobia and other
forms of racism and extremism.
The legal framework

This country has some of the most comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in
Europe, and we are strengthening it further. Following the extensive consultation carried
out under the Discrimination Law Review we will be introducing a new equality bill during
the current session of parliament. The Equality Bill will streamline and simplify the law,
for example by bringing all the equality legislation into a single Act and strengthening the
law, for example by introducing more expansive positive action provisions.
There is more on the legal framework in Chapter 4.
A partnership approach
The Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society strategy brings together a series of
practical actions involving government departments, organisations and individuals from
across the public, private and voluntary and community sectors. All have a role to play in
creating a society to which everyone can contribute and from which all can benefit.
To help achieve this, we want to be able to provide, wherever possible, a framework

that regions and local areas can tailor to meet the specific needs of their respective
communities. This process will help to meet the individual needs of particularly
disadvantaged communities rather than treating all minority ethnic communities
in the same way.
Chapter 5, therefore, sets out our progress in working with stakeholders at a regional
and local level and working with the voluntary and community sector. It also summarises
the work to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade and
the ongoing work to acknowledge the legacy of that abhorrent trade.
The Race Equality and Diversity Division Unit and the

Cohesion and Faiths Division
Progress on driving forward and delivering this strategy is led by the Race Equality and
Diversity Division and the Cohesion and Faiths Division based at the Department for
Communities and Local Government (CLG). We work closely with the Government
Equalities Office and other Government departments who are crucial to delivery and
who have provided much of the material for this report.
The Race Equality and Diversity Division is responsible for driving forward the
Government’s agenda to reduce race inequalities and tackle discrimination. The Cohesion
and Faiths Division works closely with regional Government Offices and local partners to
develop community cohesion plans for those areas at greatest risk; provides training on
leadership and conflict resolution and leads on engaging with faith communities.
The terms used in the report

Please note that in this report we use the terms ‘Black and minority ethnic’, ‘Black, Asian
and minority ethnic’, ‘minority ethnic’ and ‘ethnic minority’ interchangeably. We also try
to break down the different ethnic minority groups as far as possible. We recognise that
there is a growing number of White ethnic minorities and new communities whose needs
are not always explicitly identified. A continuing priority for us is, therefore, to consider
what data and evidence are needed to further improve our understanding of inequalities
experienced by different communities and to ensure that we address them effectively.
Chapter 2 Reducing inequalities in public services | 15
Chapter 2
Reducing inequalities in public services
This chapter looks at progress made in each of the key public services:
2.1 Education
2.2 The labour market
2.3 Housing
2.4 Health
2.5 The criminal justice system

2.1 Education
The background to our work

Early years and school
Since the last report the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) has made
good progress in ensuring that all children and young people, regardless of their
background, are able to fulfil their potential. The Children’s Plan, Building Brighter
Futures, published in December 2007, set out a vision to make England one of the best
places in the world for children and young people to grow up, with The Children’s Plan:
One Year On (December 2008) reporting on the progress made towards that vision and
setting out the next steps for 2009.1
The Children’s Plan, The Children’s Plan: One Year On, the strategy Every Child Matters,
and the creation of the DCSF mean that children, young people and families are placed
at the heart of government policies.
Although progress is being made, we know that there are still some
children and young people, often from disadvantaged backgrounds,
who are underachieving. The DCSF will continue to work to ensure
that every child has the best start in life and that no child or young
person is stuck or left behind.
1 www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/childrensplan/downloads/The_Childrens_Plan.pdf]
In 2007, around 22 per cent of pupils in maintained primary schools and

FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS
around 18 per cent in secondary schools were from a minority ethnic
background.
With the exception of Gypsy/Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage pupils,

the proportion of minority ethnic pupils achieving the equivalent of five
or more GCSEs at A*– C grades (in any subject) continued to improve
between 2003 and 2007.
Chinese pupils continue to perform considerably better than any other

group, with 83 per cent gaining five good GCSEs compared to a national
average of 59 per cent.
For Black Caribbean pupils, the trend has been particularly encouraging.
As the attainment gap narrows, the achievement of this group increased
by 16 percentage points: from 33 per cent in 2003 to 49 per cent in
2007.
The achievement of Black African pupils increased by 15 percentage

points: from 41 per cent in 2003 to 56 per cent in 2007.
The gap between Bangladeshi pupils and the national average remains
smaller than in 2003, with an increase of 12 percentage points between
2003 and 2007.
In 2007, just 16 per cent of Traveller of Irish Heritage pupils and 14 per
cent of Gypsy/Roma pupils achieved five or more A*–C grades (in any
subject) at GCSE, although there are very small numbers of pupils in both
these groups.
In 2007 in England, minority ethnic staff (in primary and secondary

schools) comprised 5.5 per cent of the teacher population, up from
4.7 per cent in 2004.
STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS:
New data for 2008, just published, provides encouraging evidence of
continuing improvement in educational attainment among Black and
minority ethnic pupils.
For example, the proportion of pupils achieving the equivalent of five or

more GCSEs at A*-C grades has improved significantly for a number of
minority ethnic groups over the past five years.
Chinese pupils continue to perform considerably better than any other

group, with 84 per cent gaining five good GCSEs in 2008 compared
to a national average of 64 per cent. Indian pupils also perform above
average, and Bangladeshi pupils, who were well behind a few years ago,
now perform at close to the national average. Remaining gaps for
Pakistani, Black and other pupils are narrowing.
For Black Caribbean pupils, the trend has been particularly encouraging.
As the attainment gap narrows, the achievement of this group increased
by 21 percentage points: from 33 per cent in 2003 to 54 per cent in 2008.
The achievement of Black African pupils increased by 19 percentage

points: from 41 per cent in 2003 to 60 per cent in 2008.
Bangladeshi pupils are now within one percentage point of closing the
gap with the average attainment, the proportion achieving this threshold
having increased by 17 percentage points: from 45 per cent in 2003 to
62 per cent in 2008.
In 2008, just 17 per cent of Traveller of Irish Heritage pupils and 16 per cent
of Gypsy/Roma pupils achieved five or more A*-C grades at GCSE,
although there are very small numbers of pupils in both these groups.
Further education, higher education and skills
The Department of Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) was also established in 2007
and brings together:
• skills, and further and higher education responsibilities from the Department for
Education and Skills; and
• science and innovation responsibilities from the former Department of Trade and
Industry.
DIUS is working with partners from the commercial, public and voluntary sectors to help
deliver the Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society strategy. DIUS aims to help
build social and community cohesion through improved social justice and civic
participation; and open up economic opportunities by raising aspirations and broadening
participation, progression and achievement in learning and skills.
Further and higher education are central to our continued success in research and a
driver of innovation in the workforce and the economy.
Our progress
Early Years and Sure Start
Evidence shows that the experience of children in their earliest years has a significant
impact on their life chances, and that high-quality support and early education can help
to reduce achievement gaps. Access to childcare is an important factor in developing
employment strategies which, in turn, help to lift families out of poverty.
Doing more in the early years
DCSF knows that high-quality early learning helps children to develop and gives them a
head start in primary school. Take-up of early learning and childcare, however, is lower
among minority ethnic groups and we need to do more to improve their access to these
opportunities, as well as to raise the quality of practice in early learning and childcare
settings.
DCSF is investing over £4billion between 2008 and 2011 to mainstream early childhood
services, so they are available nationwide alongside services for older school-age children.
The additional funding should help:

• provide a Sure Start Children’s Centre for every community
• provide outreach work to reach the most disadvantaged families
• ensure there is sufficient childcare in each local authority
• provide training and support for the Early Years workforce; and
• have a graduate Early Years Professional in every children’s centre by 2010 and in every
full-day care setting by 2015.
Our approach to reducing inequalities in children’s outcomes in the Early Years is based
on a universal provision that is capable of reaching out to all families, and is supported by
the regulatory framework for early education and childcare in the Childcare Act 2006.
The Childcare Act 2006 set in place important new duties on local authorities to:
• improve outcomes for all children, and reduce inequalities between them, through
integrated and accessible Early Years services
• secure sufficient childcare provision to meet local demand
• provide information to parents and early education and childcare providers; and
• reach out to those groups of parents who are less likely to take up childcare.
DCSF has produced a series of statutory guidance to support local authorities and their
partners in implementing these new duties. This includes Raising Standards – Improving
Outcomes, published in December 2007, which provides an overview of the Early Years’
provision effective from 1 April 2008.
Since our last report, and as part of the local authorities’ duty to provide integrated early
childhood services, the national roll-out of Sure Start Children’s Centres across the
country has continued. There are now around 2,900 centres in England, reaching some
2.3 million children. By 2010 there will be 3,500 children’s centres – one for every
community.
Sure Start Children’s Centres were first opened in the most disadvantaged areas of the
country to direct the resources where they were needed most. Ethnic minority
communities were over-represented in these areas. In the final phase of the national roll
out 2008-2010, children’s centres are being set up to serve the more affluent areas with
resources and activities tailored to meet their needs.
Guidance for Sure Start Children’s Centres, published in November 2006, includes:
• good practice in reaching and working with families: especially focusing on families
with disabled children, children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and children
from Black and minority ethnic groups including those from the Gypsy, Roma and
Traveller communities; and
• reporting on a range of performance management indicators, including the reach to

all minority ethnic communities.
An independent report, National Evaluation of Sure Start Impact Study, published in

March 2008, has found that Sure Start is beginning to have demonstrable benefits on
the lives of children and families, by helping to improve parenting and lay the
foundations for children’s well-being and future success. For example, children behave
better and are more independent if they live in areas with Sure Start, while parents have
more positive parenting skills and provide a better home learning environment. In
addition, the positive impact of Sure Start extends across the population sub-groups
including workless and/or lone parent households and teenage parent families.
www.ness.bbk.ac.uk/impact.asp
All three- and four-year-olds are now guaranteed 12.5 hours of free early education for
38 weeks a year for up to two years before reaching compulsory school age (the term
following their fifth birthday), rising to 15 hours by 2010. The 15 hours will be delivered
flexibly to allow parents to balance work and family commitments more easily. Twenty
pathfinder local authorities have been offering 15 hours of free early education since
April 2007 and will provide best practice models for other local authorities. A further 14
authorities started offering the extended entitlement from September 2008.
The Children’s Plan, Building Brighter Futures announced that The two-year-old pilot,
which started in 2006 with the objective of getting 12,000 disadvantaged two-year-olds
into childcare by March 2008, has been extended with an investment of £100million over
three years, so up to 20,000 disadvantaged children in the local authorities with the
highest levels of deprivation will receive free care.
The findings from the Effective Provision of Pre-school Education study highlighted the
importance of high-quality pre-school provision, together with a high-quality home
learning environment, for children’s subsequent attainment, as well as the need for a
continuing focus on literacy and numeracy.
www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/RRP/u013144/index.shtml
The DCSF’s National Strategies are working

with local authorities through targeted DCSF National Strategies
initiatives, (such as materials to support
children learning English as an Additional The National Strategies are a
Language, and supporting the achievements DCSF programme for raising
of boys) to improve practice in these areas; standards in primary and
and to involve more parents in their children’s secondary schools, and relate
learning and development. specifically to education.
The Early Years Foundation Stage (launched in March 2007), came into force in
September 2008. It sets out a comprehensive, single statutory framework for children’s
learning and development, through play, of all young children under five in early
education and childcare settings focused around the individual needs of children in early
education and childcare settings.
In addition, the DCSF also delivers a wide range of initiatives that supports quality
improvement and inclusive practice in Early Years settings:
Communicating Matters
Pack of training materials for Early Years staff in partnership with Speech and
Language therapists, to help promote the development of communications and
language for all children.
Together for Children Toolkit for reaching priority and excluded families
Set of materials to help children’s centres use outreach strategies to improve access to
services for families at risk of exclusion.
Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme

Universal programme aimed at developing all children’s social and emotional skills, and
encouraging children to treat others equally (currently used in primary schools but
available for Foundation Stage children in state nurseries).
Early Learning Partnerships Project (ELPP)

National project to engage and support hard to reach/vulnerable parents of children
aged one to three years at risk of learning delay to develop the ability to support their
children. The evaluation findings from this project were published at a national
conference on 25 June 2008.
ELPP complemented the work of the Parents as Partners in Early Learning (PPEL)
project, delivered by 41 local authority projects. PPEL focused on programmes that
aimed to involve parents with their children’s early learning in ways that would
positively impact on their children’s language, literacy, personal, social and emotional
development.
Bookstart
National programme which provides a free pack of books to babies and toddlers with
guidance materials for parents and carers (see below). Particular efforts are made by
local authorities to improve delivery of packs to harder to reach families, including
Traveller families.
Sure Start Gypsy, Roma and Traveller programme

Programme of training and awareness raising run by Save the Children through a
DCSF grant, focusing on strategies for outreach and practical techniques for use in
settings (see below).
Early Support Programme

Provision of information, guidance and training to professionals and parents to
improve the co-ordination and quality of services for children with more severe
disabilities during the Early Years. It is the Government’s recommended way of
delivering multi-agency services to young disabled children and their families.
Communications and guidance
DCSF has developed a communications toolkit with practical advice, case studies and
templates to help Sure Start Children’s Centres promote their services to parents and the
local community.
In our guidance for local authorities on the duty to provide information, advice and
assistance, we advise that Family Information Services (FIS) need to ensure that parents
understand the scope of the information that can be provided by Sure Start Children's
Centres and schools, ie whether the information can be provided direct to parents or
whether a referral to the FIS or to a specialist organisation is needed.
DCSF has made clear in the Sure Start Children's Centres Phase 3 planning and delivery
guidance that all centres must provide a universal level of services and information and
advice to parents/carers about a range of subjects including:
• local childcare providers
• looking after babies and young children; and
• local education services for three- and four-year olds.
In Extended Schools: Building on Experience (2007) we ask schools to provide parents

with information about nationally and locally available sources of information, advice and
support. Extended schools should also provide parents with information about the
additional facilities being offered, opening hours and, where appropriate, any charges.
To support parents in understanding their childcare choices and to highlight the financial
support that is available, the DCSF is running a national Affordable Childcare
communications campaign, which includes a specific strand for Black and minority ethnic
and hard-to-reach groups, including work with some Roma and Gypsy communities.
Latest figures show that there have been 150,000 responses since the campaign launch
in March 2007.
Well-qualified Early Years workforce
In order to secure the benefits for children of a well-qualified Early Years workforce led by
graduates, an investment of £305million (including the £57million additional funding
announced in the Children’s Plan) is going into the Graduate Leader Fund between 2008
and 2011. This sum includes a £73million investment in the supply of Early Years
Professionals through the Children’s Workforce Development Council (CWDC).
£232million of the investment will go to the settings channelled via local authorities.
The £57million additional funding is also intended to encourage the introduction of two
graduates in the most disadvantaged areas, where quality needs significant improvement.
Sure Start promoting cohesion
Our Sure Start Children’s Centres Phase 3 Planning and Delivery guidance, published in
November 2007, encourages local authorities to consider carefully how children’s centres
can help promote foster positive relations between different communities. It advises that
activities in Children’s Centres should enable all parents to get to know each other and
appreciate the diversity of their community, and that inter-centre activities can promote
better understanding of different ethnic backgrounds, faiths and cultures.
Doing better in school

The Children’s Plan, Building Brighter Futures sets out our commitment to narrowing,
and ultimately closing, the gap between the progress and attainment of children from
disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers. As schools become increasingly
sophisticated in making judgements about pupils’ progress in the classroom, and using
assessment data to track pupils, schools should be able to use this information to help
identify where there might be barriers beyond the classroom.
Some Black and minority ethnic groups are disproportionately more likely to be
disadvantaged and, on average, achieve lower results at school. Black Caribbean, Black
African and other Black pupils, those of Mixed White and Black Caribbean heritage,
Bangladeshi and Pakistani pupils perform below the national average at all Key Stages.
Although the gap between average results for White British pupils and almost all of the
other minority ethnic groups has been narrowing, pockets of under-attainment remain,
as well as some gender imbalances, within minority ethnic groups.
Tackling the exclusions gap for Black pupils
The disproportionate exclusion of Black pupils from school (the exclusions gap) is a
significant issue for Black communities, and early in 2006 the Department for Education
and Skills commissioned a priority review to examine the issue in depth.
Following the review, targeted measures were introduced with the aim of reducing
disproportionate exclusions. The measures include:
• working with selected local authorities and schools with high proportions of Black
Caribbean, and Mixed White and Black Caribbean pupils and helping them to take a
key role in developing suitable interventions; and
• developing guidance and effective practice materials on exclusions and ensuring these
are available to primary and secondary schools.
The materials are now complete and will be rolled out to National Strategies Regional
Advisers in February 2009. Drawing on the materials, the advisers will work with local
authorities and a member of the senior management team from schools, where the data
suggests there are disproportionate exclusions of Black Caribbean and Mixed White and
Black Caribbean pupils. We will be monitoring impact of the materials and the approach
through annually published data and feedback from the National Strategies.
Tackling racist bullying
Schools are under a statutory duty to determine measures to promote good behaviour,
respect for others and prevent all forms of bullying including racist bullying. DCSF
published detailed advice for schools in 2006 on how to prevent and tackle racist
bullying. For example, both the Safe and Learn guidance and the guidance on Bullying
Around Race, Religion and Culture advise schools to record all incidents of racist bullying,
and to report this information to their Local Authority via the school governing body.
DCSF have also recently announced plans to introduce a new statutory requirement for
schools to record all incidents of bullying between pupils. DCSF intend to consult on this
over the coming months and will consult specifically on whether schools should be
obliged to record incidents of racist bullying.
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils
Gypsies, Roma and Travellers are some of the most vulnerable and socially excluded
ethnic minority groups in Britain today. The overall health status of people from these
communities is relatively poor in comparison with other disadvantaged groups and very
poor compared with the general population.
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children often fail to achieve the minimum levels of literacy
and numeracy. Prejudice is seen as the main reason for these communities failing to
realise their potential economically.
As mentioned above, the DCSF is funding Save the Children to deliver the Gypsy, Roma
and Traveller Early Years Education Project.
Save the Children has developed a toolkit and an Outreach Practice Guidance targeted at
children’s centres, nurseries, social workers and health professionals. Save the Children
are also working to establish a European Practice Exchange about services that are
available in Europe for the Roma community.
CASE STUDY
Consultation is a continuing dialogue
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller groups are among the most marginalised in
society, and are sometimes excluded from Early Years services. ‘A lot of
gypsies and travellers don’t know what Sure Start is and haven’t had
these opportunities,’ explains Romany Gypsy, Gloria Buckley, site
manager of the Roundwell Park traveller site just outside Norwich.
Gloria is clear about the best way to consult: ‘The only way is to go and
ask. Go on an encampment with someone from the local traveller liaison
group or traveller education support service. If you haven’t got that
luxury, go by yourself and explain what you’re about.’
Community nursery nurse Louise Leftley, of Bowthorpe and West

Earlham Sure Start Children’s Centre on the outskirts of Norwich, works
with Roundwell. She has used regular visits and positive experiences such
as fun days and play sessions in a caravan to build relationships.
Consultation is a continuing dialogue. ‘We go and speak to the travellers
about everything we offer,’ says Louise. ‘Once you’ve built a relationship,
then people will tell you what they really think.’
Raising participation levels
Over the past few years, working closely with Traveller Education Support Services, the
DCSF has successfully raised the levels of participation of Gypsy, Roma and Traveller
children in Early Years and primary education. However, attendance remains generally
low; and the gains in primary education have not been mirrored in the secondary sector.
There are continued concerns about the number of children who drop out of the
education system before transferring to secondary school or very early on in their
secondary school experience. Ofsted reports have stated that there could be as many as
12,000 Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children not in secondary school.
The E- Learning and Mobility Project (ELAMP)
Good quality distance learning opportunities are essential for children who travel for part
of the school year. The DCSF is working with 45 local authorities on the e-learning and
mobility project ELAMP. Laptops and datacards are used together with learning materials.
Children keep in close contact with their teachers and peers. Evidence has shown that
with e-learning:
• motivation increases
• achievement is improved; and
• pupils re-integrate far more easily when they return to school.
The DCSF is also piloting a virtual learning environment for disaffected and excluded
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children to offer accredited wider key skills and encourage
them back to learning.
ELAMP has been bringing e-supported distance learning and home access to highly
mobile Traveller pupils since 2004 and the motivation, engagement and achievement
outcomes are encouraging. Parents, students and schools appreciate the impact the
project has had on educational opportunities for the participants and are enthusiastic to
see it continue.
ELAMP: STRAND B
In 2006-07 ELAMP was expanded to over 300 students with a similar number of school-
age siblings also making use of the facility.
Strand B developed a web-based learning environment at Key Stage 4 for Gypsies and
Travellers, who had disengaged from education. This also proved to be an encouraging
development with the majority of pupils involved gaining successful results in the first
level of a Wider Key Skills GCSE. This will assist with the overall aim of encouraging these
pupils to re-engage at further education level.
ELAMP: STRAND C
Strand C is working to develop:
• learning agreements
• a training programme for parents in the effective support of distance learning; and
• guidance on quality distance learning.
Strand C is also making capital funding available to Traveller Education Support Services
with a focus on IT.
CASE STUDY
Roundwood School builds community cohesion
Roundwood School is a village school in Gawcott, Buckinghamshire with
a 16-plot Traveller site in its catchment area. The site was built as an
unauthorised development.
The school, led by the head teacher, made sure that the Travellers were
welcomed into the school community. The children received a sound
induction and settled successfully. The school’s ethos ensures that
Traveller families are treated the same way as all other families.
The head teacher and staff continued to engage with the Traveller
families, which resulted in their full participation at school events including
parents’ evenings, attendance at assemblies and the PTA social events.
There is an awareness that some Traveller parents have low literacy skills
which hinder their access to school communication. School staff support
these parents in a subtle and professional manner, ensuring they do not
feel singled out. This has proved very successful and parents are
confident in being able to ask for help.
As a result, relationships between the site and the local community
flourished. This community cohesion and support was evident when the
Traveller families were granted planning permission for three and a half
years. It is expected that this site will be made permanent at the end of
this period.
The Head has ensured that the school staff’s knowledge and
understanding of the Traveller community is good, by engaging with the
local Traveller Education Service (METAS) who provided training for all
teachers and support assistants. The staff actively use resources that
reflect Traveller culture to ensure the children feel a sense of belonging
and to promote understanding within the settled community.
To increase her own understanding of Traveller lifestyle, the head teacher
also spent a day with METAS at Stow Fair last year and is sending two
members of staff to the next fair.
Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month
The DCSF has endorsed a national Gypsy, Roma and Traveller History Month, the first of
which took place in June 2008.
Gypsies, Roma and Travellers are the largest ethnic minority community in the European
Union with over 12 million people. In the UK, they are recognised ethnic minority
communities and number 300,000.
It is hoped that History Month will become an annual event to help raise awareness
about these communities and their valuable contribution to society and to offset the
negative stereotyping and prejudices that have led to a situation in which:
• The Children’s Society report that nearly nine out of every ten children and young
people from a Gypsy background have suffered racial abuse and nearly two-thirds
have also been bullied or physically attacked. (November Report 2007)
• The achievement levels of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities are the lowest
of any of the Black and minority ethnic communities and the gap is widening
(December 2007, DCSF national figures).
Engaging with parents

Parental influence is the single most important factor in shaping the children’s well-being,
achievements and prospects. We want to create conditions where more parents can
engage as partners in their children’s learning and development, from birth, during
school and into youth.
Parental engagement is a more significant influence on attainment than quality of school

during the primary years, and remains significant up to the age of 16.
We are working hard to help schools and local partners reach out to parents from all
backgrounds and encourage them to foster a positive attitude to learning in their
children. In March 2007, we published Every Parent Matters, setting out the work that is
being done to promote the development of services for parents and parents’ involvement
in shaping services, including:
CASE STUDY
A parents’ crew to spread the word

The leadership team in one Sure Start children’s centre had worked hard
to employ staff from local minority ethnic groups as a way of
encouraging wider engagement. Another centre used a “parents’ crew”,
which included other carers, to knock on doors to spread the word in the
community about what the centre could provide.
Through experience and surveys, the centre had found that ‘word of
mouth’ was the most effective way of engaging non-users.
Family Learning
The Children’s Plan committed an additional £30million for family learning programmes
over the three years 2008-11. The plan provides for developing and strengthening family
learning programmes to meet national and local priorities, to increase the number of
hard to reach families engaged in learning, including families at risk, and support
progression and qualification achievement where possible.
NATIONAL ACADEMY FOR PARENTING PRACTITIONERS

The National Academy for Parenting Practitioners was established in November 2007 to
improve the quality of parenting support by training practitioners who work in Sure Start
Children’s Centres, schools, Youth Offending Teams, voluntary and community groups
and other family services.
The academy will train parenting practitioners from December 2008 to March 2010 to
deliver high-quality, evidence-based parenting skills courses. The academy will:
• provide a range of training opportunities to give practitioners a secure grounding in
evidence-based research including: post-training support for those delivering evidence-
based programmes; and one day workshops covering good practice in working with
Black and minority ethnic parents, good practice in engaging and working with fathers,
and good practice in working with parents who substance misuse; and
• lead a programme of research to help practitioners deliver more effective services.
PARENTING COMMISSIONER
In 2006-07, local authorities were asked to appoint a Parenting Commissioner to
champion the provision of services for parents and to have responsibility for:
• assessing the need for parenting support
• identifying gaps in services
• developing the parenting strategy; and
• ensuring that parenting support is appropriately reflected in the Children and Young
People’s Plan.
In 2006, the DfES also published guidance for local authorities called Parenting Support
which describes the approach needed to develop a strategy. This was followed up by a
£7.5million Parenting Support Strategy Grant.
Every Parent Matters described the government’s commitment to support the

development of a wide range of services for parents to access. Local authorities will be at
the heart of planning and delivering these services.
www.teachernet.gov.uk/_doc/11184/6937_DFES_Every_Parent_Matters_FINAL_
PDF_as_published_130307.pdf
CASE STUDY
PARENT KNOW-HOW
Happy school days
Michael got the school place he really wanted for his son, James, with
the help of the Advisory Centre for Education (ACE).
‘I called ACE when we were choosing my son’s secondary school because I
really wanted him to go to a particular school, and I needed help.
‘James is 11 and a very gifted mathematician. I was worried that it may be
difficult to find somewhere where he would get the encouragement he
needed, but still to be treated like the 11-year-old he is. We went to see six
schools and settled on one where I felt he would receive the right support, keep
up his friendships and do well.
‘The school was likely to be oversubscribed and I was worried we would end up
in the appeals process, so I called ACE.
‘The adviser I spoke to took a real interest straightaway. I felt she understood
and was on my side. That was very reassuring. She went out of her way to find
information for me, for example she looked up the school’s admissions criteria
for us. The adviser even showed what I had written to a solicitor at ACE and
gave me comments and advice.’
Family Teamwork
YoungMinds Parents’ Information Service helped John and Maria
support their 14-year-old son Matt through a depression.
‘One of Matt’s friends had died in a road accident a year earlier. He was really
angry a lot of the time and said he hated his younger brothers. He was really
fed up at school as well, and said he was rubbish at everything although he is
actually very bright. He was spending more and more time on the computer
too, which was worrying us.
‘When I called the helpline, the adviser was really reassuring. He thought it would
be helpful to talk to the GP about Matt, but he also gave me some website
addresses for young people, as Matt might find it easier to get help in that way,
and some details of local young people’s counselling services. He also told us
about the callback service, where a professional calls you to give more advice.
‘A professional adviser from YoungMinds called us and spoke to us both. She
talked about ways of calming things down at home, with agreed limits to
behaviour. We could reward good behaviour and make sure Matt got time to
himself doing things he liked.
‘She suggested we could also talk to the school about how to motivate him in
class and make sure they knew what was going on at home. The adviser made
us feel a lot better about the situation and said that our caring attitude to Matt
would help our family to get through this difficult time.
‘A month later, things have moved on a lot for Matt. He found the websites for
young people very helpful, and he agreed that he wasn’t happy and did need help.
‘We have spoken to the school too, which was helpful. We can see the light at
the end of the tunnel – things are getting better for the whole family.’
Parenting Practitioners and new parenting experts announced in The Children’s Plan,
Building Brighter Futures will support those parents who are struggling to manage their
children’s behaviour and tackle broader risk factors. By improving parenting skills and
improving children’s behaviour, the programmes help improve family life and reduce
anti-social behaviour, which in turn helps benefit the wider community.
LOCAL AUTHORITIES TO PROVIDE WIDER FAMILIES INFORMATION SERVICES

Under the Childcare Act 2006, Children’s Information Services have become Families
Information Services.
Local authorities have a duty to provide a wider range of information to parents than in
the past, including information about health, leisure and education services.
Statutory guidance about the broader information duty was published in February 2008
and the legislation came into effect on 1 April 2008.
Parent Know-How
In April 2008 the DCSF launched Parent Know-How, a programme designed to deliver
better outcomes for children and parents. It aims to ensure parents have access to the
information, advice and guidance they need to support them in their parenting role.
It includes support through:
• telephone helplines
• a range of new channels, like text messaging, online messaging and social networking
tools
• printed content in magazines and newspapers that reaches parents who would prefer
not to use telephone helplines or the internet; and
• a new web search interface, to be launched in autumn 2009, for parents, and those
working with them, to find information about local and national sources of parenting
support.
BOOKSTART TO FOSTER LOVE OF BOOKS AND READING

Recent evidence shows that 30 per cent of parents do not read with their children. As
mentioned above, to encourage parents to share books with their children and foster a
lifelong love of reading, we are funding Booktrust to provide free Bookstart book packs
for parents of all children in England between six to nine months; and at 18 months and
three years old. Children will also receive free books at key transitional periods:
• on entering reception (Booktime)
• on entering Year 7 in secondary school (Booked Up).
Parent support advisers
The Government has been piloting Parent Support Advisers in schools in 20 local
authorities. The emerging positive findings from the pilot have led to funding for all local
authorities to make available Parent Support Advisers to even more parents. Parent
Support Advisers are usually school based and support parents at the first sign of
problems particularly around behaviour or attendance.
New duty on school governing bodies to listen to parents
Since 2007, the governing bodies of all maintained schools have a duty to have regard
for views expressed by parents of registered pupils at the school.
As part of the Ofsted school inspection, all schools have to demonstrate that they listen
to and take on board the views of their parents.
It is for individual schools to decide how and when to ask for the views of parents but
there are important milestones such as:
• the start of primary school
• the transfer to secondary school; and
• the start of each key stage when parents will wish to be closely involved in their
children’s education.
Governing bodies should have mechanisms in place to enable parents to put forward
their views about their children’s education.
We have encouraged all schools to review their current arrangements and to consider
enhancing them by setting up a Parent Council. A resource pack was made available in
September 2007 for those schools considering a Parent Council.
PARENTS GROUP/PANEL
The Children’s Plan sets out the commitment to provide a voice for parents at the heart of
Government by setting up a new national Parents’ Panel for England. Pending the
establishment of the Parents Panel, we have been running a series of meetings with 36
parents who were involved in consultations on the Children’s Plan. This “Parents Group”
has met three times and given Ministers an opportunity to participate in discussion with
parents on a wide range of topics. These have included parents as partners in education,
the Youth Alcohol Action Plan, Youth Crime and the Child Health Action Plan. Parents
views will help shape and influence developing policy and inform the development of
local services.
ONLINE REPORTING TO PARENTS

We also expect schools will move towards regular online reporting to parents on their
children’s behaviour, attendance and attainment. We expect all secondary schools to
have arrangements in place that meet the need of the school and parents by 2010 and
all primary schools to have arrangements in place by 2012.
PARENT HELD RECORD

In order to fulfil their responsibilities, parents need timely and meaningful information
about their child’s development. To help with this, the Department for Children Schools
and Families are working with the Department of Health and the Royal College of
Paediatrics and Child Health to expand the content of the Red Book (Personal Child
Health Record) for children aged 0-5 to include additional information so that it better
reflects the updated Child Health Promotion Programme (CHPP) and the contribution of
Early Years services. For school aged children, from autumn 2009 the DCSF plans to run a
pilot to assess the impact, benefits, risks and safeguards of an online parent-centred
service that combines information and records related to a child's well-being, learning
and development in one place.
Further education
The further education (FE) system has a good reputation for engaging people from a
diverse range of social backgrounds and communities.
DIUS has had considerable success with a number of initiatives designed to fully integrate
our approach to equality and diversity across all areas of policy and delivery.
This includes undertaking Equality Impact Assessments for example of all adult skills
policies, as well as specific programmes designed to raise awareness of programmes and
policies amongst all groups.
The national ‘Our Future - It’s in Our Hands’ skills campaign was launched in June 2007.
Its aim is to encourage all individuals and employers to realise the individual and business
benefits of skills development and make the most of opportunities available. The
campaign resonated particularly well with hard-to-reach audiences, with 69 per cent of
BME audiences saying they felt the campaign made them ‘more likely to think about
doing a training course’. However, the overarching principle has been to create one
campaign accessible to all rather than to isolate specific audiences and to communicate
to them in a discrete way. Thus, the campaign brings traditionally under-represented
groups into the mainstream focus and shows their pride in their achievements; an older
woman in Skills for Life conquering her fear of maths, a young Afro-Caribbean male in
EMA confidently choosing his own way in life, and workless/lone parents demonstrating
how they have been helped to achieve a success in life which they never thought
possible.
The National Learner Panel was established in November 2006 to give learners a say in
the development of further education at national level. Members span the age range
17 to 67, are from diverse backgrounds, and are studying a wide range of subjects in very
different settings.
Ofsted, the body responsible for inspecting provision, includes a focus on equality and
diversity in its inspections. This offers a ‘graded judgement’ on how successfully the
leadership and management of an institution promotes equality of opportunity and

tackle discrimination, including the monitoring and effectiveness of their equal
opportunities policies.
Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) of Adult Skills Policies
DIUS and the Learning and Skills Council’s Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) of Adult
Skills policies, analysed by age, disability, gender and race, was published in June 2007.
As far as possible at the time, the EQIA considered the recommendations of the Leitch
Review of Skills. The overall assessment was positive, and nothing was shown to be
discriminatory.
To support our overall approach to delivering the Adult Skills Strategy, the department
has established an Equalities Network, which includes representation from the Equality
and Human Rights Commission, to advise on equality and diversity across the strategy
and, with DCSF, to inform 14-19 reforms.
The aim is to ensure that equality is embedded into all programmes and initiatives,
including action by partners and other government departments.
National Improvement Strategy
The National Improvement Strategy is a first for further education. It sets out the vision
for a further education system that attracts young people and adults to learn and equip
them with the skills and knowledge they need for work and personal fulfilment.
A key part of the strategy is to ensure that all learners in further education are able to
access high-quality education and training and reduce the gaps in success rates between
different ethnic groups, as well as measures to increase the diversity of the Further
Education workforce and management. The gap between overall success rates of those
of ethnic minority learners has narrowed and success rates in the sector continue to rise;
and there are more excellent colleges and providers. There is now 78 per cent provider
awareness of the National Improvement Strategy and 56 per cent of providers state that
the strategy is supporting them to continuously improve.
However, for some learners, including certain Black and minority ethnic groups and those
learners with disabilities or learning difficulties, the picture is sometimes less positive,
even though the gap is closing on success rates.
The gap between the overall success rate and that of ethnic minority learners has
narrowed. However, although all groups have raised success rates, the gap between
Black Caribbean/Black Other and the other Black and minority ethnic groups persist.
The Learning and Skills Improvement Service is working actively to promote tolerance in
further education and have developed a range of tools and best practice examples to
help the sector to embed equality and diversity.
Skills For Life: The National Strategy for Improving Adult Basic Skills
Good literacy, language and numeracy skills are vital for life, work and social inclusion,
and for progression in learning and employment. Skills for Life is the national strategy for
improving adult literacy, language and numeracy skills – also known as ‘adult basic skills’
– and offers free training in literacy and numeracy up to Level 2 (equivalent to a GCSE at
grades A* to C.)
It is a successful strategy that has transformed the teaching of adult basic literacy,
language and numeracy skills in England. Since its launch in 2001, 5.7million adult
learners have taken up 12million Skills for Life learning opportunities. Our Public Service
Agreement (PSA) target to improve the literacy, language and numeracy skills of
2.25million adults by 2010 was met in June 2008: two years early.
Our long-term ambition is for 95 per cent of adults with functional literacy/numeracy
skills by 2020, up from 85 per cent literacy and 79 per cent numeracy in 2005.
Apprenticeships
There are now 180 different apprenticeships on offer across 80 different sectors. We are
working to address inequality in apprenticeships by including:
• positive action for under-represented learners
• pilots to drive a ‘critical mass’ of under-represented learners in certain regions and
sectors to encourage more applications
• ‘Super-mentors’ with relevant experience to support under-represented apprentices;
and
• better enforcement of contractual wage regulations set by the LSC, pending the
results of the investigation of apprenticeship wages by the Low Pay Commission.
We are bringing forward a range of further proposals to try and help improve diversity in
Apprenticeships as we expand the programme. Increasing the number of
Apprenticeships for those aged 25 or over will benefit under-represented learners, such
as Black and minority ethnic groups that tend to enter the labour force later.
The Government will ask the National Apprenticeships Service (NAS) to implement a
programme of positive action. In particular, the NAS will manage pilots to focus on the
specific regions and sectors that demonstrate the greatest inequalities, with the intention
of boosting under-represented learners on Apprenticeships in these areas.
Train to Gain
The Train to Gain service provides impartial, independent advice on training to businesses
across England. It helps businesses improve their productivity and competitiveness by
ensuring that employees have the right skills to do the best job. This programme has
been successful in engaging people from Black and minority ethnic groups often less
likely to have access to training opportunities.
Seventy-two per cent of employers benefiting from Train to Gain are classified as ‘hard to
reach’, and 12 per cent of learners have come from Black and minority ethnic groups. For
example, a pilot project in London offers women from Black and minority ethnic groups
and other disadvantaged communities, the opportunity to train for a Level 3 qualification
in non-traditional sectors. Train to Gain is also reaching older learners. Around a third are
aged over 45 and a small number are over 65.
Through Train to Gain, impartial skills brokers work with employers to identify their skills
needs and help them access a tailored solution that best suits them, including publicly-
funded training for priority groups such as low-skilled employees or some people
returning to work. Skills brokers are expected to achieve a new skills brokering standard
within a year of being appointed, which includes knowledge of equality issues such as:
anti-discrimination legislation; good human resource practice; and the needs of Black
and minority ethnic-led businesses. There are also specialist third sector brokers across
England.
Since January 2008, organisations have been able to access support to upskill volunteers
working for them, on the same basis as paid staff. The Train to Gain Plan for Growth,
announced in November 2007, includes additional public funding for unemployed
people from priority groups recruited by an employer and in need of re-training. DIUS
continues to work with the LSC and the Office of the Third Sector to promote Train to
Gain to third sector organisations, by developing tailor-made brochures for the sector, in
a language that suits their organisation, and attending third sector conferences to
introduce this service to the sector.
In January 2009, additional funding and support became available for the third sector
organisations that employ fewer than 250 employees. Funding is now available for bite-
sized chunks of learning in business critical areas such as:
• business improvement
• business systems and processes
• team-working and communications
• sales and marketing
• IT
• customer service
• new product design
• finance and credit
• cash flow and profit making and risk management.
New brochures are being published in February 2009 to update the sector about these
flexibilities.
The Black Leadership Initiative
The Black Leadership Initiative (BLI) works to provide further education staff from Black
and minority ethnic communities with personal development opportunities, equipping
them with the skills they need to realise career progression.
The BLI is housed within the Network for Black Professionals (NBP). The BLI has designed
and delivered a range of positive action programmes for the Learning and Skills sector,
including: secondments; work shadowing; mentoring and coaching; career development
workshops; and leadership and management programmes.
Headline figures include:

• 1,080 participations on BLI programmes (except Leadership & Management) from
pilot phase in 2002 through to 2007-08
• In 2007-08 alone, there were over 300 participations
• The BLI has 264 trained mentors available to provide support to Black and minority
ethnic colleagues working in the sector, of whom 80 are either Principals and Chief
Executives of colleges, sector agencies and other stakeholder organisations
• 405 participants on Leadership and Management programmes since 2005-06:
– 368 First Steps to Leadership participants – a programme for aspiring and first line
managers from the Learning & Skills sector including FE, ACL, VCS and local
authorities
– 10 Next Steps in Leadership participants – for middle managers in FE
– 27 High Fliers participants – for senior managers in FE.
• Within the further education college sector there are now eight Black and minority
ethnic principals, double the number in 2002, of whom five have been promoted after
benefiting from the BLI. In the broader sector, there are three principals who were
originally in further education colleges
• Over 70 per cent of BLI participants have seen a significant improvement in their
career and many have achieved external or internal promotion.
Higher education
Progress across higher education
DIUS is working hard with its delivery partners to ensure that higher education remains
an ever-improving national asset, whose excellence in teaching and research is
recognised around the world.
Diversity is an essential component of our higher education system, both in the range of
providers and learners.
A brief summary of the work we do includes:

• Student finance strategy: to transform the student finance delivery service to ensure
everyone with the potential to progress into higher education has the financial
support to do so
• Higher education strategy and implementation: to widen access to higher
education, teaching and learning – working with and through the Higher Education
Funding Council for England
• Sponsorship of HEFCE, Student Loans Company, and Office for Fair Access
• Opening up new progression routes to Higher Education by stimulating more
interest and engagement from schools to the workplace. We are working with
employers, universities and the DCSF to encourage more graduates to acquire the
language skills and cultural awareness to thrive in a global marketplace.
The Government’s record in supporting diversity in the participation of students in higher

education is strong. Members of Black and minority ethnic communities are represented
across higher education in greater numbers than their presence in the population in
general. In 2006-07, 19.6 per cent of students with a known ethnicity came from
minority ethnic backgrounds.
HIGH LEVEL SKILLS STRATEGY

The Higher Education at Work – High Skills: High Value skill strategy (April 2008)
complements the Innovation White Paper: Innovation Nation (March 2008) and the
Enterprise Strategy, Enterprise – Unlocking the UK’s Talent (March 2008) by positioning
Britain as a key knowledge economy at the forefront of 21st century innovation and
enterprise. These strategies set out DIUS proposals for working with partners to create
the right conditions and incentives to meet national, employer and student demand for
high level skills and so meet the challenges of global competition.
A key driver of the High Level Skills Strategy is that it will bring into higher education
people (in the workforce) who might not previously have considered it. Underpinning this
is a desire to give everyone the opportunity to develop their work-related skills and
talents throughout their lives, so that we have both a world-beating workforce and a
society where no one is left behind.
The strategy will help meet the Leitch ambition that at least 40 per cent of the adult
working age population is qualified to Level 4 or above by 2020. The High Level Skills
Strategy consultation Higher Education at Work – High Skills: High Value was launched
with an initial equality impact assessment on 14 April 2008.
RESEARCH INTO WHETHER ETHNICITY AFFECTS DEGREE ATTAINMENT

Following a Race Equality Impact Assessment in 2006 to examine the impact of DIUS
policies across higher education, and to help determine whether additional action may
be needed to support equality across all ethnic groups, the department carried out
research on whether ethnicity had an effect on degree attainment over and above other
factors such as age, prior attainment or socio-economic background.
The results showed that being from a minority ethnic group (with the exceptions of the
groups: Other Black, Mixed and Other) was still found to have a statistically significant
and negative effect on degree attainment.
The findings from this research prompted DIUS, the Higher Education Funding Council
for England and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to commission the
Higher Education Academy and Equality Challenge Unit (UCU), supported by Universities
UK and GuildHE, to work with English and Welsh higher education institutions to
investigate the types of institutional practice that can have a positive and/or negative
effect on degree attainment according to ethnicity and, to a lesser extent, gender.
The report from this project outlines key good practice recommendations for higher
education institutions on, amongst other things, data collection and analysis and also
ensuring clear connections between teaching and learning activity and equal opportunity
principles. DIUS are continuing to support the sector’s work on addressing differential
degree attainment between students from minority ethnic and White backgrounds, and
women and men.
The Higher Education Academy and Equality Challenge Unit have produced a report on
the outcomes from this project, available:
www.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/detail/ethnicity_Degree_Attainment_project
NATIONAL STUDENT FORUM

DIUS established the National Student Forum to strengthen the student voice at the heart
of the policy-making process. Forum members are nominated by student representative
and advocacy groups, working with DIUS to ensure that the membership broadly
represents the diversity of the student population.
Gateways to the Professions
Through the Gateways to the Professions Development Fund, in partnership with others,
the department worked with a number of professional bodies to try out new approaches
to improve graduate level access and retention.
DIUS supported 24 projects which address access to the professions and themes such as:
• equality and diversity
• widening participation
• flexible learning routes; and
• access to information.
This work included funding a research project which sought to understand how
professions create barriers to the progression of candidates from minority ethnic
communities.
More information is available at :
www.dfes.gov.uk/hegateway/hereform/gatewaystotheprofessions/index.cfm
Science and innovation

INNOVATION NATION
Government can foster innovation but it is only people who can create a nation where British
businesses and people can benefit from the new opportunities and prosperity they create.
DIUS has refreshed its approach to increasing awareness of scientific research and its
innovative applications, reflected in the publication of a new Innovation strategy:
Innovation Nation in March 2008; as well as the Consultation on Science and Society
launched in July 2008.
DIUS is responsible for the development, funding and performance management of the
research and science base across the United Kingdom, so that the UK continues to
develop a world-class research base responsive to users and the economy, with
sustainable and financially strong universities and public laboratories; and a strong supply
of scientists, engineers and technologists.
Our work is supported and delivered through:

• the Research Councils Research Careers (UKRC) and Diversity Unit – DIUS is
encouraging diversity within the scientific research workforce, particularly increasing
the involvement of women and ethnic minority groups in science and its governance.
The Unit is working with the sector on the EU Charter for researchers and the Code of
Conduct for the recruitment of researchers and the revision to the Concordat to
support the Career Development of researchers.
• the UK Resource Centre (UKRC) for Women in Science, Engineering,
Technology (SET) is working with employers and women returners to improve the
position of women in SET employment and to have an increased number of women
on public bodies. UKRC have made links with over 70 major employers. We also
encourage STEMNET to increase the numbers of science and engineering ambassadors
who are female and from ethnic minority groups
• the Research Councils Science in Society Unit DIUS are increasing the opportunities
for people of all ages and all sectors of society to engage with research and
researchers and encourage more young people to pursue science studies beyond
16 years of age
• work with European partners to promote equality and diversity issues in
science. Two equality-related initiatives within the EU research sphere are:
– the development of an open European labour market for researchers free from
discrimination and the encouragement of groups currently less engaged; and
– research, under the Science in Society programme, into equality issues.
Research Councils
Research Councils are the public bodies charged with investing taxpayers’
money in science and research in the UK in order to advance knowledge and
generate new ideas which can be used to create wealth and drive
improvements in quality of life.
There are currently seven Research Councils:
1. Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
2. Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
3. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
4. Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
5. Medical Research Council (MRC)
6. Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
7. Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
THE RESEARCH COUNCILS

The seven Research Councils are committed to enhancing the quality and output of the
UK research base through training the next generation of world-class researchers. The
councils are also striving to attract the best students into research careers and ensure that
ethnic minority groups are fully represented.
The Research Councils UK (RCUK) have set up the Research Careers and Diversity Unit
which works alongside the seven Councils to deliver the five aims of the RCUK Research
Careers and Diversity Strategy, one of which is to promote diversity within the research
workforce at all levels and in the governance of research.
A new concordat was developed by the UK Higher Education Sector Working Group,
co-ordinated by the RCUK, and was launched in June 2008. One of the seven principles
of the concordat aims to promote and encourage diversity and equality in all aspects of
the recruitment and career management of researchers. It encourages employers of
researchers to aim for a representative balance of gender, disability, ethnicity and age at
all levels of staff, including at supervisory and managerial level.
STEM-net: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS NETWORK

The Government-funded Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics network
(STEMNET) co-ordinates the highly-successful Science and Engineering Ambassadors
(SEAs) programme in which 18,000 SEAs act as role models and encourage young people
to pursue STEM subjects. The Government also provided £1.5million from 2005-08 for a
pilot scheme to engage the most under-represented Black and minority ethnic
schoolchildren, specifically those of Caribbean, Pakistani and Bangladeshi origin, to get
involved in STEM activities.
Although this funding has now ceased, there is a commitment in the Comprehensive
Spending Review period 2008-2011 period to improve the diversity of SEAs and
encourage more schools to benefit from the SEAs ambassadors; and STEMNET will
continue to target all traditionally under-represented groups to ensure their increased
participation.
UK RESOURCE CENTRE FOR WOMEN IN SET (UKRC)

The government-funded UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering,
Technology (UKRC) works to improve the participation of women in science, engineering
and technology in academia, research and industry, is committed to ensuring that
experiences of women, and significantly ethnic minority and migrant women, are taken
into account when targeting and delivering services.
Key challenges ahead for education

Although we believe we are making progress, we do not take that progress for granted
and we will continue to strive to improve outcomes for children and young people as
outlined in The Children’s Plan, Building Brighter Futures.
Early Years and Sure Start
Over the coming year, the roll-out of Sure Start Children’s Centres will continue, with a
strong emphasis on the development of effective services to reach the most
disadvantaged families. Additional funding allocated from 2008 will enable local
authorities to fund two additional outreach workers in all children’s centres in the most
disadvantaged areas to work with specific groups such as fathers, teenage parents, and
families from Black and minority ethnic groups to ensure they access the services they
need. The Children’s Plan outlines how we will further improve outreach services:
• by establishing core principles and standards for an effective and comprehensive
outreach service
• supporting the service with training materials and courses; and
• providing additional funding for up to 5,000 practitioners to take up new training
opportunities.
We have also asked children’s centre leaders to continue to put a new focus on reaching
out to the most disadvantaged communities. To help with this we issued the Everyone’s
Welcome booklet in March 2008, bringing together good practice in how Sure Start
Children’s Centres can reach out to Black and minority ethnic families.
Doing better in school
Public Service Agreement 11 commits us to continue to work at narrowing the gap in

educational achievement between children from low income and disadvantaged
backgrounds and their peers.
Traveller, Gypsy and Roma communities
THE E-LEARNING AND MOBILITY PROJECT (ELAMP)

Our aims for the ELAMP project moving forward are to:
• continue consolidation and expansion by the current partners in Strands A and B to
recruit further partners in both Strands A and B
• extend the engagement with local authorities, schools and others to encourage
embedding of ELAMP
• continue to develop the work with parents to encourage stronger and more effective
relationships with schools and better quality distance and family learning with
effective supervision and monitoring
• to continue to monitor the progress of the new projects supported through Strand C
of ELAMP.
Engaging with parents
We continue to make progress in narrowing the attainment gap for different groups.
However, the persistence of an attainment gap and the lack of progress shown by some
groups highlights that more action needs to be taken if all children and young people are
to achieve their potential. The Children’s Plan sets out some of these actions, including:
• setting out and consulting on a new relationship between parents and schools
• spending £30million over the next three years to provide more family learning to help
parents and carers develop skills and learn with their children in schools; Sure Start
Children’s Centres and voluntary sector venues
• build on the £144million already allocated over the next three years in the Every Child
a Reader and Every Child Counts programmes to provide intensive support to children
• review of the primary curriculum by Sir Jim Rose in order to ensure that there is more
time for the basics, greater flexibility for other subjects, time to learn a modern foreign
language, and a smoother transition from the early years into primary schools
• provide additional support for specific groups who are currently underperforming.
Further and higher education
Despite a great deal of excellent work to date, we believe we can, and must, do more
and keep striving to do it better.
FURTHER EDUCATION
Among other key actions, DIUS will support the use of high quality data to enable
institutions to compare themselves against others, and to analyse the take-up and
success of their services from different communities;
We will work with the Learning and Skills Improvement Body to develop further guidance
for the sector to promote diversity within the governing bodies and workforce of further
education colleges.
We will also encourage the LSCs use of local Equality and Diversity Impact Measures to
enable each local LSC to target provision at under-represented groups;
Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) will take forward actions to increase the diversity of the
Further Education workforce as identified in the Further Education Workforce Strategy
published in December 2007.
We will continue to work with the four advisory groups that we have established to
improve the diversity of the further education workforce including the Workforce Race
Advisory Group;
We aim to bring together key experts who have informed the development of the
Further Education Workforce Strategy and to advise and work with the Race Advisory
Group;
“World Class Skills: implementing the Leitch Review of Skills in England” sets out
ambitious plans to expand Train to Gain. Funding will increase from around £520million
in 2007-08 to over £1billion in 2010-11. We will continue to offer training to all those in
the workplace, placing particular focus on those low-skilled groups traditionally under-
represented in workplace training.
HIGHER EDUCATION
Actions to support specific groups need to be seen in the context of actions to reduce a
range of barriers to any disadvantaged groups entering and succeeding in higher
education.
Improving participation and achievement rates across different groups is a priority. We

are committed to increasing and widening participation in higher education, so that
people from all backgrounds are able and willing to apply successfully to the university or
course – including where competition is fiercest – that best fits their talent, potential and
ambitions.
As well as increasing aspirations through programmes like Aim Higher the critical
determining issue for participation in higher education is prior attainment. It is therefore
critical that action is taken earlier in the education system, in primary, secondary and
further education, to have a positive impact in higher education participation patterns.
SCIENCE AND INNOVATION

DIUS is committed to a number of actions to promote greater equality and diversity
across the innovation, science and innovation community. We believe these will improve
the awareness of and confidence in scientific research and encourage more people to
translate ideas into successful applications that benefit society as a whole.
Our overarching strategic priority in relation to equality and diversity in this area is to
engage all sections of society in the science agenda, to help build awareness and interest
and increase public awareness and interest in science-related activities. Within this
agenda we will seek to:
• increase and strengthen the level of high-quality public engagement on all major
science issues
• increase access to science, technology, engineering and maths
• ensure that the science and research base is underpinned with the right skills and that
it draws in and uses everyone’s talents regardless of their background.
2.2 The Labour Market

The Government’s key aims are to move towards an 80 per cent employment rate and
reduce and then eliminate child poverty. There is overwhelming evidence that
employment is good for people’s health and well-being; and good for society.
The Welfare Reform White Paper – “Raising expectations and increasing support:
reforming welfare for the future”, sets out how we plan to take our proposals forward as
part of our vision for a personalised welfare state, where more support is matched by
higher expectations for all.
We have achieved much, but to make further progress also requires a transformation in
the way we deliver the support to individuals that helps them take-up and progress
through work.
We will continue to work hard to close the gap in the labour market between ethnic
minority people and the population at large. The gap between the employment rate of
ethnic minority population and the total population has narrowed from around
19 percentage points in 1996 to around 14 percentage points in 2006-07. However, we
are conscious that more needs to be done to close the gap further.
Historically during recessions the employment prospects of ethnic minorities have been
hit hard. During the early 1990s the employment rate gap rose by 5 percentage points
and took several years to recover.
But we cannot predict the impact from the current recession. We are starting from a
different point and there is no reason why the current recession will bear any resemblance
to the last one. We must continue to improve our existing schemes.
Tackling ethnic minority disadvantage
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has a Public Service Agreement (PSA)
target with an indicator to improve the employment rate of ethnic minority people and
significantly reduce the difference between the employment rate overall and that of
ethnic minorities.
The DWP has three strategic priorities to meet this target:

• tackling discrimination and promoting equality
• effective local, targeted interventions; and
• ensuring Jobcentre Plus and mainstream welfare-to-work policies and programmes
deliver for ethnic minorities.
Most ethnic minorities find employment through the mainstream services of Jobcentre Plus.
Previously the DWP piloted a number of programmes to tackle the ethnic minority
employment gap. However, in 2007 the DWP introduced new ways of tackling worklessness
by devolving decision making and funding to local levels to offer local solutions.
The City Strategy and Working Neighbourhoods Fund will enable local areas to decide
how to tackle worklessness most effectively as funding is targeted on those areas with
high labour market disadvantage.
Our progress
In 20072, the ethnic minority employment rate stood at 60.7 per cent, an increase of 0.4
percentage points on the previous year and an increase of 1.4 percentage points since 2005.
There have been wide variations in employment rates between different ethnic groups.
Since the PSA baseline, all ethnic minority groups except Indians and Black Caribbeans have
seen increases in their employment rates, with Black Africans seeing the highest increase.
The Government has strengthened anti-discrimination law over the past ten years and is
introducing the new Equality Bill to consolidate and strengthen this framework. However,
legislative solutions are only an important first step: we want to work with employers to
help them tackle discrimination in the workplace.
Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force
The Ethnic Minority Employment Task Force (EMETF) oversees the Government’s strategy
to reduce ethnic minority employment disadvantage. It was set up in 2003 to implement
the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit report on ethnic minorities and the labour market.
The EMETF is chaired by the Minister for Employment and Welfare Reform comprises of:
• HM Treasury
• The Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
• The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills
• Communities and Local Government
• The Cabinet Office
• Government Equalities Office
• Home Office.
Other key stakeholders are also a part of the Task Force including the:
• Chair of Ethnic Minority Advisory Group (EMAG)
• Confederation of British Industry (CBI)
2 Labour Force Survey (LFS) four quarter average to third calendar quarter, 2007
• Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

• London Development Agency (LDA)
• Local Government Association (LGA)
• Trades Union Congress (TUC).
The Task Force is supported by an advisory group which includes representatives from the
third sector, academia and business.
The priorities are:

• positive action to tackle discrimination
• ensuring that government mainstream programmes are set up to be effective for
ethnic minorities; and
• effective local targeted interventions
The sections below set out progress against the priorities.
Public procurement to promote equality
The DWP has been working with other government departments to promote greater use
of public procurement to promote equality in the labour market.
Procurement might involve buying equipment and services such as IT or catering; or

supporting frontline services, such as training for jobseekers and routine medical operations.
The work described in last year’s report to test the impact of equality conditions in
contracts has continued. All new DWP contracts require the contractor:
• not to discriminate directly or indirectly on grounds of race, disability, age, sexual
orientation, religion or belief
• to promote equality of opportunity for and good relations between all persons
irrespective of their race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief;
and to take steps to ensure subcontractors assist in this
• to comply with and take steps to ensure subcontractors comply with our agreed
harassment, equality, staff diversity training, and supplier diversity policies
• report annually on the proportion of women, disabled people and ethnic minorities
within the workforce and supply chain; and
• report annually on the number of ethnic minority enterprises, and small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs), within their supply chain.
The Institute for Employment Studies is currently carrying out an evaluation of the impact
of these conditions on the contracting departments and their contractors. The final
evaluation report is due to be published in late spring 2009.
BUSINESS COMMISSION
In 2006 the National Employment Panel established a commission of senior business
leaders from the private sector, led by Gordon Pell of the Royal Bank of Scotland, to
advise the Government on policies and practical measures to increase the recruitment,
retention and progression of ethnic minorities in the private sector.
The commission published its last report called 60/76 Race Equality in the Workplace in
October 20073. The title reflects the percentage in the gap between the employment rate
of ethnic minorities at 60 per cent and that of White people at 76 per cent.
The report made 13 recommendations aimed at business and the Government. Two of
the commission’s recommendations are for the Equality and Human Rights Commission.
The Government’s response issued in July 2008 largely supports the commission’s
recommendations.
The EMETF will be responsible for implementing the rest of the recommendations
accepted by the Government and will report annually on progress.
We shall take forward many of the Business Commission’s recommendations and

continue the work of the Ethnic Minority Task Force to reduce inequalities.
City Strategy and other local initiatives
CITY STRATEGY
Alongside the measures in the 2007 Welfare Reform Green Paper, the City Strategy has
developed a new partnership through the creation of local consortia to provide the drive
and focus for local efforts to increase employment rates, particularly in disadvantaged,
employment-deprived wards, and among disadvantaged groups including those from
ethnic minorities.
Fifteen pathfinder areas are testing how this approach can be successful in:
• delegating more authority to local areas
• engaging employers more closely
• integrating service delivery; and
• increasing programme flexibility to allow consortia to develop new programmes which
are tailored to suit the needs of local people and employers.
All the pathfinder areas have agreed two standard targets for the initial two year period:
• an additional three per cent reduction in the numbers of working age benefits; and
• an equivalent increase in the employment rate to March 2009.
3 www.dwp.gov.uk/ndpb/nep-pdfs/BusCommissionReport.pdf
Targets are currently being negotiated for the period 2009-11, taking into account the
changing economic climate. The 13 City Strategy Pathfinders that have a significant
ethnic minority population are committed to reducing the gap between the ethnic
minority employment rate and the overall rate.
The City Strategy provides the opportunity for local areas to improve support for the
most disadvantaged in their communities through innovative programme design and
better aligning of funds and activity. In order to further test partnership working in
delivering welfare reform, and indicating the Government’s commitment to text flexible
local programmes, our support to the 15 City Strategy Pathfinders has been extended for
up to an additional two years – 2009-10 and 2010-11.
We are committed to working with the successful areas to make as much progress as we
can towards delivering their vision. This is a real opportunity to make inroads into the
remaining areas of deprivation in the UK, particularly in the major cities. We are exploring
how the learning can best be taken forward through the new Local Area Agreements
(LAAs) and Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs).
City Strategy Facts Box

FACTS FACTS FACTS
The DWP is providing the pathfinders with £32million in 2007-08 and

£33million in 2008-09 from the Deprived Areas Fund (DAF).7.
The 15 pathfinders cover 718 wards in total. Nationally, Ethnic Minorities

comprise 10.1 per cent of the working age population. However 45 per
cent of the total working age ethnic minority population live in the City
Strategy areas. The proportion of the population in each City Strategy
area varies widely, from 47 per cent in East London to just over 1 per cent
in Heads of the Valley and Rhyl Pathfinders.
The Pathfinders have proved successful and the initiative has been
extended to 2010-11. Additional £5million of seed corn funding will be
available for the extension.
We will draw on the skills and expertise of our partners across the public, private and
voluntary sectors, including what is being learned from the emerging City Strategy
Pathfinders to deliver high-quality and innovative services that are sensitive to locals’
needs and demand-led.
CASE STUDY
Woodberry Down
As a City Strategy Pathfinder, Woodberry Down was chosen as a pilot
scheme for the London Borough of Hackney’s Ways into Work project,
which aims to help people in hard-to-reach communities into the labour
market. The funding enabled Hackney Homes to recruit a full-time
outreach worker, with strong links to the Turkish and Kurdish community
in the area, to help more than 180 residents attend advice and guidance
sessions about work, training and skills. The sessions will be located in a
Single Point of Access centre within the heart of the community and the
outreach worker will be the first point of contact for local residents
looking to get into work.
ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL)

One-third of a million (336,000) people in the United Kingdom (of whom 146,000 are in
London) cite language difficulties as being an issue in keeping or finding a job.
Most ESOL funding is routed through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The projected
spend in 2007-08 is £265million and Jobcentre Plus customers have priority access to the
LSC’s ESOL provision. Some ESOL provision is also procured locally by Jobcentre Plus using
funds from the European Social Fund (ESF).
Projected numbers of learners accessing the LSCs ESOL provision in 2007-08 is 275,000.
Free tuition is focused on priority groups, including unemployed people and people in
receipt of income-based benefits.
The 2007 Budget announced £11.4million to pilot short, work-focused approaches to

ESOL courses in the London City Strategy Pathfinder areas for parents on benefits or tax
credits. Phase I contracts started in December 2008 and Phase 2 will be February 2009.
The pilot will run until the end of March 2011.
WORKING NEIGHBOURHOODS FUND

The new Working Neighbourhoods Fund (WNF) has been created through a merger of
the DWPs Deprived Areas Fund and CLGs Neighbourhood Renewal Fund to tackle
worklessness in England’s most deprived areas.
Worth £1.5billion over the period 2008 to 2011, the WNF has been allocated to local
authorities covering 44 per cent of the ethnic minority working population (compared
with 27 per cent of the total working population), in some of the areas with the highest
ethnic minority unemployment in the country including Bradford, Birmingham and a
number of inner London boroughs. Over 50 per cent of workless ethnic minorities live in
Working Neighbourhoods Fund wards.
PARTNERS’ OUTREACH FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES (POEM)

POEM was a two year project beginning in March 2007; it has now been extended to
April 2009. An outreach service delivered by the private, voluntary and community
sectors, POEM is operating in 430 wards in six cities: London, Manchester, Birmingham,
Leicester, Bradford and Leeds. The aim is to support the non-working partners from low-
income households by focusing on outreach as the most effective way of engaging with
this group.
The main target groups are Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Somali people who neither work
nor claim benefits, and who live with partners who are on low incomes.
The aim is to provide culturally-sensitive support that helps overcome barriers to work,
which may include:
• family and carer responsibilities
• language and skill barriers
• resistance from family and community, arising from religious and cultural traditions
• lack of accessible and affordable childcare
• artificial or discriminatory barriers to employment
• lack of access to jobs that are culturally acceptable and that offer flexible working
patterns; and
• lack of work experience, interview skills and no knowledge of how to look for work.
Between March 2007 and December 2008 over 8,730 people were engaged on the
programme. Of these 2,364 have started work.
The 2012 Olympics

Jobcentre Plus is recruitment partner
Jobcentre Plus signed a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with the Olympic Delivery
Authority (ODA) in December 2007 which positions Jobcentre Plus as a key recruitment
partner of the ODA.
The SLA covers all contracts awarded by the ODA both within the Olympic Park and
nationally. Arrangements have also been put in place for Jobcentre Plus to handle
vacancies arising at the Stratford City and Olympic Village sites. A Co-ordination Team
has been established which has been managing Olympic vacancies since February 2008.
The five host boroughs: Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, Hackney, Newham and Waltham
Forest which also comprise the East and South East London City Strategy Partnership,
signed complementary agreements with the ODA in February 2008.
CASE STUDY
POEM in action: Shaida’s Story

POEM offers support, advice, training and employment solutions across
the 13 deprived wards of Bradford and six deprived wards of Leeds. The
project delivers the service from a highly-visible mobile unit and fixed
premises in the two cities and through the use of established and trusted
community locations/networks of employment and non-employment
related services.
Talent Recruitment has successfully placed over 80 people into work in

the first year that POEM has been going.
A friend recommended the POEM service to Shaida after a ‘door

knocking’ campaign in the residential Toller area of Bradford.
Shaida is married and did not have good English language skills. Her
husband was working intermittently due to an accident and Shaida
desperately wanted to help increase the family income and future
security.
Shaida had a strong desire to improve her language skills to enable her to
integrate better within the wider community. Shaida also expressed
feelings of isolation – she was reluctant to use public transport – and a
lack of confidence and self-esteem which had led to depression. She
hoped for a work environment with a Pakistani dimension.
Following Talent Recruitment’s recommendation, Shaida took up a

literacy course during which time contact was maintained with her.
Attending all the activities on offer, Shaida’s commitment to progress
through the project was clear. When a suitable job opportunity in the
local school was identified, she accepted help in completing the
application form and in doing role plays for her interview.
Shaida was offered the job at the school, where the majority of the
pupils are of Pakistani origin. She can walk to work and earns over £6.00
an hour. Shaida is now much happier and her family is in a more secure
financial position.
The SLA will give Jobcentre Plus access to some 20,000 construction jobs on all the
Olympic sites, including those outside London. Discussions have already taken place with
contractors based in Bournemouth and Weymouth. Potentially, this equates to 120,000
vacancies (including turnover) in the run-up to the 2012 Games. By June 2008 there
were some 2,500 people working on the Olympic site, just over 500 of whom had been
placed by Jobcentre Plus and the five host borough job brokerages.
In addition, we envisage that the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games
(LOCOG) will join the agreement as the Games draw closer with around a further 3,000
jobs for staging the Games. After the Games, the ODA will work with Jobcentre Plus to
bring the venues into their legacy state.
The Employer Accord
The Employer Accord has a target of assisting 5,000 disadvantaged people from across
London back into work. It is envisaged that this target will become part of the Local
Employment Partnerships’ target and that the Employer Accord’s work will be aimed at
the most disadvantaged, including ethnic minority people, and those furthest removed
from the labour market.
Personal Best Programme
It is estimated that the 2012 Olympic Games will require around 70,000 volunteers. The
Personal Best Programme (PBP) will offer an NVQ Level 1 in Volunteering for those who
are most disadvantaged and furthest from the labour market including ethnic minorities.
It has been agreed that 10 per cent of the volunteers will be PBP graduates. Phase 2 of
the pilot is now underway and in the boroughs where the programme is running is
offering around 650 places for the period up to July 2008. Jobcentre Plus representatives
(who are the partnership managers) and the PBP advisers have agreed local arrangements
for referrals onto the PBP.
2.3 Housing

We aim to create vibrant, diverse and attractive places with strong local economies where
people want to live, work and raise their families. We believe that everyone deserves a
place they can be proud to call home at a price they can afford. Our policies over the past
three years reflect our continuing commitment to:
• increase long-term housing supply and affordability
• create thriving communities and the regeneration and revitalisation of existing
communities
• offer choice as to where people want to live through choice-based lettings in the social
housing sector
• combat homelessness, particularly among ethnic minority groups who are over-
represented in statutory homelessness statistics; and
• work with local authorities and registered social landlords to help them provide more
authorised pitches for Gypsies and Travellers on sites that are well maintained and well
managed.
Our progress
We have made continuing progress over the past year as we start to see the results of our
polices in action. The case studies highlighting how the ethnic minorities Innovation Fund
has worked with hard-to-reach groups is a testament to the commitment and efforts
being made by our many partner organisations across the country.
As part of the framework put in place by the Department for Communities and Local
Government for increasing site provision for Gypsies and Travellers, the vast majority of
local authorities have now completed Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation Needs
Assessments. These assessments will help local authorities and regional assemblies plan
for and meet the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers living in or passing
through their area. To help ensure new and existing sites meet the needs of site residents,
we have issued good practice guidance on site design and will soon issue guidance on
site management.
We continue to make significant progress towards the target of making all social housing
decent and we are looking to achieve at least 95 per cent by 2010 which will have a
major impact on minority ethnic households.
Our action plan, Tackling Overcrowding in England, also outlines the next steps towards
substantially reducing the number of households living in overcrowded accommodation:
an issue which continues to disproportionately affect Black and minority ethnic
communities.
FACTS
FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS
Rates of overcrowding and dissatisfaction with housing have continued to

decline steadily among the minority ethnic population since 1996-97.
The greatest improvements have been among Bangladeshi and Pakistani

households (although in recent years, dissatisfaction with housing has started
to increase among Bangladeshis).
Between 1996 and 2006 the proportion of minority ethnic households living
in non-decent homes fell from 51 per cent to 29 per cent.
Minority ethnic households are over-represented among homeless

households in England but the number of households accepted as homeless
decreased by 46 per cent between 2003-04 and 2006-07.
Despite improvements in rates of overcrowding between 1996-97 and

2005-06, the rate for all minority ethnic groups was consistently higher than
for White households. Overcrowding rates were consistently highest for
Bangladeshi households and lowest for White households (27 and 2 per cent
respectively in 2006-07).
Despite improvements in satisfaction with housing, minority ethnic

households as a whole have had consistently higher levels of dissatisfaction
than White households (12 and 5 per cent respectively were dissatisfied in
2006-07).
Bangladeshi households (25%) and Black African households (21%) were the
most dissatisfied in 2006-07, as they have been in each year since 1996-97.
In 2006-07, Bangladeshi and Black African households also had the lowest
levels of owner-occupation, at 37 and 26 per cent respectively. These
proportions were very similar to 2005-06.
In 2001, Muslim households were less likely than other households to be

owner-occupied and more likely to be in areas of multiple deprivation.
There is limited data on the housing or accommodation conditions of Gypsies

and Travellers but 21 per cent of Gypsy and Traveller caravans counted in
January 2007 and 22 per cent in January 2008 were on unauthorised sites.
Choice-based lettings
The Government is committed to ensuring that social housing applicants have more
choice over where they live. Choice-based lettings (CBL) have been a success in offering
more control and choice to housing applicants about where they live.
In April 2008, 47 per cent of local authorities had adopted CBL and a further 49 per cent
said they had plans to do so by 2010. We will launch a fifth round of funding to support
new CBL schemes in March 2009 which will enable local authorities to bid for funding to
develop their own schemes.
Building on the successful outcomes of CBL, we have commissioned research to explore

how CBL landlords ensure that vulnerable applicants can successfully participate.
The project will also explore:

• how CBL landlords operate accessible housing registers as part of the CBL approach
• different approaches being adopted; and
• costs and benefits of these different approaches.
The research will lead to good practice guidance that can be adopted by other social
housing providers and key stakeholders such as social services, health authorities,
Supporting People teams, voluntary and community groups and advocates. The guidance
will be published in Spring 2009.
The latest available census data4 shows that people from all Black and minority ethnic
communities (except Chinese) are more likely to be disabled than members of the
majority population; and that women from Black and ethnic minority communities
(especially Pakistani and Bangladeshi women) are more likely than other groups to have
a disability. This guidance will help service deliverers provide opportunity and choice for
those sections of the community at risk of multiple deprivation.
4Sources: Longitudinal Study, Office for National Statistics

Census 2001, Office for National Statistics, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1007
CASE STUDY
Sheffield Homefinders
Sheffield Homes’ choice-based lettings (CBL) system is popular with
customers from all cultural, racial and faith backgrounds.
The Homefinders Team is part of the council’s Property Shop, and works
with all applicants who have been awarded homeless priority in order to
ensure that they are suitably re-housed within a reasonable time.
Focusing on clients’ choice, eligibility and need for support, the Sheffield
Homefinders’ team take a range of factors into consideration with the
aim of having a positive impact on the integration of clients into
communities.
The Homefinders Team provide co-ordinated support and help with

issues such as:
• familiarisation with the area
• help in dealing with utility companies
• GP registration; and
• schools.
A specialist team supports homeless families from Black and minority

ethnic groups. Interpreting and translation services are in place to ensure
that the service users’ rights, responsibilities and expectations are clear.
The team also advises applicants on what local community and support
organisations are available.
The initiative has created more mixed communities by overcoming

barriers of residential or spatial segregation. The sustained support also
minimises any potential negative impacts.
Homelessness
ETHNIC MINORITIES INNOVATION FUND

The aim of the £3million, two-year pilot Ethnic Minorities Innovation Fund (EMIF) was
to identify good practice and support local authorities and the voluntary sector to
develop innovative ways to tackle and prevent homelessness among ethnic minority
communities.
During the course of the pilot we looked at how the EMIF would contribute to delivering
one or more of the following outcomes:
• reduced levels of homelessness among ethnic minority people
• a reduction in the level of repeat homelessness among ethnic minority people

• a reduction in the number of ethnic minority people in temporary accommodation;
and
• the provision of inclusive and effective homelessness services.
The pilots also looked at joint working with other stakeholders such as local authorities,
registered social landlords, voluntary and community sector organisations and the private
rented sector.
After the pilot ended in March 2008, we asked the voluntary organisations involved to
complete end-of-project reports and provide us with information on what the project
achieved during the pilot and what lessons were learned.
During its two-year life the pilot has supported, among others, projects whose purpose
is to:
• prevent and/or reduce domestic violence
• reduce re-offending and homelessness among prisoners; and
• raise awareness of homelessness issues among ethnic minority young people.
A small grant has been found for 2008-09 to help some voluntary sector-led EMIF
projects that have been unable to secure continuation funding from other sources.
Snapshot: some EMIF projects
Bristol Next Link Domestic Abuse Services
Offering: South Asian Domestic Abuse Crisis Service
How it worked: This project provided a holistic service for South Asian women by
financing two full-time dedicated South Asian Crisis Response workers who provided
crisis intervention to South Asian women and children who are experiencing
domestic abuse. The crisis response workers gave:
• culturally-sensitive support
• legal and practical solutions to enable the women to remain in the family home
• intensive support to help make them safe, stabilise their housing situation to
prevent homelessness and to lower repeat incidents of domestic abuse.
Results: During the pilot, 208 homelessness cases were prevented. As a result of
word-of-mouth recommendations, the services developed to include Somalian
women.
Snapshot: some EMIF projects continued
London Borough of Merton DVD
Offering: Participatory DVD about housing issues for young Black and minority ethnic
people.
How it worked: Targeting those at risk, the project sought to reduce and prevent
homelessness by raising awareness through a DVD; and raising the skills levels of
ethnic minority young people to help them gain employment.
The funding was used to:

• provide research and other training for participants and for the video production
• enable participants to carry out a research project on housing issues faced by their
peers; and
• run a peer education programme to raise awareness of housing and homelessness
issues amongst a wider group of young people.
Results: All the DVDs were published on the Youth Homelessness website as well
as other places. One of the DVDs won an international award in Italy. The project
offered good value for money and can be easily replicated. As part of the project the
young people have also set up a website www.myspace.com/skeenmerton where
they introduce the films and share their ideas. Copies of these DVDs are now sent to
all Local Government Homelessness Sections in England.
www.communities.gov.uk/youthhomelessness/activities/videos/
youngvoicesproject/
Hull Asylum Seekers Support Group
Offering: Centre Housing Project
How it worked: This project provided a dedicated Housing Project Worker and
trained volunteers to work with refugees dispersed to Hull who wanted to settle
there. The Project Worker offered a wide range of advice and support about tenancy
and housing, including culturally-sensitive translation facilities and outreach support.
Results: The first organisation in Hull to work with local communities in preparing
for refugee client tenancies:
• 427 households were given advice and information
• 34 cases of homelessness were prevented up to December 2007.
Refugees
Communities and Local Government, the Home Office and local authorities have worked
together to prevent homelessness among families living in accommodation provided by the
UK Borders Agency, following a Grant of Leave through the case resolution programme.
Under these circumstances, new refugees are usually issued with a notice to quit their UK
Borders Agency accommodation within 28 days of being granted leave to remain in the
UK. Without preventive action many would find themselves at risk of homelessness.
Since autumn 2007, effective joint working has enabled a number of families to stay in
their existing accommodation, avoiding the use of Bed & Breakfast and other temporary
accommodation, and giving them the benefit of a fixed address while finding long-term
accommodation and employment. We will continue to look at ways to reduce
homelessness through the remainder of the case resolution programme.
Respect Standard for Housing Management
Communities and Local Government launched the Respect Standard for Housing
Management in August 2006. A key strand running through the Respect Standard is the
importance of promoting diversity through anti-social behaviour policies and procedures,
as well as highlighting the need to take swift action against incidents of racially-
motivated behaviour.
Social landlords continue to sign up to the Respect Standard, signalling their commitment
to help create and sustain those places where anti-social behaviour and disrespect for
people are tackled.
In August 2007 in co-operation with HouseMark, the body that works with landlords to
improve performance and efficiency in social housing, we also published the Respect
Standard for Housing Management: Performance Improvement Toolkit. The toolkit
promotes the importance of diversity by further encouraging the recording of
information about complainants and perpetrators to help identify trends in their
characteristics. This information can then be used to help with targeting resources.
Private rented sector
Poorly-managed property in the private rented sector, particularly Houses in Multiple

Occupation (HMOs), can constitute a very real threat to community cohesion.
In 2006, following on from the Housing Act 2004, we introduced mandatory licensing of
all HMOs which are of three or more storeys and occupied by five or more unrelated
tenants. So far, over 19,000 HMOs have been licensed under the legislation. At the same
time, we gave local authorities the discretion, subject to approval by the Secretary of
State, to introduce selective licensing regimes for all private rented sector property in
problem areas. So far, 13 schemes in ten local authority areas have been approved and
several more are in the pipeline.
Compelling landlords to apply for a licence ensures a basic level of housing conditions
and management. These can be key factors in improving the cohesion of problem areas
and tackling the poor conditions in which Black and minority ethnic groups, particularly,
live; (the 2001 Survey of English Housing shows that 39 per cent of Black private sector
tenants and 64.6 per cent of Asian private sector tenants live in non-decent housing).
A key consideration in granting a licence to an HMO landlord is whether or not there is
evidence that the applicant has practised discrimination.
Decent homes
Communities and Local Government’s strategy seeks to bring all social housing into a
decent condition. The scale of the challenge we faced in 1997 was huge: a £19billion
backlog of repairs and two million social homes below basic decency standards.
Our sustained investment and long-term commitment have transformed the legacy of
neglect and by 2010 the vast majority of social housing will have been made decent.
Over £40billion will have been spent and around 3.6 million homes, including 430,000
homes occupied by people from minority ethnic groups, will benefit.
Progress for improving non-decent homes has been fastest in the social sector with a
reduction of 1.2 million non-decent homes between 1996 and 2006.
The majority of social landlords will still be expected to ensure all homes are decent by
2010. However, we will take a little longer – working with a small number of landlords –
to deliver better results for tenants and communities.
We have agreed with some social landlords that we will get better outcomes in terms of
mixed communities, newly built homes and better long term value for money by
extending their programmes beyond 2010.
Where councils are doing major work to transform whole estates and communities
or where spreading the work out over a longer period of time would deliver better
value for money, councils may make a case to Communities and Local Government
for re-negotiating the 2010 deadline.
VULNERABLE HOUSEHOLDS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

Communities and Local Government also aim to increase the number of vulnerable
households (those on income and disability-related benefits who are least able to change
their housing circumstances) living in decent homes in the private sector (both owner-
occupied and privately rented).
Funded activities include direct grants and loans to vulnerable homeowners to address
disrepair. Funds are also used in dealing with clearance and estate renewal.
Progress towards meeting the private sector decent homes target has been good.
The target percentage figure nationally has increased from 42.9 per cent in 1996
to 68 per cent in 2006. We wish to continue to build on this success by targeting
improvements in the housing conditions of vulnerable households and to increase the

number of vulnerable private sector households in decent homes.
Over £1billion has been made available to local authorities through the Regional Housing
pot over the period 2008-09 to 2010-11 to help improve house conditions for the most
vulnerable.
The private sector decent homes programme works alongside the Warm Front
programme, not only providing top up to Warm Front but it also addresses poor house
conditions at the same time as Warm Front deals with thermal efficiency.
WARM FRONT SCHEME

The Warm Front Scheme, administered by the Department for Environment, Food and
Rural Affairs, is the Government’s programme to help low income vulnerable households
in the private sector become more energy efficient. The scheme contributes to increasing
the numbers of vulnerable households living in decent homes.
INEQUALITIES DECREASING IN NON-DECENT HOMES

In 2006, 29 per cent of minority ethnic households were living in non-decent homes
compared to 25 per cent of White households. This disparity is largely due to housing
conditions in the private sector. There is little difference in the conditions of minority
ethnic and White households in social sector housing.
The gap in the percentage of minority ethnic households and White households living in
non-decent homes has narrowed from eight percentage points in 1996 to four
percentage points in 2006. This suggests that inequalities for minority ethnic groups are
decreasing.
Overcrowding
We are committed to addressing overcrowding and recognise that Black and minority
ethnic households are disproportionately affected. An overcrowded home can affect
children’s educational attainment and have a devastating effect on life chances.
We announced in our action plan, Tackling overcrowding in England, published in

December 2007, that we will invest a further £15million in tackling overcrowding over
2008-09 to 2010-11.
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/Overcrowdingactionplan
Building on the outcome of the pilot projects in London during 2007-08, 38 pathfinder
areas across the London boroughs and five areas which experience high levels of
overcrowding: Birmingham, Bradford, Leicester, Liverpool and Manchester, are
developing housing options and advice services targeting overcrowded households.
We estimate that 43 per cent of all overcrowded households in the social rented sector
and 80 per cent of ethnic minority overcrowded households in the social rented sector
live in London (which accounts for 33 of these 38 pathfinder areas).
The increase of new supply of social rented homes, coupled with action plans in each of
the pathfinder areas, which will make better use of all existing stock, will go some way
towards alleviating overcrowding and improving the quality of life for those households
that are affected.
Neighbourhood Renewal
In 2001, the Government launched the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal
(NSNR) with a vision that: ‘in 10-20 years, no one should be seriously disadvantaged by
where they live’. The strategy is based on a holistic approach to regeneration, covering
the physical environment, public services and partnership working aimed to narrow the
gap between outcomes in deprived areas compared to the rest.
The strategy combines cross-government action to drive up the quality of public services
in deprived areas; and a suite of time-limited funds and programmes to develop best
practice.
Looking for strong resident and community involvement at all stages of the renewal
process, the strategy has three new key dimensions:
• national policies, funding and targets
• ideas to empower communities; and
• structures to provide national and regional leadership.
The NSNR Action Plan set out eight responsibilities, one of which was to commission an
independent evaluation of the design, implementation and impact of the NSNR. The
evaluation will report in 2009.
REPORTING ON EQUALITY AND DIVERSITY IN DEPRIVED AREAS

As part of the evaluation of the NSNR, a specific report will consider the experience of
equality and diversity groups in deprived neighbourhoods.
This report will focus largely (though not exclusively) on ethnic minority groups. The main
questions it will seek to answer are whether ethnic minority groups living in deprived
areas are relatively more disadvantaged than ethnic minority groups in other areas and
other sections of the population living in deprived areas.
In exploring these issues, the report will consider:

• which groups are concentrated in deprived areas and what their characteristics are
• the extent to which the composition of the population of an area is a factor in its
performance – ie in its improvement or otherwise; and
• what impact the NSNR has had on equality and diversity groups in deprived areas.
Housing Market Renewal
The Housing Market Renewal (HMR) programme aims to rebuild housing markets and
communities in parts of the North and the Midlands where demand for housing is
relatively weak and where there has been a significant decline in population causing
some areas to become derelict with, as a result, poor services and social conditions.
HMR aims to enhance social and economic participation for all communities, including
Black and minority ethnic communities which are an important component of the HMR
areas.
Pathfinders work closely with local people to ensure that proposals gain support from the
majority of residents.
Between 2003 and March 2008, £1.2billion was invested with a further indicative
allocation of £1billion to follow for 2008-11. As a result:
• 48,000 properties have been refurbished
• 12,000 properties demolished; and
• around 2,500 new properties built.
HMR partnerships have developed a range of approaches in working with minority ethnic
communities:
EAST LANCASHIRE
Elevate, the pathfinder for East Lancashire, has worked with Mediation Northern Ireland
to develop the Good Relations Programme, a three-year project to train practitioners to
take forward case work involving different local communities. This work is focussed on
maintaining peace and building good relations within and between communities.
OLDHAM ROCHDALE
The HMR partnership is working in areas affected by the racial tension and riots in the
late 1990s. The partnership works with communities to consider their housing needs and
tries to ensure that the design of new projects appeals across community boundaries
with the aim of breaking down segregation.
MERSEYSIDE
In Merseyside, local authority partners have carried out Equality Impact Assessments on
the local HMR programme; community engagement strategy; clearance and
improvement; and relocation. Action Plans and targets feed into departmental service
plans. Liverpool’s Race Equality Impact Assessment of the HMR programme has also been
recognised nationally as best practice.
Low-Cost Home Ownership
Our Low-Cost Home Ownership programme which aims to help social tenants, key
workers, and other first time buyers priced out of the housing market into home
ownership also continues to benefit many ethnic minority households; approximately
15 per cent of households who received assistance in 2007-08 came from ethnic
minorities.
Developments to the programme this financial year include:

• the launch of two new equity loan products available since 1 April 2008 through the
Government’s Open Market HomeBuy scheme. The MyChoice HomeBuy and
Ownhome equity loans provide first-time buyers with more flexibility in the percentage
of the value of their home that can be borrowed – to a maximum of 50 per cent, and
more choice in the mortgage they can take out
• In July 2008 we announced a new rent first/buy later scheme – Rent to HomeBuy –
to help address difficult market conditions and to assist both first time buyers and
providers. Rent to HomeBuy allows eligible households to rent a new build property at
less than market rent (ie 80 per cent) for a pre-specified period (up to five years), with
the first option to buy a share of the property during or at the end of that period
• In September 2008 we set out a further package of measures aimed at increasing
confidence, stability and fairness in the housing market. This included the creation
of HomeBuy Direct, a new shared equity scheme in partnership with developers.
HomeBuy Direct offers first time buyers an equity loan of up to 30 per cent of the
market value to buy a new build property within specific schemes brought forward
by developers. The equity loan will be co-funded by government and by the scheme
developers on equal terms (ie 15 per cent from the developer and 15 per cent from
government where a 30 per cent loan is offered)
• In December 2008 following a competition for developers which attracted an
extremely high level of interest, we announced that more than 18,000 properities will
be incuded in the HomeBuy Direct scheme – significantly more than the 10,000
originally announced.
Gypsies and Travellers
The Government believes that everyone should have the opportunity of having a decent
place to live. Currently, due to a lack of authorised pitches, around 20 per cent of Gypsy
and Traveller caravans are on unauthorised and inadequate sites.
Increased provision of authorised sites for Gypsies and Travellers is vital to addressing this
problem and will help create strong, cohesive communities and promote good
relationships between Gypsies and Travellers and the settled community. It will also help
improve health and education outcomes for Gypsies and Travellers, who are the most
socially excluded group in the country.
We have established a new framework to increase site provision and have backed this up
with additional resources. Through the Gypsy and Traveller Site Grant in 2008-09,
£21.5million has been allocated across England that will deliver at least 120 additional
pitches and support refurbishment works at 32 sites. Increasing numbers of Gypsies and
Travellers are, with planning permission, providing their own sites, but the Site Grant
assists local authorities and Registered Social Landlords with provision for those who
cannot afford to develop sites of their own. A further £64 million is available nationally
for the grant from 2009 to 2011 and it will benefit from being administered by the
Homes and Communities Agency from 2009-10 onwards.
A statutory duty for local authorities to conduct Gypsy and Traveller Accommodation
Needs Assessments came into force on 2 January 2007. Final guidance on these
assessments was published in October 2007 and included clarification about who should
be included in the assessments, together with advice to encourage local authority
consultation with Gypsies and Travellers. The vast majority of local authorities have now
completed these assessments and have advised their Regional Assemblies on the number
of Gypsy and Traveller site pitches that are needed in their areas.
The Task Group on Site Provision and Enforcement, chaired by Sir Brian Briscoe, published
its final report The Road Ahead in December 2007. The report concluded that our
policies on site provision were sound, but that the pace of delivery needs to quicken. The
Government’s response to the report was published in April 2008.
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/Taskgroupreport
For Gypsies and Travellers living on sites provided by local authorities, section 318 of the
Housing and Regeneration Act (2008) includes a clause that will improve their security of
tenure and give them the rights and responsibilities already available to others through
the Mobile Homes Act (1983).
Perceptions of discrimination
The allocation of housing is, understandably, an extremely emotive subject and myths can
often develop about issues of fairness.
Research published in April 2008 by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)
and the Local Government Association (LGA) shows no evidence that social housing
allocation favours foreign migrants over UK citizens.
The key challenges ahead in housing

We believe that our policies over the past three years have made a significant difference
to improving the quality of housing across the country and for Black and minority ethnic
communities. However, we also recognise that we must continue to take all this work
forward:
• encouraging existing and new communities to integrate, irrespective of ethnicity
• improving understanding of the impact of EU migrants and of changing aspirations
within established minority ethnic households
• delivering significant numbers of family homes which meet the needs of, and are
affordable to, Black and minority ethnic communities
• successful marketing of exemplar remodelling schemes to local residents; and
sustaining progress on private sector improvement and decency
• keeping local people engaged with the plans so there is a lasting legacy of enduring
and cohesive communities where people choose to live; and
• providing sites for the 20 per cent of Gypsy and Traveller caravans that are currently on
unauthorised and inadequate sites and promoting good site design and management
on existing sites.
Shortage of supply
The main challenge for housing policy is one of a shortage of supply. Social housing is
scarce in many parts of the country and there is a tension between the need to house
people who have lived in an area for a long time (sometimes for generations) and those
who have recently arrived and who may have particularly pressing social needs.
Although, as we have outlined above, choice-based lettings (CBL) is a positive step
forward, CBL cannot address a shortage of supply.
Taking measured action to address the housing shortages will be a key way to improve
integration and cohesion in some areas.
Homes and Communities Agency
The Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 established the Homes and Communities
Agency (HCA) which was launched on 1 December 2008. The HCA is the Government’s
foremost delivery agency tasked with delivering the Government’s strategic housing and
regeneration priorities. With its budget and delivery capabilities the agency will be an
expert delivery advisor to government, helping government to shape policies that deliver
the best results for all communities.
The work of the HCA supports delivery of a strategic objective for Communities and
Local Government to improve the supply, environmental performance and quality
of housing that is more responsive to the needs of individuals, communities and the
economy, measured through a variety of indicators:
• to decrease the percentage of non decent homes in the social sector

• to increase the percentage of vulnerable households in decent homes in the private
sector
• helping socially excluded adults into settled accommodation (offenders under
probation supervision, care leavers, adults receiving secondary mental health services,
and adults with learning disabilities).
HCA will also ensure that, where relevant, local authorities address issues such as
neighbourhood renewal; tenant/community empowerment; issues relating to Black and
minority ethnic and other hard to reach groups; how the neighbourhood will be managed
and the role of residents in this; and an improved strategic role for the local authority.
The HCA is responsible for the delivery of a number of the programmes that are
particularly relevant in tackling some of the housing issues still experienced by minority
ethnic communities, as already highlighted earlier in this chapter. This includes;
• Provision of new affordable housing
• Delivery responsibilities for the decent homes programmes for the social
housing sector. The HCA will work closely with local authorities to join up the
delivery of decent homes with the wider regeneration of communities
• Programme management responsibility on Housing Market Renewal facilitating
the joining up with other agency programmes, allowing it to work with local
authorities to develop multifaceted regeneration programmes that deliver community
as well as housing market renewal
• Capital Investment on Homelessness Hostels and Specialist Supported Housing
• Gypsy and Traveller Site Grant.
2.4 Health

We have made important progress over the last year, working to strengthen our approach
to promoting race equality in health and social care and tackling health inequalities.
The Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society strategy explains that our actions to
address the health needs of minority ethnic communities takes place in the context of the
Government’s drive to increase health overall and reduce inequalities to give everyone
the same chance to lead a long and healthy life.
Tackling health inequalities
We previously reported that in order to support the Government’s priority to tackle

health inequalities, we made a commitment to focus on the 70 local authority areas,
known as the Spearheads, with the worst health and deprivation indicators.
The Spearheads cover 44 per cent of the entire Black and minority ethnic population of
England, compared to just over 28 per cent of the total population of England. The
Spearheads also contain 53 per cent of the Muslim population, particularly Pakistani and
Bangladeshi communities who have the highest levels of ill-health, once the age
structures of the different faith groups have been taken into account.
In June 2008, building on the work undertaken in the Spearheads, the Secretary of State
for Health launched Health Inequalities: Progress and Next Steps, which focuses on
promoting a healthy lifestyle, improving access to services and tackling the wider
determinants of health inequality given that education, environment, employment,
poverty and transport are all strong determinants of health and well-being. The priority
is to improve the health of the most disadvantaged and the strategy includes a further
£34million spending programme intended to improve the health of those in greatest
need and taking action on:
• promoting health improvement for all sections of the community
• ensuring services work for those who need them most, including Black and minority
ethnic communities; and
• ensuring services are personalised to meet individual needs and preferences.
Social care services
Social care services are also becoming more personalised and offering more choice and
control. We previously reported on the social care Green Paper, Independence,
Well-being and Choice (2005) and the White Paper, Our health, our care, our say: a new
direction for community services (2006), both of which signalled this change of
approach. In December 2007 this new approach was also confirmed in the Putting
People First concordat between central government and a range of partners including:
• Local Government Association
• Association of Directors of Adult Social Services
• NHS
• representatives from providers in the independent sector
• Commission for Social Care Inspection; and
• other partners.
Collectively, this reflects a strategy to ensure that health and social care services are
responsive to demographic change and do more to tackle inequalities and improve
access to community services, including culturally-appropriate services for minority ethnic
communities.
A key vehicle for delivering this vision in the NHS is World Class Commissioning,
published in December 2007, through which we aim to secure a more diverse range of
high-quality services that reflect patient choices and are based on a thorough
understanding of the needs of different sections of the local population. The NHS in
England: the operating framework for 2008-09 also set out core principles for the NHS
including a commitment to equality, non-discrimination and the provision of services that
are culturally appropriate to the needs of different communities.
In many cases, minority ethnic communities suffer disproportionately

FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS FACTS
from certain health conditions.
Diabetes: The prevalence of diabetes among South Asians can be up to
five times that of the general population. Rates of diabetes among Black
Caribbeans are also higher than the general population.5
Heart Disease: South Asians experience significant higher rates of
coronary heart disease, with Pakistani men in particular being twice as
likely as men in the general population to report this condition6. There is
also evidence of higher rates of heart disease amongst Irish men and
women.
Stroke: The incidence of first-time stroke is twice as high among African
Caribbean people as it is among Europeans. African and South Asian
people are also at higher risk of stroke7.
Cancer: The number of cancer deaths is generally lower among Black
and minority ethnic groups than among White British people. However,
there is evidence that prostate cancer incidence is high in men of African
and African caribbean origin, that mouth cancer is high amongst South
Asians and that cervical cancer mortality rates may be higher in women
of Caribbean and Irish origin8.
Smoking: Smoking rates are higher among Bangladeshi men (40 per
cent), Pakistani men (29 per cent) and White Irish men (30 per cent)
compared to 24 per cent of the general population. Indian men and
Black African, South Asian and Chinese women all have lower smoking
rates than the general population.9
Mental Health: The 2008 national ‘Count Me In’ census of mental
health in-patients showed that Black people and Mixed White/Black
people have the highest admission rates and are more likely to be
compulsorily admitted under the Mental Health Act 1983.10 Admission
rates were lower than average among the White British, Indian and
Chinese groups.
Gypsy and Traveller communities: There is also evidence of poor
access to healthcare and dental services and a higher incidence of
respiratory problems including asthma (65 per cent compared with 40
per cent) and bronchitis (41 per cent compared with 10 per cent). There
is also evidence of higher rates of miscarriages and infant mortality.11
15 The Health of Minority Ethnic Groups, Health Survey for England, 2004, National Statistics
17 Reducing Brain Damage: Faster access to better stroke care. National Audit Office 2005
18 Cancer Reform Strategy – Equality Impact Assessment. Department of Health 2007
10 Count Me In, Healthcare Commission, (2008)
11 The Health Status of Gypsies and Travellers in England: Parry, Glenys, Patrice Van Cleemput, Jean Peters, Julia Moore,
Stephen Walters, Kate Thomas and Cindy Cooper (2004) University of Sheffield
Our progress
The Department of Health’s (DH) strategy for meeting the needs of Black and minority
ethnic communities is to place race equality issues into all aspects of its work, including
policy development, NHS and social care delivery and workforce issues. In so doing, the
DH aims to make a real difference to Black and minority ethnic people’s experience of
the service.
NHS Next Stage Review
In July 2007, the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Health asked the eminent
surgeon, Lord Ara Darzi, to conduct a fundamental review of how the NHS must
continue to reform.
The Next Stage Review sets out a 10-year vision for world class health and healthcare in
England and will play a major role in tackling health inequalities.
Lord Darzi’s interim report Our NHS, Our future, published in October 2007, looked at
how the NHS can become fairer, more personalised, effective and safe, while
acknowledging the progress made so far and setting out immediate and longer-term
priorities to ensure that a properly resourced NHS is clinically led, patient-centred and
locally accountable.
Central to the review are principles of fairness – ensuring services are equally available to
all, taking full account of personal circumstances and diversity; and personalised services
tailored to the needs and wants of each individual, especially the most vulnerable and
those in greatest need.
On 30 June 2008, Lord Darzi launched High Quality Care for All: NHS Next Stage Review
Final Report, alongside proposals for the first NHS Constitution, which makes clear that
the NHS has a wider social duty to promote equality through the services it provides and
to pay particular attention to groups or sections of society where improvements in health
and life expectancy are not keeping pace with the rest of the population.
The NHS Constitution for England was published on 2 January 2009, bringing together
for the first time in the history of the NHS, what patients can expect from the NHS. It
states as a core principle that the NHS provides a comprehensive service, available to all,
irrespective of race, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief. It has a
duty to each and every individual that it serves and must respect their human rights.
Two reviews into primary care services
In response to the 2007 Patient Survey, the Secretary of State asked Dr David Colin-
Thomé, National Clinical Director for Primary Care, and Professor Mayur Lakhani to lead
two reviews into access to and the responsiveness of primary care services. Dr Colin-
Thomé focused on the variation in patient satisfaction between practices; Professor
Lakhani focused specifically on the experience of Black and minority ethnic communities.
The 2007 GP Patient Survey found that Black and minority ethnic people report lower
satisfaction with primary care services than White people. It found that on average:
• Black populations are 5-10 per cent less satisfied than White populations
• Asian populations are 5-10 per cent less satisfied than White populations
• Bangladeshi communities are 20 per cent less satisfied.
Lower rates of satisfaction tended to be associated with large practices in deprived areas
serving a significant ethnic minority community.
NO PATIENT LEFT BEHIND

Professor Lakhani’s report, No Patient Left Behind, looked into these issues and the
difficulties experienced by people from Black and minority ethnic communities in
accessing primary care. The report recognises that this is a complex and longstanding
problem and identifies a series of factors that impact on the experience of primary care
for minority ethnic people, ranging from difficulties in communication to poorer quality
services in some areas with high minority ethnic populations.
MORE PERSONALISED SERVICES

The report suggests that greater personalisation of care for everyone, delivered by more
flexible and responsive services, is the solution that will raise the standard for all NHS
patients irrespective of their race, culture or religion.
Greater personalisation of care is a key theme of the primary and community care
strategy, part of the Next Stage Review, which offers a good opportunity to help support
Primary Care Trusts and GP practices in delivering excellent primary care to all sections of
the community. The DH has committed to looking in detail at the report’s
recommendations through the continuing work on the Next Stage Review.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a chronic and progressive disease that has an impact on almost every aspect
of life. It affects infants, children, young people and adults of all ages, and is becoming
more common.
The Department is committed to reducing mortality rates from diabetes and supporting
the NHS to provide the best diabetes care possible for the whole population. Since the
publication of the Diabetes National Service Framework, the focus has been on supporting
the NHS in implementing the standards. The DH and NHS Diabetes have produced
a range of tools and guidance for healthcare practitioners and patients. The Diabetes
Commissioning Toolkit, published in November 2006, is there to support the commissioning
of good quality diabetes services that meet the needs of the whole population.
The reason that diabetes is more common among minority ethnic groups is not fully
understood. Diabetes tends to develop at a younger age in people of African-Caribbean
and Asian origin living in the UK and the increased prevalence may be due to different
underlying mechanisms or behavioural, environmental and social risk factors such as diet,
obesity and physical activity.
We know that understanding the ethnicity of the local diabetes community is vital in
providing good quality services, and from 2006-07 the Quality and Outcomes Framework
rewards practices for recording the ethnicity of all new patient registrations.
Link between obesity and diabetes
Obesity is one of the major causes of Type 2 Diabetes and working through national and
local partnerships to tackle obesity is a key DH objective.
In January 2008, the Government published Healthy Weight, Healthy Lives: A Cross-
Government Strategy for England, a £372million strategy to tackle obesity and help
everyone lead healthier lives. It incudes an equality impact assessment that highlighted
evidence from the Health Survey for England 1993-2004 to suggest that woman from
certain minority ethnic groups, including African, Caribbean and Bangladeshi
communities may have more pressing needs with excess weight problems.
Action to tackle this trend takes place in the context of a broader strategy to tackle
obesity in the population as a whole. It has been found that if those who are obese lose a
fairly modest amount of weight (up to 10kg), diabetes-related mortality can be reduced
by 30-40 per cent. The Government has a Public Service Agreement (PSA) target, across
three government departments, to halt the year-on-year rise in obesity among children
under the age of 11 by 2010. As childhood obesity often continues into adulthood, the
three PSA departments are working to support families to eat more healthily and be
more active.
Chronic kidney disease
Renal replacement therapy in the form of either dialysis or transplantation is a life-saving

definitive treatment for patients whose chronic kidney disease progresses to established
renal failure. Chronic kidney disease is more prevalent in minority ethnic people in the UK
than White people. DH has undertaken detailed work to better understand and address
this disparity, which partly reflect co-existing medical conditions such as diabetes and
hypertension, cultural factors, genetic differences and socio-economic factors. DH is now
using this information to inform its strategy on renal replacement therapy and renal
transplant.
Cardiovascular diseases and stroke
The Government’s target, which aims to reduce the death rate from stroke, chronic heart
disease and related diseases in people under 75 by at least 40 per cent by 2010 is already
being achieved. Black and minority ethnic people are a key target group in achieving this
aim. The DH stated that by 2010 it will substantially reduce mortality rates from heart
disease and stroke and related diseases by at least 40 per cent in people under the age of
75; with at least a 40 per cent reduction in the inequalities gap between the one-fifth of
areas with the worst health and deprivation indicators and the population as a whole.
South Asians experience significantly higher rates of coronary heart disease; African,
African Caribbean and Asian people are at a higher risk of stroke.
Good progress has been made towards meeting the Public Service Agreement target of
a 40 per cent reduction in the gap in the premature mortality rate from cardiovascular
diseases between the one-fifth of the areas with the worst health and deprivation scores
(the Spearheads, see above) and England as a whole. Latest data show a 32 per cent
reduction in this absolute gap.
The DH has commissioned the Improvement Foundation to deliver a programme in some

of the most challenged Spearhead areas to encourage earlier presentation of
cardiovascular disease.
In January 2008, the Prime Minister announced the Government’s intention to shift the
focus of the NHS towards empowering patients and preventing illness. As part of this,
he set out his ambitions to dramatically extend the availability of checks to give people
information about their health, support lifestyle changes and, in some cases, earlier
interventions. The vascular checks programme will assess people’s risk of heart disease,
stroke, kidney disease and diabetes.
National Stroke Strategy
This followed the publication in December 2007 of the National Stroke Strategy, which
recognises that people from certain minority ethnic communities are at a higher risk of
stroke and emphasises the importance of targeting prevention work at minority ethnic
groups and paying particular attention to their needs. The strategy has been taken
forward is partnership with Black and minority ethnic communities including the award
of grants to voluntary organisations involved in projects to reduce coronary heart disease
and stroke among Black and minority ethnic communities.
Screening and inequality
The aim of screening is to detect and treat disease at as early a stage as possible in order
to reduce mortality and morbidity and, in the case of antenatal screening, to provide
informed choice.
To ensure the best possible health outcomes, screening programmes should be high
quality, safe and both clinically and cost effective.
A baseline scoping report presented to the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC)
in November 2007 found published evidence of inequality in access to screening among
key population groups including:
• those from socially disadvantaged circumstances
• those with a disability; and
• Black and minority ethnic groups.
This effect was seen across a range of screening programmes in England.
On the basis of this report, the UK NSC, which advises the Government on all aspects of
screening, is commissioning a UK-wide project to examine the issue in more detail and
make recommendations on what action is needed to enable more robust monitoring of
equity of uptake and to promote higher uptake in groups with a low uptake. The project
is expected to be completed by spring 2009.
Mental health
Inequalities in mental health
There is evidence of inequalities in mental health, especially in the incidence of severe

mental illness. However, our understanding of the factors involved has continued to
improve. For example, the AESOP study, Aetiology and Ethnicity in Schizophrenia and
Other Psychoses, has found that compared with the White British population:
• people from African Caribbean communities are nine times more likely to experience
schizophrenia and eight times more likely to experience manic psychosis
• people from Black African communities are six times more likely to experience either
condition; and
• other Black and minority ethnic groups have more modestly increased rates.
These inequalities do not arise from biological or genetic factors – the rates of psychosis
in Africa and the Caribbean are comparable to those in the UK overall. This suggests that
it is the life experience for many in Black and minority ethnic communities in this country
that is making them ill. Many of the recognised risk factors for mental illness – including
poor housing, unemployment, social exclusion and the experience of racism itself – are
still burdens borne disproportionately in the UK by ethnic minority populations.
Research has identified other inequalities. A recent review of the evidence on suicide
carried out jointly for the DH’s Delivering Race Equality Mental Health Care action plan
found a higher risk of self-harm among South Asian women, for example. Nor are
inequalities confined to Black and Asian communities – the Healthcare Commission’s

annual ‘Count Me In’ census shows elevated rates of admission to hospital for Irish
people, and increasing rates for the other White group that may indicate that mental
health is a growing issue among the newer migrant groups.
Inequalities in access to services
The Black and minority ethnic percentage of the mental health inpatient population is
around double the percentage in the population of the country as a whole (roughly 20
per cent compared with 10 per cent). In 2008, the ‘Count Me In’ census reported that
admission rates for patients describing themselves as Other Black were ten times higher
than average. People from Black ethnic groups were up to 38 per cent more likely to be
detained in hospital and, as in previous years, were:
• more likely to arrive via the courts or social services
• less likely to arrive through primary care or community mental health care
• more likely to have longer lengths of stay; and
• more likely to be readmitted.
Although much of the attention on delivering race equality has focused on admission
and detention rates, the programme goes further and addresses the whole pathway of
care for Black and minority ethnic mental health service users. There are sound reasons
for this: the Healthcare Commission’s patient surveys show that Asian patients in the
community are less likely to be offered psychological therapies; and research such as the
Sainsbury Centre’s report Breaking the Circles of Fear suggests that services can find it
difficult to reach young African Caribbean men. When the Mental Health Act
Commission interviewed 400 inpatients, minority ethnic interviewees also reported other
discrepancies in their experience. For example, Black patients were more likely to say that
they did not regularly see the same psychiatrist and to feel that staff were not always
open and honest with them.
To add to the complexity, ‘Count Me In’ shows that there are minority ethnic groups who
are less likely than average to be admitted, Indian and Chinese people in particular,
raising the question of whether this reflects differences in mental health among these
communities or whether it is their access to services.
Distinct cultural differences in how mental health and well-being are thought about
affect access to and experiences of statutory services. The issues vary widely between
different minority ethnic groups and within groups by factors such as age and gender.
Delivering Race Equality in Mental Health Care
Since the DH launched the Delivering Race Equality action plan in 2005 to tackle these
issues, it has generated an unprecedented level of activity and research aimed at
improving the minority ethnic experience of mental health care.
Over the last year:

• the number of community development workers (CDWs) in post has risen to over 400
across the country, and recruitment will continue until we have at least 500. CDWs are
a vital resource in delivering race equality, helping to build bridges between services
and their increasingly diverse local populations
• 20 ‘clinical trailblazer’ sites have started to test out new ways of working for both
clinicians and managers
• management and governance for delivering race equality have been sharpened and
focused, making it easier for NHS management to get to grips with the issues
• key partnerships and alliances have been strengthened – for example with service
users and carers, the voluntary and community sector, and professional groups like the
NHS Confederation; and
• the quality of routine ethnic monitoring of service users has improved, allowing
commissioners and providers of services to better understand discrepancies between
what their local people might need and the care they actually receive.
As a result of this programme of work, there are solid examples of good practice that can
be replicated. For example, the Sheffield crisis resolution and home treatment team has
used a CDW to build a relationship with its local Pakistani Muslim community. The result
was a care pathway tailored to the needs of people from that community, which led to:
• patients coming forward earlier for treatment
• shorter lengths of stay in hospital for some; and
• improved satisfaction with care.
The DH is also providing additional support to those suffering from mental illness through
the £170million expansion of the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies
programme, to cover a further 900,000 people by 2010-11. The programme will ensure
that access is equal for groups who traditionally miss out, including those from Black and
minority ethnic communities.
Alcohol and drug misuse
Ensuring that substance misuse treatment provides appropriate treatment for all who
need it is a key aim for the National Treatment Agency (NTA) and features across all the
NTA work programmes. The NTA has an equality and diversity strategy in place that
includes a commitment to diversity screening of the National Drug Treatment Monitoring
System (NDTMS) for any differential impact of treatment on different client groups.
Diversity a priority in NTA review
The focus of NTA standards and inspections work in recent years has been a partnership
with the Healthcare Commission (HCC) to deliver a series of joint service reviews of drug
treatment services.
The focus of the 2007-08 review, supported and endorsed by the Commission for Social
Care Improvement (CSCI), is diversity and Tier 4 (in-patient treatment and residential
rehabilitation).
Diversity was selected as a priority as a result of the NTA equality and diversity strategy
and to build on the race equality work done by the HCC in 2006-07.
RATIONALE FOR SELECTING DIVERSITY

The rationale for selecting diversity as an area of focus was based on evidence that
suggests that:
• there is a lack of knowledge about the nature and extent of drug use amongst the
UK’s Black and minority ethnic groups
• diverse populations are not homogenous
• evidence suggests that the main drug used by clients is a more important determinant
of treatment success than ethnicity or gender
• evidence indicates that women do better than men in treatment
• the differential negative impact of drug treatment on different diverse populations is
unknown.
By focusing on diversity, the review has helped to address negative differential impacts
experienced by Black and minority ethnic groups, and other minority client groups, within
the substance misuse treatment system.
Treatment planning
Responding to the diverse needs of the treatment population is integral to the success of
the NTA’s effectiveness strategy and the NDTMS data helps this process and supports the
NTA drive to encourage access to culturally sensitive and appropriate treatment for all
who need it.
In order to build on the advances made in 2007-08, the NTA and NDTMS have worked to
improve the evidence base on which treatment planning decisions are made. As a result,
the NTA board and local partnerships responsible for delivery of drug treatment across
England now receive more sophisticated quarterly reports of local drug treatment data
from NDTMS, which allows them to bring in better treatment mapping, gap analysis and
to understand unmet needs.
In support of this work, the NTA regional directorate published Supplementary guidance
on diversity legislation in August 2007 as part of a suite of treatment planning guidance
produced for commissioners and local partnerships.
Improved data to assess needs
Despite these positive developments in NDTMS data, attempts to illustrate the scope and
scale of Black and minority ethnic drug treatment needs remain challenging. To improve
our understanding, the NTA has also carried out or commissioned some additional work:
NTA USER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

Published in August 2007, the 2006 NTA user satisfaction survey analysed 8,765
completed questionnaires to investigate what kind of experience clients from different
communities had of substance misuse treatment. Analysis showed that when asked
about satisfaction with treatment, there were no group differences reported by gender,
ethnicity or age.
To complement the NTA/Healthcare Commission joint service reviews of drug treatment

services in 2007-08, the 2007 NTA user satisfaction survey focused on diversity and
tier 4 issues.
GOOD PRACTICE GUIDANCE

Commissioned by the NTA, the University of Central Lancashire’s (UCLAN) community
engagement project continued to develop good practice guidance looking at the needs
of Black and minority ethnic communities in relation to drugs. In 2007-08, UCLAN began
work on a range of good practice briefings on addressing the drug treatment needs of
the South Asian community; Black African community and Black Caribbean community.
Cancer
Cancer continues to remain a key priority for the Government. The Cancer Reform
Strategy, launched by the Prime Minister in December 2007, set out that the DH will
begin a National Cancer Equality Initiative (NCEI) bringing together key stakeholders from
the professions, voluntary sector, academia and equality groups to:
• develop research proposals on cancer inequalities
• test interventions; and
• advise on the development of wider policy.
The CRS said that the NCEI will initially focus on:
• optimising data collection to enhance our understanding of the inequalities that exist
• promote research to fill gaps in the evidence; and
• spreading good practice in NHS organisations.
As highlighted in Cancer Reform Strategy: Maintaining Momentum, Building for the

Future: First Annual Report on Progress, published in December 2008, the NCEI Advisory
Group has been established. The membership of the group comprises representatives of
all six equality strands and aims to embed equality across the whole Cancer Reform
Strategy Programme, including a specific focus on Black and minority ethnic
communities. The NCEI Advisory Group is also working on a vision for reducing inequality
in cancer care for publication in autumn 2009.
In addition, the DH and the National Cancer Action Team are working with Strategic
Health Authorities (SHAs) and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) to agree challenging goals for
reducing cancer mortality in every cancer network area by 2012.
These goals will pay particular attention to tackling the different forms of inequality as a
means to reduce overall mortality. The progress made by each PCT, co-operating through
the cancer network, in meeting these goals will form an important part of our continuing
action to reduce cancer inequalities.
The Cancer Reform Strategy also sets out a series of other measures to tackle race
inequality in cancer care:
• The National Audit Office is funding a dedicated post in the Cancer Action Team to
drive forward equality issues. This person will work closely with the National Cancer
Director in developing the National Cancer Equality Initiative
• reducing the variation in cervical screening coverage between PCTs
• encouraging PCTs with low levels of breast screening coverage to develop targeted
programmes to increase the uptake of screening in Black and minority ethnic
communities
• The Improvement Foundation Healthy Communities Collaborative is working in 20 of
the most deprived areas of the country to target those most at risk of breast, lung and
bowel cancer; and working with local people to develop and test methods of raising
awareness
• culturally sensitive information and communications to cancer patients
• action on smoking to benefit groups with higher rates of smoking prevalence,
including some minority ethnic communities
• to ensure stronger commissioning, PCTs should work in association with their cancer
networks to carry out local impact assessments and take appropriate steps to address
local issues.
In addition to the Cancer Reform Strategy, we set out in the DH’s Single Equality Scheme
the actions we will be taking to ensure that the NHS is equipped to meet the needs of
cancer patients from different communities, including:
• developing a model for best practice guidance with cancer networks by 2009
• improving ethnic monitoring of cancer patients through Cancer Registries by 2008
• providing a forum for stakeholders working with Black and minority ethnic
communities and charities to share best practice and evaluation of projects
undertaken by 2008
• providing a range of screening leaflets in various languages.
Pacesetters programme
The Pacesetters programme is one of the DH’s major initiatives for equality and diversity
in the NHS. The three-year programme, running from 2007-10, works in partnership with
local NHS organisations and local communities experiencing health inequalities arising
from discrimination.
The programme aims to deliver equality and diversity improvements resulting in:
• patient and service user involvement in the design and delivery of services
• reduced health inequalities for patients and service users, particularly those from Black
and minority ethnic communities and the Gypsy/Roma and Traveller communities
• NHS working environments that are fair and free of discrimination.
Six Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) and 18 NHS Trusts have been participating in the
programme, joined by a further 18 Trusts in November 2008. During 2007-08, each SHA
and its three participating trusts developed a range of local interventions or ‘change
ideas’ to test and deliver innovative ways to tackle longstanding health inequalities that
have arisen through discrimination. The NHS Change Programmes Team is working with
the participating SHAs and their respective trusts to:
• apply service improvement methods
• test and implement learning and highlight good practice; and
• evaluate which change ideas and learning can be applied to other settings and
locations.
During 2008, a further wave of NHS sites joined the programme, with a focus on major
health conditions.
Improving health of Gypsy and Traveller communities
As well taking forward their local interventions, all sites participating in the Pacesetters
programme are required to take forward work to improve the health status of Gypsies
and Travellers who suffer some of the most marked health inequalities in UK society.
The overall health status of Gypsies and Travellers is relatively poor in comparison with
other disadvantaged groups and very poor compared with the general population.
Through Pacesetters, the DH has engaged closely with the community to agree a plan of
action that will focus on:
• raising awareness of Gypsy and Traveller issues amongst health practitioners
• raising health awareness within Gypsy and Traveller communities

• improving GP registration and access to NHS services
• better sharing of personal health information, including testing a hand-held health
record that Gypsies and Travellers can take with them.
CASE STUDY
Pacesetters: Local change helps reduce health

inequalities
A number of Pacesetters sites are taking forward local change ideas
which focus on reducing health inequalities for Black and minority ethnic
communities. For example, King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
will be piloting the delivery of lifestyle intervention programmes using
psychological and educational theory to prevent and reduce Type 2
diabetes within high-risk minority ethnic groups.
East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust is taking forward work to improve access,
treatment and the patient experience for Black and minority ethnic
asylum seekers.
Walsall Integrated Learning Disability Service is developing a Conditions

Management Programme for Black and minority ethnic learning disabled
people with diabetes.
The long-term aim is to make sure that these improvements are part of
our core business, while spreading our learning and good practice across
the NHS.
Race for Health
In the last report we reported on the Race for Health programme, which enables Primary
Care Trusts to make health services in their areas significantly fairer for minority ethnic
communities.
Race for Health has now expanded to support a network of 20 PCTs around the country
which, through community engagement and leadership, aim to make significant
improvements in delivering race equality in:
• service improvements, making significant progress in tackling the real inequalities in
the access, experience and health outcomes experienced by Black and minority ethnic
people
• commissioning, including the planning, designing and buying-in of services and
products; and
• the workforce, from recruitment to retention and promotion, and developing a more
representative workforce at all levels within the NHS.
RACE FOR HEALTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE

The Race for Health National Conference in February 2009, “Embedding and Regulating
Equality and Human Rights Across the NHS”, was organised in partnership with the
Health Service Journal and the Healthcare Commission.
The event focussed on:

• embedding equality in the commissioning cycle
• implementing effective equality impact assessments; and
• improving patient profiling.
Ethnic monitoring
Given the importance of ethnic monitoring in this context, Race for Health PCTs such as
Liverpool and Lambeth have led the way in developing patient profiling techniques that
fully incorporate ethnic data including collecting, storing and analysing.
The initiative includes training – demonstrating that ethnicity can be a key predictor of
diabetes risk and subsequent heart problems – and provides a toolkit containing:
• a data collection form
• a template for entering the data onto the clinical system
• protocols for data entry
• information on minority ethnic health issues
• a contact sheet with details of local community groups; and
• health advice leaflets in different languages.
To date, approximately 100 GP practices have joined the initiative.
Race for Health supports the DH’s wider work to strengthen ethnicity monitoring in
primary care. Additional funding is being provided to support ethnic monitoring in GP
practices.
Please log onto www.raceforhealth.org for more.
The key challenges ahead for health

Although we have made important progress over the past year increasing the focus on
health inequalities, we also need to ensure that all aspects of health and social care policy
development and service delivery are fully compliant with existing and emerging equality
legislation.
During 2007, the Commission for Racial Equality (now merged into the Equality and
Human Rights Commission – EHRC) investigated the Department of Health (DH)
regarding compliance with the Race Relations (Amendment) Act and was critical of the
DH’s performance in meeting its statutory duties on race equality, particularly in
conducting race equality impact assessments.
In response, the DH has introduced a much firmer focus on compliance with race equality
duties and is taking forward a range of measures to improve our performance in
conducting and publishing race equality impact assessments.
The recent health strategies referred to in this report such as the Stroke Strategy, Obesity
Strategy and Cancer Reform Strategy have all been accompanied by a detailed equality
impact assessment.
Department of Health Single Equality Scheme
The Department of Health is required under the terms of a Compliance Notice issued by
the Commission for Racial Equality to publish a revised Single Equality Scheme (SES) that
is compliant with duties under race, disability and gender equality legislation. This is now
being taken forward by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and the Department
is continuing to work with the EHRC to ensure full compliance with all equality duties.
The SES focuses on action to:

• address compliance with the statutory duties on race, gender, and disability; and
• ensure the better performance of those duties.
It also covers action to:

• promote equality and address discrimination in matters relating to age, sexual
orientation and religion or belief.
The SES sets out the framework for action over the next three years – the action plan will
be reviewed annually as part of business planning. The SES itself also has to be reviewed
and revised every three years. A new sub-committee, the Equality and Human Rights
Assurance Group, will monitor and report to the Departmental Board about the delivery
of the SES.
The SES impacts on all areas of DH business and has been prepared following wide
consultation with DH senior officials, staff diversity groups and external stakeholders.
The focus is on embedding best practice on equality in DH management practice and

policy-making. This includes:
• communicating a shared vision for equality in the DH
• strengthening basic awareness of equality duties across all DH staff and improving
guidance and training on equality impact assessment, and on good management
practice
• improving the evidence base for equality – extending coverage and analysis of data, in
particular using data from the indicators for the department’s strategic objectives to
inform identification of future priorities for action on equality
• establishing new arrangements for sharing learning and good practice between
different work areas
• strengthening arrangements for external stakeholder engagement
• establishing robust reporting and corporate governance arrangements within the DH
itself and through the DH’s accountability arrangements with the NHS and Arm’s
Length Bodies
• setting out our expectations of SHAs and Arm’s Length Bodies, such as the Healthcare
Commission, for promoting compliance with equalities legislation through the NHS
and social care system.
Effective delivery of the commitments in the revised SES will require a renewed focus and
action to embed equality in all areas of the DH’s business. The DH is strengthening its
internal arrangements to support and account for progress on equality and ensure that
all staff recognise that this is both a legal requirement and fundamental part of good
policy making.
We are also giving even greater prominence to promoting equality within the NHS, with
the NHS Management Board committing to establishing an NHS Equality and Diversity
Council at executive level to oversee delivery of equality across the NHS.
In this way we aim to build upon our progress to date as a core part of our overall drive
to improve the health of the whole nation.
CASE STUDY
NHS Choices – Black Health online information
As part of the new NHS Choices online information service, the
Department of Health launched an online information source on Black
Health in April 2008, providing advice:
• about conditions that are more common among Black and minority
ethnic groups, particularly Africans and African Caribbeans
• how to reduce risk; and
• where to go to get information and treatment.
NHS Choices aims to help deliver the goals of choice and personalised
healthcare for all by providing the depth and breadth of information
required by patients to make full use of the extended choices available to
them.
The NHS Choices website www.nhs.uk uses state-of-the art interactive

and multimedia technology to reach out to the most disadvantaged
groups in society. The website includes a Live Well section to promote
healthy living amongst key target groups such as Black and minority
ethnic communities, with the primary aim being to tackle health
inequalities.
As part of this initiative, there is a fortnightly health page in the popular

Black newspaper The New Nation, primarily addressing the health
concerns of the African and Caribbean community. Targeting those who
are often the people most likely to be denied access to healthcare
opportunities, the initiative reaches an audience that is directly affected
by discrimination and inequality.
For further information go to

www.nhs.uk/LiveWell/Blackhealth/Pages/Blackhealthhub.aspx
CASE STUDY
Westside FM: health on the radio

Westside FM is a community radio station based in Southall, in the
London Brough of Ealing, which is a predominantly minority ethnic
community, of Asians, Somalians, Afghans and Polish groups.
Health advice and information is broadcast in different languages to

increase awareness and provide a forum to discuss health issues and
provide relevant local information.
CASE STUDY
The NHS at 60
5 July 2008 marked the 60th birthday of the NHS.
To celebrate this landmark year, the Department of Health published

Sixty Years of the NHS, a proud past and a healthy future, which tells the
story of how the NHS came about, how it has developed over the years
and its focus for the future. It also highlights the invaluable contribution
that Black and minority ethnic staff have made to the service, including
the story of Tryphena Anderson, who was 19 years old when she left her
home in Jamaica to come to England to train as a nurse. Tryphena was
among thousands of men and women from the Caribbean who
responded to Britain’s recruitment drive for staff in the newly-founded
NHS. Without them, the NHS would not have survived.
In recognition of this invaluable contribution, the DH sponsored a

commemorative event on 2 July 2008 to recognise the Black and
minority ethnic contribution to the NHS and to celebrate the 60th
Anniversary of the arrival of the SS Empire Windrush, whose Caribbean
passengers set foot on Tilbury Docks, Essex on 22 June 1948 and marked
the beginning of post-war immigration to the UK.
Keynote speaker Sam King, told how he had travelled on the Windrush
in 1948 for a new life in England, and that a number of his relatives
followed in his footsteps to answer the UK’s Government’s appeal to the
Caribbean nations and Indian sub-continent to help staff the rapidly
expanding NHS.
For more on the NHS’s 60th birthday: www.dh.gov.uk/en/News/NHS60

2.5 The Criminal Justice System

Over the past three years of Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society, we have
worked towards the Government’s core aim of continuing to build a criminal justice
system (CJS) that is fair, and seen to be fair, by all members of our society.
We are conscious that Black and minority ethnic people can have a different experience of
the CJS to that of the wider population: whether that experience is the result of being a
victim of crime; a witness to crime, a defendant or as someone who has been stopped
and searched.
At the same time, we know that it is critical for long-term confidence in the CJS that the
staff in the five CJS agencies reflect the demographics of the society they serve. We are
working hard to improve staff recruitment and retention across the CJS and reduce
disproportionality wherever it occurs.
Disproportionality and Public Service Agreement 24
Disproportionality has been, and continues to be, a core issue in the CJS. We remain
concerned that the levels of disproportionality at key stages in the criminal justice process
remain unacceptably high.
We are working hard to address this through a number of measures, not least of which is
the new Public Service Agreement (PSA) 24 to ensure that local criminal justice agencies
effectively monitor, analyse and, if appropriate, reduce disproportionality. The work that
CJS agencies are doing to tackle disproportionality is reflected in this report.
Work is also already underway to introduce a

minimum data set (MDS) about ethnicity to Disproportionality
help criminal justice agencies identify the
drivers of disproportionality. Particular minority groups may
be more or less likely to be
The MDS is looked at in more detail later in the subject of an action by a
this section on page 105. criminal justice agency, and
sometimes this involvement
is disproportionate to the
representation of that minority
group in the resident
population as a whole. When
this situation happens, we use
the term ‘disproportionality’.
Our progress during the past What is the criminal justice

year system?
The Police Service The criminal justice system

(CJS) is made up of five
Taking forward the Commission for Racial agencies: the Police Service,
Equality recommendations HM Courts Service, the Prison
Service, the Crown
From 1 April 2007 responsibility for the Prosecution Service and the
strategic operational delivery of a National Probation Service.
representative police workforce was passed
to the NPIA and the Police National Diversity
Team was disbanded.
The NPIA is currently reviewing the Race Equality Programme (REP), and how work
emanating from the REP can be taken forward. Work includes:
• establishing a joint Equality and Diversity Strategy Board (involving the Home Office,
the Association of Police Authorities and the Association of Chief Police Officers) to
consider priorities for the police service
• developing a model framework and guidance to equality impact assess all national
and local policing policies
• list of priority functions and policies
• standardised national exit interview questionnaire and guidance
• employment Monitoring Duty Guidance for the police service
• The Getting It Right conference to consider the REP one year on, and workshops to
share good practice
• development of a model structure for forces to develop Confidence and Equality
Boards through which the general duty to promote race equality will be driven; and
• establishing Confidence and Equality Practitioners Networks.
Stop and search and disproportionality

The Race Equality
The CJS is working to ensure there is a steady Programme
decrease in the disproportionate numbers of
Black and minority ethnic people being The Race Equality Programme
stopped and searched by the police, while also (REP) was jointly developed in
increasing confidence in the use of Stop and 2005 by the Home Office, the
Search powers. Association of Chief Police
Officers and the Association of
Despite progress in a number of police forces, Police Authorities in response
the overall rate of disproportionality continues to the Commission for Racial
to rise. The NPIA is committed to reducing Equality’s formal investigation
disproportionality in Stop and Search through into the Police Service.
the national rollout of the Stop and Search
Practice Oriented Package, which helps police forces identify any local policies or
practices that are inappropriately driving up levels of disproportionality.
The package also aims to:

• increase local accountability; and
• develop action plans where disproportionality issues are identified.
The NPIA Stop and Search Community Panel’s action plan reflects the need for increased
community awareness of stop and search, in particular among young people. As part of
the Government response to the Home Affairs Select Committee on young Black people
in the Criminal Justice System (see below), the NPIA is committed to the development of
youth forums within the police service, to inform the development of local priorities
including stop and search activities.
CASE STUDY
Increasing awareness of Stop and Search

West Yorkshire Police established panels with representatives from the
local community. The panels ensure transparency and promote public
confidence in the recording and investigation of hate incidents and in
stop and search processes. The panels review 10 Stop and Search
incidents each month to ensure officers are behaving appropriately.
CASE STUDY
Staffordshire Police Stop and Search pilot

The Stop and Search pilot in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, demonstrates
that a force can maintain effective use of Stop and Search powers while
reducing disproportionality.
Staffordshire Police have reduced disproportionality in the use of Stop

and Search powers between Black and White residents from over 4:1 to
less than 2:1.
The Practice Orientated Package used to facilitate this process is now

being used by a number of other police forces including West Yorkshire
and Wiltshire.
Statistics on Stop and Account were published for the first time in the summer 2008.
Data is also available for 2005-06 and 2006-07. While this is not yet sufficient to evaluate
any long-term trends, it does provide an insight into the early implementation of Stop
and Account. Figures for the use of Stop and Account in the first two years show
significantly lower rates of disproportionality for Stop and Account than Stop and Search.
Standards of professional behaviour for

Stop and Account
the police
Stop and Account is when
The Standards of Professional Behaviour set
a police officer requests a
out clear standards that all stakeholders within
person in a public place to
and outside the police service expect of their
account for themselves,
police officers.
ie their actions, behaviour,
presence in an area or
The primary legislation which enables
possession of anything.
regulations to be made, incorporating the
new Standards of Professional Behaviour for
police officers, was passed in May 2008. We anticipate the new regulations will be in
place in November 2008.
The new disciplinary and unsatisfactory performance procedures for police officers are
also incorporated in the regulations. The new arrangements will transform the way with
which allegations of misconduct and poor performance about police officers are dealt.
The new procedures, which are based on good employment practice, should lead to
more proportionate and timely investigations into issues of misconduct and poor
performance. The procedures will ensure that police managers have an important role to
play in such issues and further the aim of making police officers more locally accountable.
Police forces are preparing and training for the introduction of the new standards.
The positive action leadership programme
The Positive Action Leadership Programme (PALP) is the first national positive action
initiative for police officers and staff from under-represented groups. The programme is
designed to assist with the development of a more representative workforce by
encouraging officers and police staff from under-represented groups to remain in the
service and apply for development opportunities and career progression.
Since its launch, all 43 police forces in England and Wales have run local courses or sent
delegates on national courses. The programme has only been running in its current
format for a year so it is difficult to quantify differences in the rates of either attrition or
progression. However, feedback from delegates, forces and a national evaluation is
encouraging. We are researching the possibility of developing a similar programme
targeted at senior managers in the police service.
Recruitment of Black and minority ethnic police officers
We are continuing our efforts to recruit more police officers from Black and minority
ethnic communities. There has been a steady progress, albeit a slower one than we
would have liked, since the introduction of the race equality employment targets.
Representation of Black and minority ethnic police personnel in the police service as a
whole (officers, police staff and special constables) stands at 5.3 per cent demonstrating
progress towards the overall 2009 target of seven per cent.
However, progress on increased representation of minority ethnic police officers is

moving at a slower pace. The increase to 3.9 per cent in 2007 represents a good increase
of minority ethnic police officers from the starting point of just two per cent in 1999.
We appreciate that more needs to be done. Police forces are working with their local
Black Police Association or National Association of Muslim Police to help attract
candidates by holding open days and familiarisation events.
In addition to the national target of seven per cent for the police service overall, each
force is also required to adopt a local target to be achieved by 2009, based on the Black
and minority ethnic population of each force area, with the objective of establishing
workforces that are representative of the communities they serve.
Retention of police officers from Black and minority ethnic communities
Data from 2007 revealed that the retention rate for Black and minority ethnic police
officers compared with White officers is generally poorer, meaning more minority ethnic
officers resign or are dismissed from the service more frequently than White officers. This
is particularly the case in the first six months of service.
A standardised national exit interview and questionnaire procedure have been introduced
to understand the reasons why staff leave the police service.
BUILDING A POSITIVE AND INCLUSIVE CULTURE

Key programmes designed to retain staff in the police service through cultivating and
maintaining a positive and inclusive culture, where all staff understand and respect the
business benefits of a diverse workforce are continuing.
Two such programmes are The Initial Police Learning and Development Programme and
the Race and the Diversity Learning and Development Programme where race and
diversity are embedded throughout all learning materials and underpinned by a business
case that recognises the importance of an improved performance in all diversity matters;
and the major benefits of establishing a culturally diverse workforce.
Equalities guide for police authorities
From March 2008 every police authority has a new duty to promote equality and diversity
within the police force. The Association of Police Authorities (APA) have produced An
equalities guide for police authorities which assists members to be aware of their
statutory responsibilities and role in scrutinising chief police officers about equalities and
diversity matters.
Citizenship Survey to measure confidence in CJS
Black and minority ethnic community confidence in the criminal justice agencies is
measured by the Citizenship Survey.
The survey shows that the proportion of people from minority ethnic groups who felt
that they would be treated worse than other races by at least one of the five CJS
organisations is lower in 2007-08 (28 per cent) than it was in 2001 (33 per cent).
Similarly, over the same period, there was a reduction in the percentage of those who felt
they would be treated unfairly by the police from 27 per cent to 22 per cent.
Tackling hate crime

Common definition of hate crime
The Attorney General’s Race for Justice Programme has responded to concerns that
different agencies have a different understanding of what hate crime is.
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), the Crown Prosecution Service and other
agencies have now adopted the same five strands to define those hate crimes we intend
to measure.
We intend to measure hate crime committed against someone because of his or her:
• disability
• race
• religion
• sexual orientation
• transgender.
The ACPO Hate Crime Group and Race for Justice have produced an action plan in four
areas where there is a need for a special response in order to build confidence among the
victims of hate crime and improve the service:
• Gypsy and Traveller communities
• asylum and refugee communities
• transgender victims of hate crime; and
• disability victims particularly those who suffer from a learning disability and mental
health issues.
ACPO hate crime manual

What is Race for Justice?
Race for Justice and ACPO’s Hate Crime Group
are republishing the hate crime manual which Race for Justice is a cross-
will include policy on: government programme,
lead by the Attorney General,
• internet hate crime which aims to improve the
• internal hate crime (committed by or investigation and prosecution
against CJS Colleagues) of hate crime and increase
confidence in the criminal
• best practice guidance for the use of ‘Third
justice system for all victims
Party’ reporting centres for those victims
of hate crime.
who are not willing to report directly to the
police; and
• minimum standards of investigation for hate crimes.
Training review
Race for Justice has also started a training review.
The dedicated Sector Skills Council for the Justice sector, Skills for Justice, has developed
occupational standards for many roles within CJS agencies. This work, together with the
new manual, will provide the foundations for a full training needs analysis for police
colleagues across a broad spectrum of roles.
Race for Justice has met with the Judicial Studies Board Equal Treatment Advisory
Committee to discuss the development of a hate crime training programme for the
judiciary and related professionals.
Attorney General’s declaration
In December 2007, the Attorney General produced a Race for Justice Declaration to
condemn all forms of hate crime.
The declaration is being promulgated through Criminal Justice Agencies and partner
groups. Signing the declaration is a pre-requisite for voluntary and community groups to
receive any government funding.
Reducing unsuccessful hate crime prosecutions
The CPS has a range of initiatives in place to reduce unsuccessful hate crime
prosecutions:
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT
Areas report their performance against the hate crime indicator and are rated quarterly
through the Area Performance Review Process.
THEMED REVIEWS
The Equality and Diversity Unit carries out themed reviews to give a detailed analysis of
the factors affecting the performance of a particular service delivery area and allows
areas to identify action to be taken.
A review of homophobic crime was carried out in 2006-07 and into 2007-08 and is
leading to a toolkit of good practice to reduce unsuccessful outcomes.
A similar review on disability hate crime began in the third quarter of 2008-09 and will be
completed in 2011.
DATA ANALYSIS
CPS has published data on racist offences since 2001 as part of the Racist and Religious
Incident Monitoring Scheme (RRIMS). CPS published its first annual Hate Crime Report in
December 2008 which draws together hate crime information across the strands and is
available on the CPS website.
The annual report contains information on prosecution decisions and outcomes in all
cases identified by the police or the CPS as racist or religious incidents.
HATE CRIME REPORT

We will draw together data on our hate crime Racist incident
performance across the strands in our first
annual hate crime report to be published in A racist incident is defined by
October 2008. the police and the CPS as any
incident which is perceived to
be racist by the victim or any
other person.
PUBLICATION OF PROSECUTION POLICY STATEMENTS

Policy statements for prosecutors and related guidance on disability, homophobic and
transphobic, and racist and religious hate crime are regularly reviewed and refreshed and
published on the CPS website.
HATE CRIME SCRUTINY PANELS

Hate crime scrutiny panels are made up of representatives from community groups,
supported by an independent lawyer, and independently chaired. They aim to scrutinise
what went well and what did not go well in individual hate crime cases reviewed by the
CPS and to gather the lessons that were learnt. The panels were introduced into all CPS
areas from March 2008.
TRAINING FOR PROSECUTORS

Prosecutors throughout England and Wales have been trained on how to apply hate
crime policies to their prosecution practice.
PILOTS TO DEVELOP COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

The CPS ran three community engagement pilots in Durham, Thames Valley and West
Yorkshire from 2005-07:
• The Durham pilot focused on victim and witness care, linked to a sensitive cases
court;
• The Thames Valley pilot focused on successful prosecutions of anti-social behaviour;
• The West Yorkshire pilot focused on:
– hate crime scrutiny, in particular racist and religious crimes; and
– consulting communities via a Community Involvement Panel on Area Business
Planning. The West Yorkshire panel was a considerable success which saw a 12 per
cent reduction in the number of unsuccessful hate crime prosecutions. It was as a
result of the West Yorkshire pilot that the CPS introduced Hate Crime Scrutiny
Panels across all CPS Areas.
The Community Engagement conference highlighted the results of the three community
engagement pilots (outlined above) and set out the way forward.
Following the success of these pilots, the CPS has now set up Community Involvement
Panels at the regional level throughout England and Wales.
POLICY REVISION
Homophobic and transphobic crime policy was revised in November 2007 following a six-
week public consultation, with the oversight of a steering group made up of members of
the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities.
CPS racist and religious hate crime policy was revised in March 2008 following public
consultation, with the oversight of a steering group made up of members from Black and
minority ethnic and faith communities.
Hate Crime Monitoring Project
One of the priority actions in the CPS Corporate Business Plan 2008-11 is the Hate Crime
Monitoring Project, which involved consulting stakeholders about which aspects of hate
crime performance should be monitored, and then developing recommendations.
Some of these recommendations were implemented (for example, monitoring the

religion or belief of defendants, victims and witnesses) and we are currently assessing the
data that has come back during this first phase.
Victims and witnesses

Standards of service and processes
The Code of Practice for Victims of Crime has been in place since April 2006. It gives all
victims of crime the legal right to a high standard of service from the police, the CPS, the
courts and other CJS agencies.
CJS agency compliance against the code’s standards has been kept under regular review
during 2007-08. Significant good practice has been identified in local CJS areas, which
has been collected and made available for other areas to draw on.
The Witness and Victim Experience Survey (WAVES) gives performance data on whether
code obligations have been given to victims and witnesses. At national level, this is
supplemented by a six-monthly return that local CJS areas carry out to self-assess
compliance against each of the code’s requirements. At local level, compliance is
monitored by the respective agencies, for example through dip sampling of files or
checks of relevant fields on IT systems. Local Criminal Justice Boards then take an
overview about monitoring local compliance against the code.
Witness Care Units
The 158 Witness Care Units that have been established across England and Wales provide
a single point of contact for victims and witnesses whose cases reach charge or beyond.
Witness Care Units help witness attendance at court which, in turn, affects the number
of trials that can go ahead. A detailed needs assessment for witnesses, covering
everything from transport to childcare, is carried out by the units. Practical and emotional
needs are also assessed and a referral is made, if necessary, to the appropriate support.
Victim and Witness Support
Help is available to victims of crime through Victim Support, a national organisation

supporting victims and witnesses of crime. The government funds Victim Support
£30million a year to provide support to victims and witnesses of crime.
For the past two years the government has provided an additional £12.6million to roll
out Victim Support Plus, which provides enhanced services to victims of crime. Through
Victim Support Plus, victims will receive a telephone call from a fully-trained Victim Care
Officer within 48 hours of referral from the police. Using a new toolkit, victims will have
their needs assessed before arrangements are made to provide the necessary support
services. This will take the form of practical advice and support, and emotional support
from volunteers with specialist training in supporting victims of serious and violent crime.
The model makes support services to victims faster and easier to access, more consistent
and practical, and tailored to victims’ needs. Victim Support also refers victims onto
specialist support delivered by other organisations where Victim Support does not have
the expertise or where there is a mutual referral relationship.
Victims’ Fund
Since 2004-05, we have run a Victims’ Fund to provide resources to specialist

organisations supporting victims of serious crimes.
The sexual violence strand of the Victims’ Fund re-awarded grants to the same
organisations in 2008-09 as in 2007-08. A list of these organisations can be seen at
Annex A of this report. Decisions have yet to be made on the hate crime and homicide
strands of the fund.
Improving diversity in the CPS
PSA 24 requires all criminal justice agencies to measure, analyse and account for
disproportionate rates of staff retention and progression.
Equalities in Employment, produced annually by the CPS, reports on staff recruitment

and retention broken down by key demographic groups. This complements the delivery
of the action plans in the CPS’s Single Equality Scheme’s which are used to influence
organisational development and presented to the Commission for Racial Equality (now
the Equality and Human Rights Commission) as best practice. Staff turnover within the
CPS is 9.8 per cent.
STAFF SURVEY
Attitudes to recruitment and retention are measured through the bi-annual Staff Survey
using questions about whether staff intend to continue working for the CPS in the next
12 to 24 months. The 2008 survey has been completed.
STAFF NETWORKS
There has also been a review of the staff networks, ensuring a more equitable re-
allocation of funding to all networks including the National Black Crown Prosecution
Association (NBCPA), the LGBT Network and the Disabled Staff Network (DSN). The
NBCPA runs a number of development programmes which have a positive impact on the
progression of Black and minority ethnic staff, resulting in a lower turnover.
Anthony Walker Law Scholarship
In 2008 the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in Merseyside launched the Anthony Walker
Law Scholarship. The scholarship was open to any appropriately-qualified Black or
minority ethnic person. A trainee has been appointed to study either for the Legal
Practice Course with a view to becoming a solicitor; or the Bar Vocational Course with a
view to becoming a barrister.
Recruitment advertising
An advertisement for the Anthony Walker Law Scholarship Scheme was placed in the
yearly edition of the Black Solicitors’ Network Journal.
We continue to circulate details of certain CPS vacancies and looked at employment

opportunities in other departments and organisations, such as the Attorney General’s
Office and Eurojust, as well as the DSN, NBCPA and LGBT for them to highlight the
opportunities to their members.
Fairs and events
The National Recruitment Centre has attended the LGBT recruitment fair in London and
the DSD conference for disabled lawyers.
Work experience opportunities
Work experience opportunities are available across the CPS for students and school
children from all communities.
The CPS also accepts work experience placements through the Government Legal Service
law graduate placement scheme, welcoming applicants from all communities.
Reviewing CPS recruitment policy
Human Resources are currently reviewing the CPS recruitment policy as part of the CPS
resourcing strategy to fill every vacancy with the highest calibre candidate available, who
will be appointed on merit within a framework of equality for all.
Recruitment of magistrates
The 101 Advisory Committees responsible for the recruitment and selection of
magistrates are strongly encouraged to target recruitment at under-represented groups
in their respective areas. In addition, we critically appraise all recruitment funding bids to
ensure campaign plans include measures to improve diversity. We have also supported
(including the provision of substantial funding) three external awareness raising
initiatives:
• the Magistrates in the Community Project (run by the Magistrates’ Association)
• Magistrates Shadowing Scheme (run by Operation Black Vote), and
• the Magistrates’ Courts Mock Trial Competition (run by the Citizenship Foundation).
Nationally, there have been positive, albeit small, trends on gender and ethnic diversity
in recent years. Disappointingly, current figures for 2007-08 indicate a very small
reduction in the proportion of magistrates under 50, which has historically hovered
around 20 per cent.
Table 1: Magistrates by Gender (% female)

2005-06 49.7
2006-07 9.7
2007-08 50
Table 2: Magistrates by ethnicity (% Black and minority ethnic)

2005-06 6.7
2006-07 6.9
2007-08 7.28
Age (proportion under 50)
2005-06 20.1
2006-07 18.8
2007-08 18.9
It is important to recognise that the local diversity picture varies from area to area,
particularly when looking at Black and minority ethnic magistrates.
Analysis carried out in mid-2007 showed that approximately 50 per cent of committee
areas had Black and minority ethnic representation which exceeded that of the local
population.
RECRUITMENT IN 2007-08
In 2007-08, 74 Advisory Committees ran recruitment campaigns. To date, 1,919
magistrates have been appointed. The diversity profile of this year’s new appointees is
encouraging:
Table 3: Profile of 2007-08 magistrate appointees (%)

Female 51
Black and minority ethnic 10
Under 50 46
RECRUITMENT IN 2008-09
AC plans for recruitment in 2008-09 indicate that 94 Advisory Committees plan to recruit
approximately the 1,770 magistrates.
Ministry of Justice personnel
The Ministry of Justice offers Positive Action Training (PAT) which is a management
development programme for BME staff. This PAT programme is designed for individuals
who identify as being Black or of a visibly minority ethnic origin. It is open to those at
bands D-B, and is also open to band E’s who have been on temporary promotion for a
prolonged period. The programme, which is split into two parts, can hold a maximum of
15 delegates at any one time and runs for a total of five days. It uses two affinity trainers
and is delivered nationally. PAT can be run as a residential or non-residential programme.
An evaluation was completed by end February 2008 and this indicated that attendees
felt the course was very effective.
• The courses have been developed in partnership with the PROUD Network and the
National School of Government since 2002.
• Three courses were run in FY 2007-08 with a total of 30 delegates attending and a
follow-up event for delegates who attended PAT last year was also held in October
when 25 delegates attended.
• Six courses were run in 2006-07 with about 70 people attending.
• Line managers are invited to attend on the introductory day, to help them understand
the legislation and context behind the training programme and to encourage them to
support attendees when they apply the learning in the workplace, although their
attendance is disappointingly low.
Better data to understand disproportionality
As we have outlined earlier, disproportionality is a key issue for the CJS. In order to
improve our understanding of the issue, during the current PSA period we are focusing
on obtaining and making effective use of better and more consistent data across all CJS
agencies, in particular the use of the self-defined 16+1 ethnicity classification as used in
the 2001 Census.
This work is of particular importance with regard to court data. The quality of data on
criminal court proceedings in the annual Section 95 Statistics on Race and the CJS Report
has historically been poor quality with only a small number of areas having data of
sufficient quality to be published.
Following a survey distributed to all 42 Local Criminal Justice Boards, we have identified
strategies to remedy this situation. A data handling protocol has been developed in
partnership with HMCS, NPIA and the EHRC to improve the quality of court data. This
protocol will be implemented by LCJBs from April 2009.
Minimum Dataset – The key to building an accurate picture

As a result of the Root and Branch Review of the Statistics on Race and the CJS, the
Minimum Dataset Specification (MDS) was taken forward by OCJR with assistance from
external contractors. The MDS specifies a minimum set of data required by LCJBs to
effectively performance manage local CJS agencies on race issues.
Development Stage
Six Local Criminal Justice Boards were involved in the development stage of the MDS
which was completed in August 2007, and resulted in:
• a review of literature and systems in use
• development of process maps of MDS requirements for each CJS agency, covering
each stage of the criminal justice process
• interviews with key national stakeholders in each CJS agency
• development of MDS requirements per agency for each stage
• interviews with six LCJB agencies; and
• a concise report, outlining the final MDS specification, guidance on collection, analysis
and reporting.
Pilot Stage
The pilot stage of the MDS started in October 2007 and was completed in September
2008.
LCJBs were invited to participate in the pilot through an open invitation and assessment
process. Seven LCJBs were successful in their applications to become pilot sites: London,
Wiltshire, Durham, Avon & Somerset, North Yorkshire, Durham and Greater Manchester.
ISSUES TO EMERGE FROM THE PILOT

• the need to reduce the proportion of cases with ethnicity ‘Not Stated’
• the difficulties in collecting data locally
• capacity of LCJBs to analyse data and the need for robust governance structures to
ensure that issues arising through MDS are effectively taken forward and addressed.
The MDS will be rolled out to all 42 LCJBs by March 2011.
The Youth Justice System

The Youth Justice Board (YJB) is committed to working collaboratively with Criminal
Justice and Children’s Service partners to improve the youth justice system for all
communities. This has included involvement with the Office for Criminal Justice Reform
for a joined-up approach to the youth justice system.
Research commissioned by the YJB has indicated that Black and minority ethnic groups
can receive different outcomes when they are brought into the youth justice system that
can not always be explained by differences in the characteristics of a case. There are no
simple patterns of disproportionate outcomes but the research does point to potential
discrimination.
In response to these concerns, the YJB established a corporate objective to seek equal
treatment at local level for comparable offences by different ethnic groups. To support
this approach, the YJB set a key performance indicator for locally-managed Youth
Offending Teams (YOTs) to undertake local audits and establish action plans to address
differences between the ethnic composition of offenders in all pre-court and post-court
disposals and the ethnic composition of their local communities.
To support the new PSA 24, the YJB is ensuring that the disproportionate representation
in the YJS is included in its new planning framework for YOTs including YOTs undertaking
an annual assessment of their capacity and capability to identify and address local
concerns.
The YOT self-assessment will then be validated by YJB regional teams and, where
appropriate, priorities agreed for supporting continuous improvement. Furthermore, the
proportionate ethnic composition of young people in the youth justice system in England
has been included in the new National Indicator Set for local government and its
partners.
The YJB has finalised a new diversity and equalities strategy that, while focused on
developing the YJBs’ internal approach to these challenges, includes actions to further
support the work of YOTs. These include:
• ensuring that the new national standards for youth justice and case management
guidance includes information for YOTs on equality and diversity
• increasing the sharing of best practice among YOTs; and
• improved monitoring, by ethnicity, of secure accommodation for young people
remanded or sentenced by the courts.
Home Affairs Select Committee Inquiry
The Inquiry focused on the relationship between young Black people and the CJS, and
the reasons for their over-representation in the system. The evidence suggested that
while the CJS had a significant role to play in tackling disproportionality, the issue was
much wider. This led to a series of recommendations for cross-Government action –
particularly in tackling the key socio-economic and cultural factors that are linked to an
over-representation of young Black people in the CJS.
The committee emphasised that to achieve real changes in outcomes for young Black
people in the CJS, the Government needed to work across departmental boundaries.
A Command Paper published in October 2007 provided an account of the cross-
government activity taking place to deliver the committee’s recommendations and made
a series of commitments to further work.
An annual report of progress was published in December 2008. In it we set out progress
we have made against individual recommendations and the actions we are taking to
improve our data set to both better monitor progress and to drive improvements in
performance. For example, we are introducing the Basket of Indicators, focused on a
number of key areas within the CJS to help us to identify where disproportionality is
occurring and to track levels over time. It is supported by the work we are taking forward
on the new Minimum Dataset (see above). We have also taken the opportunity to set out
the range of policy initiatives that have been put in place since the Government’s original
response that contribute to the desired changes in outcomes, for example, the Children’s
Plan.
The Prison Service
We are continuing our work as outlined in the previous two Improving Opportunity,
Strengthening Society reports including:
• implementing the Race Equality Action Plan
• detecting racism and racist behaviour in prisons; and
• working with the National Offender Management Service (NOMS).
FROM RACE EQUALITY ACTION PLAN TO SINGLE EQUALITY SCHEME

The Race Equality Action Plan (REAP) set out all the high-level actions that the Prison
Service was taking on race equality. It built on the joint action plan agreed with
the Commission for Racial Equality in 2003 and included actions to address the
recommendations made in the Zahid Mubarek Inquiry report and the Areas for
Development identified by HM Inspectorate of Prisons in the Parallel Worlds: a thematic
review of race relations in prisons report.
The five-year period of the joint action plan agreed with the CRE came to an end
in December 2008. To mark the end of the partnership agreement a review was
commissioned to assess the progress made in addressing the failure areas identified
by the CRE in their formal investigation. The findings were published in the report,
Race Review 2008: Implementing Race and Equality in Prisons – Five Years on, launched
at HMP Brixton on 16 December 2008.
Some of the key findings from the review are as follows:

• A revised national policy on race equality – set out in Prison Service Order (PSO 2800)
– was issued. An accompanying Prison Service Standard on Race Equality provides
the framework for auditing delivery of the PSO in establishments in a way that
moves beyond testing compliance and is focused on ensuring that establishments
are successfully delivering outcomes which increase race equality
• Local REAPs are managed by a Race Equality Action Teams (REATs), led by the local
Governor or Deputy Governor. REATs include prisoner representatives and individuals
from external community organisations who are positively engaged in work to
promote race equality. A comprehensive programme of training for REATs has been
rolled out and, at September 2008, over 1,900 REAT members have been trained
• Each establishment now has a Race Equality Officer (REO), with a three-fold increase
in the average time given to their work over the last four years. In many cases the
grading of the REO role has also been changed, with many more establishments now
having a middle manager in the post or leading a small team, and some with diversity
managers on the Senior Management Team
• Local delivery of the Race agenda is supported by full-time Area Diversity Leads in
each of the eleven Prison Service Areas and in the High Security Estate. As well as
supporting REATs and REOs in establishments, these staff provide key information to
Area Managers which enables them to monitor and scrutinise performance on race
equality, for example by quality assuring race equality impact assessments
• SMART (Systematic Monitoring and Analysing of Race Equality Template) facilitates
the analysis of data on a wide range of processes to alert establishments to potentially
disproportionate impact
• Recruitment and retention of Black and minority ethnic staff has continued to improve
• The handling of racist incident reporting forms (RIRFs) has been improved
considerably. Initial action was taken to put in place rigorous processes to ensure
access, tracking and thorough investigation. External scrutiny of a proportion of
completed investigations was mandated nationally, with local implementation having
produced some particularly good practice using external panels. There is evidence
that this has increased the accessibility of the system, with the number of RIRFs having
increased from 8,454 in 2004-05 to 13,323 in 2007-08
• Further improvements in the handling of both RIRFs and general complaints have been
piloted in four prisons, with positive outcomes using a prisoner confidence survey
developed by Cambridge University. Improved training for investigators has been
introduced, and mediation awareness training has been piloted, and encouragement
given to REOs to use informal conflict resolution methods in appropriate cases
• Improvements to services such as catering and prison shops have sought to make
provision more suitable to the needs of Black and minority ethnic prisoners and there
are strong indications that this has been effective in responses to HMCIP surveys
• The CRE’s criticisms of the Service’s failure to provide for the faith needs of Muslim
prisoners have been fully addressed.
The response to the report has been very positive, with the EHRC, commending
the process used to produce it and withdrawing the Non-Discrimination Notice.
The Commission did, however, make clear that they expect continued progress on race
and other diversity issues. On this basis, and because we are aware of our wider equality
duties we will be moving from a Race Equality Action Plan to a Single Equality Scheme,
setting out how we will work across all diversity strands. The REAP will be closed off and
the few outstanding issues will be included in the programme of work in the Single
Equality Scheme. This will include any ongoing work on the areas for development from
the HMCIP thematic report Parallel Worlds, but not the actions from the Zahid Mubarek
Inquiry, which will be handled separately because they include actions on areas not
directly related to diversity. A new governance structure will be put in place to oversee
the work on the SES and we have begun discussions with the EHRC about revised
scrutiny arrangements.
BETTER DETECTION OF RACIST BEHAVIOUR

We have continued to improve the detection of racist behaviour. Along with the booklet
based on the Signs of Hate material developed by Searchlight (the organisation that
opposes racism in Britain and abroad), we have produced two further tools for staff.
The first is Detecting and Managing Race in Prisons, a pack designed to advise all staff
on how to detect and manage racism in prisons, specifically looking at those who
are identified as racially motivated offenders and those prisoners that display racist
attitudes and behaviours whilst in custody. The second resource is Race Equality in
Our Communities, an accredited pack designed to support teachers who are educating
students identified as a ‘low level threat of racism’. This second resource is not for use
with high-risk offenders who continue to be dealt with via offender management and
good order or discipline protocols.
WORKING WITH THE NATIONAL OFFENDER MANAGEMENT SERVICE

In April 2008, the Ministry of Justice was reorganised and the public sector Prison Service
joined with contracted prisons and the Probation Service to form a reconfigured NOMS.
The Single Equality Scheme mentioned above will set out the work on diversity and
equality across NOMS. It will constitute an ambitious but realistic set of actions to
improve our performance on all diversity issues, prioritising the key areas identified in
Race Review 2008 as well as the work that we need to do on other diversity strands.
The 42 probation areas are listed separately in equalities legislation and will therefore
produce their own SESs.
Chapter 3 Building cohesive communities | 119
Chapter 3
Building cohesive communities
3.1 Creating a shared sense of belonging
3.2 Tackling racism and extremism
3.3 Supporting areas experiencing challenges to cohesion
3.4 Engaging with faith communities
This chapter reports on the ways in which we are working towards building integration
and cohesion.
As in our previous reports, we focus the strategy under four main areas of work:
• creating a shared sense of belonging
• tackling racism and extremism
• supporting areas of the country that experience challenges to cohesion; and
• engaging with faith communities.
Community cohesion
Community cohesion is what must happen in all communities to enable

different groups of people to get on well together. A key contributor to
community cohesion is integration which is what must happen to enable
new residents and existing residents to adjust to one another.
Our vision of an integrated and cohesive community is based on three

foundations:
• people from different backgrounds having similar life opportunities
• people knowing their rights and responsibilities; and
• people trusting one another and trusting local institutions to act fairly.
And three key ways of living together:

• a shared future vision and sense of belonging
• a focus on what new and existing communities have in common,
alongside a recognition of diversity; and
• strong and positive relationships between people from different
backgrounds.
3.1 Creating a shared sense of belonging

Cohesion is not about being ‘the same’ but about sharing the same values while
recognising diversity.
Cohesion is about bringing people together at community level while also engaging
people in wider civic life.
Our progress
PSA with emphasis on cohesion
In October 2007, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a new cross-government

Public Service Agreement (PSA 21) to build cohesive, empowered and active
communities.
To capture the breadth of the Government’s ambition to build integrated and cohesive
communities, the cohesion and empowerment elements of this PSA will be measured
against four national indicators: the percentage of people who:
• believe people from different backgrounds get on well together in their local area
• feel that they belong to their neighbourhood
• have meaningful interactions with people from different backgrounds; and
• feel they can influence decisions in their locality.
Three of these are also included within the single set of 198 national indicators as part of
the new performance framework for local authorities and local authority partnerships.
Eighty-seven areas have picked up the getting on well together indicator. Seven areas
have taken the belonging locally indicator and 85 the influencing decision indicator.
The success of local areas in achieving these targets will have a bearing on whether the
PSA is achieved. This performance framework provides real incentives both nationally and
locally for a new focus on building cohesive and integrated communities.
Investment to promote cohesion

The Department for Communities and Local Government is investing £50million over
three years from 2008 to 2011 to promote community cohesion and support local
authorities in preventing and managing community tensions.
Communities and Local Government is investing £4.5million (of the £50million) to

support the provision of positive activities for young people and in interfaith activity.
£34million of this investment has been allocated through the Area Based Grant using the
community cohesion best value performance indicator findings from the 2006-07
General Best Value User Survey. Resources will be targeted at those local authorities in
greatest need.
Cohesion Delivery Framework
Communities and Local Government plans to provide further guidance as part of the
Cohesion Delivery Framework, building on existing guidance they have already published,
other government departments and other bodies such as IDeA. Communities and Local
Government will work with colleagues in local government to identify what practitioners’
priorities are for additional specialist material (for example, on mainstreaming cohesion,
the links between good urban design and cohesion and how neighbourhood policy can
help promote cohesion) and ensure that the framework meets their needs.
Meaningful interaction and a sense of belonging
Meaningful interaction is one of the three measures of cohesion in the PSA. In January
2009 we published guidance on what works locally based on existing good practice as
part of the Cohesion Delivery Framework.
The Beacon Scheme
‘Cohesive and Resilient Communities’ was one of the themes in Round 10 of the Beacon
Scheme, applications for which closed on 11 July.
The Beacon Scheme acknowledges and shares best practice in service delivery across local
government, and Beacon status is granted to those authorities which can demonstrate a
clear vision, excellent services and a willingness to innovate within a theme.
The selection of this theme for Round 10 will enable successful authorities to gain
recognition for and – disseminate – the work they are doing to take forward the
Commission on Integration and Cohesion’s work.
Commission on Integration and Cohesion
The independent Commission on Integration and Cohesion (CIC) was set up in August
2006 to explore how different communities and places in England are getting along and
what more might be done to bring people together. The Government published its full
response in February 2008.
It set out how the Government is following up all of the Commission’s 57

recommendations and a new commitment to delivering cohesive and integrated
communities.
Delivering cohesion locally – with central support
At the heart of our approach to delivering cohesive communities is the principle that
cohesion is something that can only be understood and built locally. Central
Government’s role is to provide a performance framework alongside, guidance, targeted
support and resources to enable local authorities and their partners to deliver cohesion
locally.
Guidance for local areas is being brought together under the single banner of our
Cohesion Delivery Framework. This will provide local practitioners with flexible, up to
date, organised guidance covering a wide range of cohesion issues to enable them to
deliver tailored responses. The framework will cover generic cohesion issues as well as
specific elements aimed at particular cohesion challenges.
As part of the new National Improvement and Efficiency Strategy, more targeted support
and capacity building for local areas will be driven primarily by the sector itself through
the Regional Improvement and Efficiency Partnerships (which will include the
Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government - IDeA). However, we also
intend to target direct support ourselves to local areas where necessary, for example in
response to particularly challenging local issues or events. We are piloting Specialist
Cohesion Teams in areas facing specific cohesion challenges.
Specific projects on cohesion over the past year
In response to the CIC’s suggestions and recommendations we have, over the past year
carried out a number of projects and actions to promote cohesions. These include:
• Guidance on Translation – was published in Dec 2007 with the aim of spreading
existing good practice, and ensuring that translation was only provided where it was
necessary to act as a stepping stone to speaking English, in line with the Commission’s
suggestions regarding efficiency and integration
• Citizens’ Day Framework – was launched in Nov 2007 with the Citizenship
Foundation, to explore how local authorities can celebrate local achievements, build
and renew community cohesion, and develop local engagement. This was in direct
response to the Commission’s recommendation that inter-community engagement
would be enhanced by the early introduction of a ‘Community Week’
• Information Packs for New Migrants – CLG and IDeA published guidance on how
to produce a model information pack for new migrants. The publication has a strong
emphasis on responsibilities as well as rights and encourages Local Authorities to
customise the pack to reflect local needs and culture. In response to the CIC, and in
association with the IDeA guidance, CLG published a short pamphlet, suggesting
some key factors local authorities might wish to take into account when producing
such guidance
• Specialist Cohesion Teams – pilot Specialist Cohesion Teams started in July 2008 in
the Norfolk district of Breckland, and Barnsley in Yorkshire
• Contingency planning and tension monitoring – CLG published its guidance for
local authorities on community cohesion contingency planning and tension
monitoring on 12 May 2008
• Cohesion Delivery Framework overview was published in July 2008 and offers
advice to local authorities, such as those working in areas which have just selected
cohesion priorities in their Local Area Agreements, on how to analyse the issues for
cohesion in their area and develop a plan of action
• The Inter Faith Framework was published in July 2008. The framework aims to
facilitate inter faith dialogue which builds understanding and increase the level of
collaborative social action involving different faith communities and wider civil society.
• Communities and Local Government published a cohesion impact assessment tool
aimed at local authorities and their partners. It is designed to help them to test
planned or current activities to see if they will have a positive or negative impact on
Community Cohesion.
Education and cohesion

Globalisation, increased travel and changing migration patterns are driving the UK
society to become increasingly diverse. This means children and young people today, over
the course of their lifetimes, are more likely to come into contact with; be educated with;
work with or even live next door to individuals from a different race, culture, faith or
socio-economic background.
If we want to build a strong, cohesive and fair society then it is important that we help
children and young people understand and appreciate diversity, particularly if we want
them to succeed, fulfil their potential and become responsible, active citizens in the
future.
Education and schools particularly, have a key role to play in building this fair and
cohesive society by giving children and young people the skills, knowledge and
opportunities to learn with, from and about those from different cultures, beliefs and
socio-economic backgrounds.
Duty on schools to promote community cohesion
Community cohesion is central to what the majority of good schools are already doing to
ensure that they help all their pupils succeed and fulfil their potential. The duty on all
maintained schools to promote community cohesion, which came into effect on 1
September 2007, is a recognition of the important and key role that schools can play and
have been playing in building strong and cohesive communities. It is also a key part of
the Department for Children, Schools and Families’ (DCSF’s) vision for a 21st Century
School as set out in the Children’s Plan, which helps all children to succeed and fulfil their
potential as well as providing services for parents and the local community.
The Children’s Plan, published in December 2007, also sets out DCSF’s aims around
cohesion; to work towards a society in which children and young people:
• understand others, value diversity, apply and defend human rights and are skilled in
participation and responsible action
• fulfil their potential and succeed at the highest level possible, with no barriers to
access and participation in learning and to wider activities, and no variation between
outcomes for different groups
• have real and positive relationships with people from different backgrounds, and feel
part of a community, at a local, national and international level.
From September 2008 onwards, as part of the normal school inspection process, Ofsted
will assess the contribution every school is making to promoting community cohesion.
SUPPORTING SCHOOLS IN MEETING THEIR DUTY

To support schools in meeting their duty to promote community cohesion the DCSF has:
• Published guidance to schools in July 2007, which sets out how schools can contribute
to promoting community cohesion and meet their new duty; through their teaching
and learning, work on improving participation and narrowing achievement gaps, and
through their ethos, extended services and engagement with the local community
www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/Communitycohesion/Community_
Cohesion_Guidance
• Organised and delivered a national conference and nine regional conferences for head
teachers, governors and local authority representatives during autumn 2007 to raise
awareness and understanding about the duty and community cohesion
• Developed and published in partnership with Institute of Community Cohesion
(ICoCo) an online resource pack to provide schools with practical advice, support and
examples of good practice to help schools promote community cohesion and meet
their new duty. Schools can use the resource pack to review their current work in
relation to promoting cohesion and take action to further develop and improve their
practice and provision
www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/Communitycohesion/
communitycohesionresourcepack
• Launched the national School Linking Network with an investment of £2million over
the three year period 2008-11 to provide practical support to schools and local
authorities in setting-up links with schools in different contexts so that their pupils
have opportunities to interact with other children from different backgrounds
• Introduced in September 2008, a new concept within the secondary Citizenship
curriculum Identity and Diversity: Living Together in the UK to help pupils explore that
identities are complex, can change over time and individuals can have multiple
identities
• Developed a £1million Religious Education (RE) Action Plan to improve the teaching
and learning of RE in schools so that it contributes better to promoting community
cohesion. This includes the development of CPD Handbook for RE teachers; a review
of RE materials for teaching world religions and strengthening the role of Standing
Advisory Committees on Religious Education (SACREs)
• Launched the inaugural “Who Do We Think We Are? Week” for schools in June 2008
to celebrate diversity and identity. Plans are to make this a regular fixture on the school
calendar.
In addition, the DCSF has established a head teacher reference group to provide
feedback and advice on what further support schools might require, to help them meet
the duty.
CASE STUDY
Valuing difference: raising students’ awareness
and appreciation of diversity
At Notley High School in Braintree, Essex, RE, Personal Social and Health
Education (PSHE) and ICT teachers worked together to develop and
deliver a new, cross-curricular module of study to enable students to
achieve greater positive awareness and appreciation of cultural diversity –
particularly in relation to understanding how religious values and beliefs
impact on people’s behaviour.
The predominantly monocultural nature of Notley High School’s
catchment area means that many of the students tend to have little
experience of religious or cultural diversity within their immediate locality.
However, as the ethnic make-up of the town is changing, particularly
with a growing Nigerian and Muslim presence, it was hoped that
through a study of a variety of examples of prejudice and discrimination
the students’ positive appreciation of difference would be fortified.
The module of study was devised for use with Year 9 pupils (i.e. 13-14
year olds) – specifically built around RE concepts of ‘identity, diversity and
belonging’ and ‘practices and ways of life’; and the corresponding PSHE
concepts of ‘diversity’ and ‘personal identities’.
The key question, ‘How do people practise their faith, even in the face of
adversity?’ was devised together with research tasks to help the students
explore how forgiveness can affect people’s lives. These included asking
Year 9 students to produce a leaflet for Year 6 pupils (11 year olds) that
focused on the life, beliefs and actions of one of a selection of people
engaged in activities to counter racism or inequality.
Another key question ‘How do people respond to difference?’ was used
to enable students to consider issues associated with mental health,
gender discrimination and refugees. The English concept of Critical
Understanding was incorporated into the module planning by using
poetry and children’s diary entries as stimulus material for discursive
activities.
The work also linked to the cross-curricular dimensions of ‘identity and
cultural diversity’, ‘healthy lifestyles’, and ‘creativity and critical thinking’
as the students were encouraged to form positive relationships with
others and make connections between ideas.
By the end of the unit of work, the students were responding to
situations with more empathy and using the terms introduced during the
work with confidence. They had become more aware of how their
attitudes and actions could be discriminatory and the influence this may
well have on other people. They developed collaborative working skills
through role play and presentations. Additionally, this enhanced their
awareness of themselves, their own identity and how their ideas and
behaviour impact on others. Their independent learning skills were
developed in research tasks and time management of a project.
SCHOOLS LINKING NETWORK

Meaningful interaction between young people from different backgrounds in a safe
environment can be a powerful way to deepen the understanding and appreciation of
others from different backgrounds.
The Diversity and Citizenship Curriculum Review, conducted by Sir Keith Ajegbo and
published in January 2007, and the report Our Shared Future by the Commission for
Integration and Cohesion both recommended greater use of school twinning
partnerships to allow learners from different areas and cultural backgrounds to meet and
learn together and from each other.
The DCSF is taking forward these recommendations by investing £2million over the
period 2008-11, supported by an additional £1million donation from the Pears
Foundation, to establish the national Schools Linking Network to provide guidance and
support to schools and local authorities. The Network has two main elements:
• a website at www.schoolslinkingnetwork.org.uk to allow schools to seek a linking
partner online, with support and training on how to develop and sustain the link from
the Schools Linking Network Advisers. The website also has resources and training
materials for schools to use; and
• Direct support to local authorities to establish local linking projects with schools in their
area. The School Linking Network is planning to support and work with 40 local authorities
over the next three years to set up local school linking projects based on local need.
CASE STUDY
Oldham – Unit in the Community Sport Programme

Unity in the Community is an imaginative community cohesion initiative
across more than fifty primary and secondary schools. It links up schools
serving diverse communities and enables them to connect through sport
in a safe, enjoyable and structured environment, and help changing
attitudes of young people in the borough. Children are then actively
encouraged to attend further sporting opportunities such as Active Sport
sessions, Greater Manchester Youth Games, Open for Action holiday
courses and junior club sessions.
Unity Anti Bullying Programme is a joint initiative delivered in partnership
with Oldham Rugby League Football Club. The project is based around
a specially developed reading book, which allows children to challenge
prejudice and intolerance that leads to bullying and allows children to discuss
and explore their own feelings in and outside of the school environment.
A unique relationship between the local professional clubs and the local
authority has been established and community work is at the forefront of
sponsorship agreements with both Oldham Rugby League Football Club
and Oldham Athletic Football Club. Both clubs are committed to the
Unity in the Community Programme and further work has been
developed with ORLFC developing ‘Samual Hatch at the Rugby Match’
an anti-bulling programme. Furthermore the council assists with funding
an Oldham Athletic Community Cohesion Officer who has a specific
remit of working with Black and minority ethnic communities.
CASE STUDY
Cultural Heritage GPS Trail and DVD in Bradford
A cross-curricular project involved students from four Bradford secondary
schools: Carlton Bolling School, Thornton Grammar School, St Joseph’s
Catholic College and Buttershaw Business and Enterprise College.
Students researched, scripted and filmed an area of Bradford, looking at
shared heritage, migration diversity and achievements. The project also
involved the production of an accompanying GPS hand-held computer
trail for students around the area.
Students wanted to stress through their work that:
• Bradford people have a lot to be proud of in terms of achievement
• Bradford has always been diverse
• The city’s diversity includes ethnicity, language, nationality, culture,
age, gender, marital status, religion, political belief, disability, and
socio-economic background.
The Cultural Heritage GPS Trail and DVD were useful in addressing a
wide range of study programmes including citizenship, geography,
history, ICT, RE and English. They also address whole-school issues such
as schools working together on regional linking initiatives, increased
interaction between schools and local communities; and the possibility
of sharing GPS trails and videos as resources with local communities.
Learning about diversity through citizenship
Citizenship education equips pupils with the knowledge, skills and understanding to play
an effective role in public life and is central to creating a fair, inclusive and cohesive
society. Pupils learn about their rights, responsibilities, duties and freedoms and about
the law, justice and democracy. They learn to take part in decision-making and different
forms of action, so that they can play an active role in the life of their schools,
neighbourhoods, communities and wider society as active and global citizens...
Following the recommendations made by the Ajegbo Report (see above), the secondary
citizenship curriculum in schools has been revised.
From September 2008, the secondary school citizenship curriculum will include a new
concept: ‘Identity and diversity: living together in the UK’, which explores the issue of
identity, diversity and community cohesion. In particular the concept helps pupils to
appreciate that identities are complex, can change over time and are informed by
different understandings of what it means to be a citizen in the UK. It also helps pupils to
learn about the diverse national, regional, ethnic and religious cultures, groups and
communities in the UK and the connections between them. Pupils also learn how society
is changing in the UK, Europe and the wider world, in doing so helping to promote
community cohesion.
‘WHO DO WE THINK WE ARE?’ WEEK

The Ajegbo Report also recommended that the DCSF promote whole school exploration
of identity, diversity and citizenship via a themed week.
In response, an annual ‘Who Do We Think We Are?’ Week, was launched by DCSF, which
ran for the first time in June 2008, where schools across the country were encouraged to
explore and celebrate pupils’ histories and their community’s roots and the national and
global links that these can then make. A website with resources and ideas for schools to
commemorate the week have been developed at: www.wdwtwa.org.uk
CASE STUDY
Cultural Detectives
Barkerend Primary and Hothfield Primary are 15 miles apart. One has a
population of mainly Pakistani-heritage Muslim children and one has
a majority of White British children. They have a fascinating connection
through history and geography. The urban school is situated in the centre
of the city where the wool industry thrived over a century ago. The rural
school is surrounded by sheep farms and is near the canal which goes
into the centre of the city and was used to move the wool from the
farms to the mills. The Year 4 teachers planned across the curriculum for
a school term, using the link between the schools as a stimulus.
They started with PSHE, developing self-esteem and self-awareness.
This moved into communication skills – oral, written and using email.
They then did investigative work about their own immediate environment
and shared what they learned with each other. They came together and
explored each other’s surroundings, acting as guides for each other and
producing artistic and poetic representations of their lives.
Discovering what children’s lives were like in Victorian times in the mills
was a real eye-opener and led to discussions about child labour and
human rights. Overall, the children discovered that they had connections
with a different part of the district where many of them had never been.
It opened their eyes to new possibilities and to friendships beyond their
immediate peers.
At the end of the project the children presented their work to their families
at an open evening. This provided an opportunity for the parents to meet
and interact building a further link between the two communities.
Raising engagement and participation of Muslim young people
As part of its overall commitment to equality and diversity, the Learning and Skills Council
(LSC) has highlighted a need to understand more about the perspectives of young
Muslim learners in education. The LSC is now addressing some important questions:
• How well is the further education system responding to the needs of Muslim learners?
• What more can be done to support these learners to stay within education and to
succeed?
In 2007 and 2008 the LSC commissioned the consultancy firm, SHM, to deliver a
programme of activity by collaborating with young Muslim learners across the country.
Findings from two research projects, designed to enhance our understanding of the ways
in which our strategies for engaging young Muslims in learning can be improved were
published in Engaging Young Muslims in Learning: Research Findings in November 2007.
readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/National/nat-engaging-young-muslims-in-
learning.pdf
Our aim is to turn this research base into practical actions to engage Muslim learners
more effectively. SHM also undertook some regional action projects, and are currently
putting together case studies of Muslim learners on ‘atypical’ paths. The results from this
work will be available in autumn 2008.
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
English language skills are critically important for life, work and community cohesion in
the UK.
DEMAND FOR ESOL SIGNIFICANTLY OUTSTRIPS SUPPLY

Since 2001, funding and learning opportunities for English for Speakers of Other
Languages (ESOL) have tripled. However, demand still significantly outstrips supply, partly
as a result of increased migration from the new EU accession states. Learners from these
areas have the same entitlement to ESOL courses as eligible UK citizens and the
significant increase in demand has put additional pressure on capacity to deliver to all
those who need English language skills. The impact is more severe on those who are
more reluctant to engage in learning, many of whom are among our priority groups and
who can now face waiting lists of up to two years.
The increases in demand for ESOL have also resulted in pressure on the whole adult
learning budget which seeks to address a range of adult learning priorities, including
literacy and numeracy skills and employability-level qualifications.
The Government reviewed ESOL spending so that free English for ESOL courses are only
available to people receiving an income-based benefit, Jobseeker’s Allowance or and
Working Tax Credits. Those who can afford to pay for ESOL provision currently contribute
up to 37.5 per cent, rising to 50 per cent in 2010. These changes came into effect from
August 2007.
The Commission on Integration and Cohesion stated in their report Our Shared Future
published in June 2007 that learning English was the single most important factor in
binding communities together; and the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education
report More than a language recognised the high and growing demand for ESOL provision
and recommended focusing available resources more sharply on those most in need.
MORE TARGETED ESOL FUNDING

The ability to speak English is a critical factor affecting integration. Creating a shared
sense of belonging is a continuing process that needs to be responsive to changing
circumstances and different communities. However, being able to communicate in
English is fundamental. Following a consultation last year, DIUS is therefore developing
ESOL policy to re-prioritise provision and strengthen its role in supporting community
cohesion. By providing more targeted, flexible and effective services isolated and
excluded people in settled communities who have English language needs can be
encouraged to access ESOL and progress their learning, as well as achieving their goals
for employability, supporting their families and being part of their local communities.
CASE STUDY
Kaiwan
Kaiwan, from central Iraq, was just 16 years old when he arrived in
England in 2001, having been persecuted and imprisoned in his own
country. Unable to speak a single word of English was isolating for
Kaiwan. He said, “I was lost, I couldn’t even buy a loaf of bread.” But
Kaiwan’s determination in learning English has paid off. He has had
several jobs and now works as a lorry driver. He said, “Learning makes
a big difference in your life. Without English, I’d be lost.”
Key to the success of this policy is that priority groups are identified at
the local level. To date, activity has focused in four test areas – Ealing,
Peterborough, Manchester City and Salford – and we expect to begin
testing a range of models in a number of local authority areas shortly.
The local testing will include a number of different approaches across
a range of environments. DIUS expects to publish its response to the
consultation and next steps imminently.
CASE STUDY
ESOL delivers community cohesion in
Burton-Upon-Trent
The work of the Heart of Burton Partnership and Adult & Community
Learning Service (Staffordshire County Council) demonstrates how
services can be targeted at disadvantaged groups to better prepare them
to participate in British society including work, social activities,
volunteering and education.
As a result of its outreach activities, including the establishment of a
new Women’s International Group, it became clear that sections of
the community were experiencing isolation from general services –
education, health, housing – due to a lack of, or no command of, the
English language. At the same time, Burton College had 500 residents
on the waiting list for ESOL provision.
The Heart of Burton is now able to enrol people from the hard-to-reach
sections of the community onto the ESOL sessions. Many of the learners
are new arrivals, including asylum seekers, women who have been at
home for many years, people with little formal education and who are
not literate in their first language.
People who speak Urdu, Cantonese, Mandarin, Malaysian, Vietnamese,
Iraqi, Iranian, Afghan, Kurdish, Turkish, French, as we all Latvian,
Lithuanian and Russian are accessing the service. Learners are
encouraged to mix with others rather than remaining in their own
groups and this has proven to be very successful.
Fifteen classes, free of charge, were delivered across a range of schools
and community-based facilities and around 200 students participated in
the ESOL classes. Some learners have become learning support assistants
and are working towards becoming tutors.
The council ESOL provision has now been mainstreamed, a designated
development officer will be responsible for rolling out the same model of
ESOL provision across Staffordshire. ESOL classes to be delivered through
local businesses and services including Queen’s Hospital, Burton.
3.2 Tackling racism and extremism

The Government recognises that diversity has brought significant economic and social
benefits, but that change and migration also create challenges.
Our society is now more diverse and dynamic and the Government’s aim is to promote
positive action to help create thriving places with a shared set of values and shared sense
of purpose and belonging.
Promoting cohesion is about building better relationships between people and

communities from different backgrounds – whether different in culture, religion,
ethnicity, gender or age. Our approach is rooted in our continuing work to tackle
inequalities to build a free and fair society for all.
Our progress
Racism and extremism can quickly fuel community tensions and damage cohesion. The
Government is committed to tackling all hate crime and has funded a number of projects
which have a clear focus on prevention. The Department for Communities and Local
Government has supported a number of grassroots community projects to understand
the causes of hate crime and minimise and prevent its effect.
CASE STUDY
‘Meet Your Neighbours’

The ‘Meet Your Neighbours’ project in Blackburn with Darwen brought
together young boys from a Jewish faith school, a Muslim faith school, a
Catholic school and a non-faith school for a weekend in the Lake District.
The project aimed to get young people who have not had the
opportunity to meet people of other faiths to get together and discuss
what they have in common. It also gave young people the opportunity to
ask questions of each other which they may find difficult to ask adults.
One of the principal objectives was to act as a platform for meaningful
interaction between people of different faiths, or none, and to be the
start of a process of encouraging people to look beyond their traditional
boundaries to understand their common humanity with others, no
matter what their background.
After the weekend residential, each pupil agrees to report back to their
classmates. Each school then pledges to keep in touch.
One of the young boys was heard to say: “The two days were more than
I expected because the depth of what we learnt was so strong”.
Another said: “Yes, I have learnt a lot about racism and will look at it in a
different way from now on.” And “Never judge a person by the colour of
their skin but by the colour of their character!”
Attitudes to women and reducing exploitation
The Government is also supporting Aware (Attitudes to Women and Reducing

Exploitation) in Burnley which looks at Asian men’s attitudes towards women.
This project has adopted an innovative approach to devising a practical and effective way
in which to effectively challenge the stereotypes and attitudes that exist by some men
about women. The project works closely with representatives from the Asian community
to ensure that the project adopts an inclusive approach towards tackling these issues.
This project has played a key role in bringing all sections of the community together to
increase trust, understanding and respect and has helped to defuse inter-community
tensions; build community cohesion; and foster co-operation.
Young people and hate crime
Many government-supported projects focus on young people because the available

evidence indicates that young people are the main perpetrators and victims of hate
crime. Projects focus on bringing young people from different backgrounds together to
help tackle prejudices and build relationships. We believe that these early interventions
have an impact on reducing the level of hate crime.
CASE STUDY
The Skill Force Project

The future of local communities depends on encouraging young people
and women to make their voices heard, and to take their place in every
area of political, social and economic regeneration. The government has
supported Skill Force which specialises in working with disadvantaged
children. The project, aimed at young people sought to develop their
leadership and influencing skills while encouraging them to take on roles
of responsibility within their communities from an early age. The project
also encouraged young people who have little contact with anyone from
a different background to get together in a spirit of openness and
honesty, to discuss issues concerning them all.
The results of Skill Force project helped participants to:
• break down barriers to understanding and co-operation
• foster mutual respect and continuing working together
• challenge stereotypes
• raise motivation, improve confidence and self-esteem
• achieve the nationally-recognised Skill Force Leadership Award
• achieve a recognised First Aid qualification; and
• create young leaders across communities – very much a work in progress.
Feedback from the participants on the Skill

Force Project
“The experience was amazing. I have enjoyed it so much. I’ve learnt how
will power and determination can really take over you in so many
positive ways. I am stronger and happier” – Sean F, Greenwich
“It’s good to see everyone come together, because at the beginning of
the week we didn’t mix. Now we are all really close” – Jemma D, Oldham
“Project One is good because I thought we would stick with people from
our own school, but it has been a valuable experience and we have
mixed loads and got on with everybody” - Afzal H, Leicester
“It was wicked” – Amraiz N, Bradford
GAME ON PROJECT IN STOKE-ON-TRENT

Sport and theatre have always been seen as excellent ways to bring young people of
different backgrounds together. ‘Game On’ based in Stoke-on-Trent is a city-wide
initiative which has come about through agencies working collaboratively. The project is
located in the north of the city and uses theatre and sport to tackle prejudice and
stereotyping. The project worked with two high schools, whose school communities have
different ethnic backgrounds – and are also within the Port Vale Football Club area.
The project was devised and delivered by North Staffordshire Racial Equality Council and
the Reveal Theatre Company supported by Port Vale Football Club in conjunction with
Valiant’s Against Racism.
Theatre has an enormous capacity to change people’s lives and to challenge previously
held beliefs or perceptions – theatre can take people out of themselves and drama allows
participants to explore issues and use real stories from pupil’s experiences to find new
and positive outcomes.
Sport has parallels with life. Individuals (regardless of race, beliefs, age and ability) have
to work together to fulfil their potential. Sport helps people experience in how to deal
with the positive (winning) and the negative (losing).
The project was well received by the participating schools and there are now plans to
extend this to other schools in Stoke-on-Trent.
CASE STUDY
Rewind Project
The Government has also supported Rewind – an anti-racism project
based in Sandwell, in the West Midlands that looks at a wide range of
issues surrounding ‘race’ and how these impact upon communities
today. REWIND challenges negative belief systems in a non-blame, non-
judgemental way and empowers young people to deliver Peer Education
sessions to others. Through training sessions, REWIND also aims to
expose and discredit the myths that have been created to perpetuate
racism.
“For people who experience racism, the REWIND project offers a possible
strategy for dealing with it, while for those who might express racist
views or behaviour themselves, it offers arguments that are hard hitting
without being patronising”
Arun Kundnani, Institute of ‘Race’ Relations
YOUNG CITIZEN MAGAZINE

The Government also supported the Searchlight Educational Trust to develop a
magazine, for young people Young Citizen. Written and produced by young people for
young people, the ethos of the magazine is that everyone has the right to live in safety; the
chance for a good education, and a good job. It is also important for young people to have
a say about the society we live in. Sometimes people are denied these things simply
because of where they come from, who their parents are, or what they believe.
The magazine shows how bigotry and hatred are nothing new and that brave people
have fought against them – from courageous individuals who protected children from
concentration camps in the 1940s, to people like Martin Luther King who stood up for
dignity, respect and equality. Young Citizen is about how these issues affect the lives of
young people and reminds us that we all have an opportunity to shape the society we
live in today and in the future.
Working with the Chinese community
The Government has supported Min Quan, a project of one of our strategic partners,
the Monitoring Group. which has been given a three-year grant under the Connecting
Communities Plus funding stream. Min Quan assists Chinese victims of racial harassment
and violence. Since Min Quan’s inception in 1999, following increasing racist attacks on
Chinese businesses in Chinatown, the demand for its services has grown nationally. Min
Quan has supported over 400 victims of racial attacks – mostly Chinese people working
in restaurants and takeaway food outlets.
Tackling antisemitism
In March 2007, the Government published its response to the All Party Parliamentary
Inquiry into Antisemitism report and agreed to report back to Parliament on progress
made in implementing the inquiry’s recommendations.
The Government believes that the best way to tackle antisemitism is through effective
legislation against racial and religious discrimination and racially and religiously motivated
crime. The legislation must be underpinned by policies and strategies to increase racial
equality and build community cohesion, particularly through education.
The Government has made significant progress against the 35 recommendations made
by the All Party Parliamentary Inquiry’s constructive and comprehensive report. We have
ensured that by April 2009:
• all police forces will collect data on all hate crime, including antisemitism
• agreed that schools and authorities can use their devolved capital funding for
investment in security at schools where this is a priority
• there is funding for research on the impact of antisemitic discourse; and
• launched the Race for Justice Declaration – a cross-government strategy which aims to
combat all forms of hate crime.
Despite this progress, there is no room for complacency, and we will continue to take
practical, effective action to stamp out antisemitism whenever and wherever it occurs.
We are committed to increasing the number of hate crimes brought to prosecution,
tackling antisemitism on university campuses, and challenging hate crime and extremism
on the internet. We have agreed to continue our support of the cross-departmental and
Jewish stakeholder working group and will report back to Parliament on further progress
in 2010.
The Government has also shown its commitment to tackling antisemitism by supporting
the Parliamentary Committee Against Anti-Semitism to take the cross-party model of
inquiry to other countries. Countries that have expressed interest include Canada, France,
Germany and the United States. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have
agreed to assist John Mann MP (the chair of the Parliamentary Committee Against
Antisemitism) to make contacts with relevant stakeholders and authorities in countries
who have expressed an interest.
Dr Gert Weisskirchen, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe

Chairmanship’s Personal Representative on Combating anti-Semitism has written to all
EU states recommending this approach.
Tackling Islamophobia
The Government is determined to tackle Islamophobia and stamp out extremism and
racism wherever it occurs. We deplore all religious and racially motivated attacks. We will
not tolerate racists and trouble-makers disrupting our local communities.
In the aftermath of the London bombings, we supported a project which looked into the
experience that young people and women had of Islamophobia across London.
One of the key findings was the lack of understanding of the term ‘Islamophobia’. As a
result of this we are now supporting work on a poster campaign with Muslim stakeholders
to educate people as to what constitutes Islamophobia, and to encourage reporting of it.
Preventing violent extremism
We aim to create strong, prosperous, and empowered communities. A key part of this
agenda is building the resilience of Muslim communities to counter violent extremism.
Although Muslim communities are the most vulnerable, we are clear that this work must
involve the whole community; all communities should help to support those individuals,
institutions and communities that are most vulnerable, making the most of the energy
and experience of a range of groups working in other faith and non-faith communities,
and fostering a climate of mutual understanding and respect.
In July 2008, Communities and Local Government launched Preventing Violent

Extremism: Next Steps for Communities. This document provided an update on the
progress on Prevent, one of the key strands of the Government’s counter terrorism
strategy, setting out our work to date and articulating our future priorities.
Alongside this document we announced a package of measures to further our work on

preventing violent extremism, concerned with building better connections with local places,
fostering community leadership and improving theological understanding. These include:
• Supporting Muslim Faith Leaders through the provision of training and qualifications;
supporting the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB) to improve
standards in Mosques and to increase theological understanding through citizenship
education in Mosque schools; and continuing to support the Radical Middle Way
programme of events and shows
• Increasing theological understanding through citizenship education in Mosque
schools. The Islam and Citizenship Education (ICE) Project (www.theiceproject.com)
is developing 20 citizenship lessons for madrassahs based on the mainstream school
curriculum. These lessons draw on the Qu’ran and Hadith to show the compatibility
between Islam and wider shared values
• Building better connections with local places and fostering civic capacity and
leadership with further investment in local partnerships of £45million over the next
three years. The funding will reach 96 authorities representing over 90 per cent of the
Muslim population. In the pathfinder year we supported over 200 projects, in 70 local
areas, developed in partnership with the local communities. We are also seeking to
enhance the dialogue between central and local government by establishing the Local
Delivery Advisory Group (LDAG)
• Nurturing community leadership and deepening local engagement with key
community groups, especially women and young people, through the Muslim
Women’s Advisory Group (MWAG) launched in January 2008 and the Young Muslims
Advisory Group (YMAG) launched in October 2008. We have also increased funding
for the Community Leadership Fund (CLF) to £2.1million in 2008-09 – This supports
work to build the capacity of individuals, organisations, and communities to take the
lead on tackling violent extremist influences.
Although this work has a ‘Prevent’ focus, its benefits go much wider. Through building
capacity in Muslim organisations and funding training programmes for Muslim faith
leaders and activities to empower women and young people, we are supporting British
Muslims to play a more active role in their communities and in wider society.
Working with local authorities – using communications to meet cohesion

challenges
The Government has funded the Institute of Community Cohesion (ICoCo) over the past
three years to offer local authorities facing cohesion challenges to meet and learn from
each other. Much of the work has focused on how best to use communications to
promote leadership and vision.
Over this period at least 25 local authorities including Bradford, Kirklees, Sunderland,
Liverpool, Blackburn with Darwen, Stoke-on-Trent, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest,
Boston, Peterborough and Southampton have participated. Each area had the
opportunity to learn from each other as to what works best. For example, areas not
familiar with new migrants were able to get best practice advice from areas with similar
issues or which had longstanding experience of migrant communities. Similarly, a

number of areas including Waltham Forest and Stoke-on-Trent were keen to learn from
Blackburn with Darwen’s successful ‘Belonging Campaign’. ICoCo also assisted all
participating areas with advice on their communications strategy and vision.
Media relations and cohesion
The impact of the media on cohesion is well known. CLG were approached by Boston
Borough Council for advice on how best to deal with the negative perceptions of the
town in the media.
We put them in touch, via Leicester City Council, with the Leicester Mercury which has a
sound relationship with the local authority. The aims of the project were to work with
public sector agencies (principally the local authority and LSP) to critically examine their
engagement with local media and to consider ways in which supportive coverage can be
fostered and community cohesion generally promoted.
The initial pilot resulted in one action plan for the local authority, its partners and local
media and this additional material was added to ICoCo’s Cohesion Communications
toolkit and the lessons learnt were disseminated to other local authorities.
Preventing violent extremism in schools, universities and colleges
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Department for
Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) are carrying out a range of activities to improve the
capacity of schools, universities and colleges to prevent violent extremism and provide
support to vulnerable young people who may be at risk from violent extremist groups.
To support schools in contributing towards preventing violent extremism, the DCSF, in

response to calls from teachers, has developed and published a toolkit to offer practical
advice on how to embed the work in the curriculum and existing school processes.
The DCSF are now asking local authorities and government offices to tailor the toolkit for
each local area, including having named contacts within the local authority and police to
turn to for advice, guidance and to learn about good practice and projects happening in
the local area. With the support of the Home Office, £4.68million of additional funding is
being made available to local authorities and the police to support the local
customisation of the toolkit and its rollout to schools.
Tackling extremism in universities
We have revised and reissued guidance to help universities to:

• promote and reinforce shared values and the creation of space for free and open
debate; and to listen to and support mainstream voices
• break down segregation among different student communities including supporting
inter-faith and inter-cultural dialogues and understanding
• encourage students to play a full and active role in engaging with wider society
• ensure campuses are free from bullying, harassment and intimidation
• protect and support vulnerable students; and
• take responsibility for tackling violent extremism.
DIUS ministers are also leading a debate with the university sector on how we maintain
the academic freedom of our universities while ensuring that extremists can never stifle
discussion or impose their views.
Guidance on preventing extremism for further education providers
DIUS ran a consultation on the role of further education providers in:

• promoting community cohesion
• fostering shared values; and
• preventing violent extremism.
The consultation focused on the same objectives as were used in the guidance to
universities and showed that there are many examples of colleges which are developing
expertise in these areas.
We are encouraging the further education sector to build on this expertise by bringing
together a Champion Principals network, focusing on community cohesion and
preventing violent extremism, to provide leadership and advice. In response to the
consultation, we are taking forward a number of actions, in partnership with the
Champion Principals network.
• On 18 February we published revised guidance to the sector, which will reiterate many
of the principles and points made in the consultation but with a sharper focus on
preventing violent extremism and signposting the tools and resources available to help
tackle this issue
• we are encouraging the Champion Principles Group to work with the new Learning
and Skills Improvement Service to identify how it can support this agenda – in
particular, the Champions Group with LSIS and organising a Prevent Seminar in April
2009 to enable practical issues and lessons learnt to be shared
• we continue to work across government departments to ensure that a co-ordinated
package of resources and support is developed that reinforces the need for
partnership working, while addressing the particular circumstances and opportunities
faced by different institutions, including colleges.
The further education sector often provides a setting where a diverse range of learners
come together and we are also working with the Champion Principals Group to review
how colleges and other providers can do more to promote tolerance and community
cohesion.
3.3 Supporting areas experiencing

challenges to cohesion

CLG continues to provide targeted support to local areas that are experiencing challenges
to community cohesion – while working on a wide range of issues at national level.
Current evidence suggests that targeted support in areas facing cohesion challenges has
worked and some way to building cohesion in areas of concern.
Our support has been delivered by a variety of means – including:

• the provision of dedicated Neighbourhood Renewal Adviser (NRA) time
• support from the Institute of Community Cohesion (ICoCo) on building leadership and
developing a communications strategy
• work on understanding the local media, myth busting, peer mentoring and providing
best practice examples for preventing hate crime.
Our progress
Piloting Specialist Cohesion Teams
We are currently piloting two Specialist Cohesion Teams to support local authorities
facing cohesion challenges, particularly areas facing rapid change, for example, resulting
from new patterns of migration. The teams are made up of Neighbourhood Renewal
Advisers working alongside organisations such as IDeA.
The teams offer face-face coaching, mentoring and training to partnerships and
communities, matching a solution to a problem and developing capacity for partnerships
to do things for themselves. Teams coach partnerships at either strategic or delivery level
on how to build strong and cohesive communities.
The key challenges ahead in supporting areas experiencing

challenges to cohesion
We shall continue to support areas through a wide range of measures including outlined
above, that are relevant to an area’s particular needs.
CASE STUDY
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

Barking and Dagenham experienced a rapid increase in diversity, and this
had impacted on cohesion in the borough. The Council faced various
challenges including how best to communicate positive and factual
messages in an impartial way, as well as building relations between the
diverse communities.
CLG was able to offer wide-ranging support to Barking and Dagenham,
including help with:
• A specialist Neighbourhood Renewal Adviser (NRA) who provided
support in the development of Barking and Dagenham‘s
Neighbourhood Management Strategy and the long-term
sustainability of cohesion in the area
• two NRAs to deliver a conflict resolution workshop for the local
authority and the Third Sector
• linking Barking and Dagenham with Burnley Borough Council who
had similar cohesion challenges for support and advice
• supporting the participation of Barking and Dagenham in a
communication/leadership seminar hosted by the Institute of
Community Cohesion, which looked at how a local authority can use
communications to promote leadership and vision; and
• providing Barking and Dagenham with fact cards to assist
communications; in particular to promote positive factual messages
in an impartial way and promote good race relations to the public.
3.4 Engaging with faith communities

Faith is important to the social identity of many people in Britain. Over three-quarters of
respondents to the 2001 census reported having some religious affiliation. Faith is an
important driver behind volunteering and civic participation and many faith-based
organisations are providing essential services to their local communities, through the
local voluntary sector. Increased awareness, understanding and respect between faith
communities – and with those of non-religious beliefs and no belief – is central to our
community cohesion agenda and building an integrated successful society where all
members value and respect each other.
The Government wants to harness the energy and practical contribution that faith
communities bring to society, while assessing the tensions and friction points created by
faith, within and across faith groups, and across wider communities – particularly in the
light of potential conflict between members of faith communities for whom faith is
increasingly important, and a society in which values are increasingly not drawn from
religion.
The Government is committed to engaging with all faith communities. We aim to ensure
that members of all faiths and none enjoy the same life opportunities and work with
people who have different beliefs but shared values to work together towards common
goals. The Government recognises that faith communities contribute to social and
community cohesion through the values and activities that underpin good citizenship,
such as altruism, respect for others, ethical behaviour and community solidarity.
The Government’s work with faith communities is not about giving privileges to religious
groups or discriminating against those who have non-religious beliefs or no belief. It is
instead about accessing and tapping into what had previously been an under-utilised
resource to help build community cohesion.
Our progress
In July 2008, the Government launched: Face-to-Face and Side-by-Side: A framework for
partnership in our multi faith society. Its aim is to create more local opportunities for:
• face-to-face dialogue which supports a greater understanding of shared values as well
as an appreciation of distinctiveness; and
• side-by-side collaborative social action where people come together and share their
time, energy and skills to improve their local neighbourhood.
The framework sets out how, over the next three years, we will support a stronger
dialogue between people of different faiths and beliefs in every community and
encourage the kind of practical inter-faith cooperation that builds cohesive, empowered,
and active communities. The framework will be supported by investment of over
£7.5million, aimed at supporting local activities.
It is essential to remember that one size does not fit all and local communities and
partners are best placed to know:
• which issues matter most to local people
• who they need to work with to have an impact; and
• what type of activities (dialogue, social action or a mixture of both) are needed to help
achieve their goals.
The framework sets out the contribution being made by a range of different partners and
the practical steps that the Government will take to strengthen this contribution
including our plans for investment. The framework contains examples of effective
practice, practical suggestions for communities and local authorities and links to further
sources of support and guidance.
The framework is underpinned by three important core principles:

• Partnership: valuing the contributions made by partners and working together to
increase their impact
• Empowerment: people and government, working together to make life better
• Choice: local communities deciding what works best for them.
And structured four key ‘building blocks’:

• developing the confidence and skills to ‘bridge’ and ‘link’
• shared spaces for interaction
• structures and processes which support dialogue and social action; and
• opportunities for learning which build understanding.
Inter-faith activity
Inter-faith activity is just one dimension of interaction between people from different
backgrounds. But it is an extremely important one, and one that faith communities have
long recognised and promoted. The Government has supported inter-faith work for a
number of years with the aim of increasing understanding between different faith
groups, building cohesive communities and breaking down barriers.
There is a long and positive history in this country of people coming together to talk
about and explore their own and each other’s beliefs, practices and values in order to
build understanding and respect.
Our vision is that inter-faith activity at its best can be about more than just low-key “face
to face” interactions – and should also be about genuine “side by side” shared activities,
with a common purpose and a concrete outcome.
Inter-faith dialogue acts as part of the social glue that joins our differences in culture,
faith and ethnicity together.
There has been a significant increase in the number of local inter-faith

FACTS FACTS INTER-FAITH FACTS
groups in recent years with 183 new inter-faith groups established since
2000, with 52 of these coming into existence since 2005.
Research carried out by the Faith Based Regeneration Network reveals

something of the extent of activity already underway. The research
shows:
• there are 180,000 beneficiaries of faith-based community
development in the East of England
• there are 7,000 projects and 2,200 faith buildings in London
• 80 per cent of faith groups in the West Midlands deliver some kind of
service to the wider community
• faith communities are running more than 5,000 social action projects
in the North West
• 90 per cent of churches in Hull are involved in social action
• there are 6,500 social action projects in Yorkshire and the Humber
• there are more than 2,500 faith-based projects in the North East
• 165,000 people in the South West are supported by 4,762 activities
led by faith communities
• Churches in the East Midlands run on average nine community
activities.
New qualification in Faith Community Development
Those that lead and support faith communities have a key role in building cohesion.
This is particularly the case when people from different communities engage in inter-faith
work and build positive relationships with each other.
The Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) has developed a new
qualification that will contribute to enabling faith community members to play a strong
leadership role in their wider communities and build positive relationships with people
from different communities. Gaining the qualification will also help faith community
members’ own career progression.
DIUS has commissioned the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE) to
follow up on their work of developing the qualification to ensure that it is fully accredited
and promoted as widely as possible among training providers and colleges, and making
materials available to encourage good practice in delivery. The qualification has been
approved by Lifelong Learning UK, the Sector Skills Council responsible for qualifications
of this nature, which means that the qualification will be eligible for LSC funding.
The key challenges ahead in engaging with faith

communities
The Government has set out a series of practical steps that it will take to support the
delivery of the Framework for Partnership. These include:
Investment
A three-year programme of investment and support worth over £7.5million. This will
focus on delivering increased opportunities for dialogue and social action within local
communities and the Government will be targeting its support through:
• a new local Faiths in Action fund. This aims to support local activities and initiatives
that have a direct link to one or more of the four building blocks (outlined above). It
will be open for all types of organisations at national, regional or local level in England
• a programme of investment over three years in Regional Faith Forums to support
and build their capacity; in particular their interaction with local inter-faith activity.
Guidance
Producing a guidance leaflet for local communities which shows ways in which people
can become involved in dialogue and social action involving those with different faiths
and beliefs and those with none.
Providing supportive guidance to local authorities within the Cohesion Delivery

Framework on the practical steps they can take to support dialogue and social action at
the local level. This will incorporate the ideas for local authorities set out within each of
the four building blocks within this Framework.
Working with the Local Government Association, IDeA, the Inter-Faith Network for the
UK, the Faith Based Regeneration Network and the Community Development
Foundation to update the existing Faith and Community guidance for local authorities.
Signposting local authorities and their partners to effective practice, resources and
guidance via the web.
Charter for excellence in public services
Work with faith communities, the Local Government Association and the Charity
Commission, as stated in the Government’s response to the report of the Commission on
Cohesion and Integration, to produce a standardised version of a Charter for
excellence in public service delivery by faith communities, building on existing models.
Inter-faith activities
Working in partnership with the Inter-Faith Network for the UK to organise an Inter-
Faith Week. This will encourage communities at national, regional and local levels to
hold events to celebrate and raise awareness of the positive inter-faith work that is being
undertaken. The aim of the week is for people and organisations to use a variety of
mediums to:
• celebrate existing relationships and ways of working
• create new opportunities to build relationships; and
• showcase innovation, as well as what works.
National conference
Organising a national conference to support networking and promoting effective

practice in relation to each of the four building blocks (outlined above).
Developing web-based resources
Supporting the development of web-based resources for people to make connections

with each other and get ideas for activities which support the four building blocks.
Regional hubs for local authority Faith Leads
Supporting the development of regional Faith Links (regional hubs for Local Authority
Faith Leads) within each of the English regions by 2011. Faith Links will be co-ordinated
by Government Offices and will provide Local Authority Faith Leads with guidance,
support and networking opportunities. This will include the production of a toolkit which
builds upon learning from successful approaches led by the Government Offices in
London and Yorkshire and the Humber.
Improved links with the Third Sector
Supporting improved links with Third Sector structures and access to voluntary and
community services’ resources through the publication of Believing in Local Action –
case studies showing good practice developed with the Church Urban Fund and NAVCA.
Chapter 4 The legal framework | 155
Chapter 4
The legal framework

This chapter outlines how the Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society strategy is
supported by a robust legal framework. It also explains more about the work of the
Equality and Human Rights Commission which came into being in October 2007; and the
new Equality Bill.
Key anti-discrimination legislation
This country has some of the most comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in

Europe.
There are a number of key pieces of anti-discrimination legislation that make it illegal to
discriminate against anyone on the grounds of:
• age
• disability
• gender
• race
• religion or belief
• sexual orientation.
THE RACE RELATIONS ACT 1976

The Race Relations Act (RRA) 1976 is the cornerstone of domestic race legislation. It
protects people against discrimination on racial grounds in the following main areas:
• employment (including vocational training)
• education
• the disposal and management of premises
• the provision of goods, facilities and services
• the work of public authorities.
The RRA contains certain specific exceptions to these protections within its provisions. For
example, for reasons of a genuine occupational requirement, an actor of a specific colour
may be required to fill certain roles for the sake of authenticity. However, the exceptions
throughout the RRA are strictly limited to go no wider than is absolutely necessary.
Discrimination on racial grounds protects people from discrimination on grounds of:

• race
• colour
• nationality
• ethnic or national origins.
THE RACE RELATIONS (AMENDMENT) ACT 2000

The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 extended the scope of the original 1976 Race
Relations Act, by making it clear that bodies carrying out public functions are not
permitted to discriminate on racial grounds and must in fact combat unlawful racial
discrimination.
The 2000 Act placed a general duty on public authorities to promote:

• equality of opportunity
• good relations between people of different racial groups.
Thousands of public bodies, including government departments, local authorities and

police forces are subject to this duty.
The Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 also introduced certain specific duties to
support better performance of the general duty. These specific duties, which apply to
most public authorities, are to:
• undertake ethnic monitoring of workforces, including recruitment and progression
• assess the impact of policies and services on race equality externally
• prepare a race equality scheme showing how the public authority is carrying out the
general duty.
THE RACE RELATIONS ACT 1976 (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2003

The 2003 regulations implemented Council Directive 2000/43 EC (“the Race Directive”).
Among other changes, the regulations:
• introduced an express statutory prohibition of harassment on the grounds of a
person’s race or ethnic or national origins
• amended the definition of indirect discrimination
• changed the burden of proof.
EMPLOYMENT EQUALITY (RELIGION OR BELIEF) REGULATIONS 2003

These Regulations prohibit discrimination in employment and vocational training on the
grounds of religion or belief, including where discrimination occurs because of a person’s
lack of religion or belief.
The Regulations provide protection from:

• direct discrimination, where a person, on grounds of religion or belief, is treated less
favourably than another
• indirect discrimination, where a provision, criterion or practice has the effect of
putting people of a particular religious belief at a disadvantage which cannot be
justified
• victimisation, where someone is treated less favourably than others because, for
example, they have complained of discrimination or have assisted someone else in a
complaint
• harassment, unwanted conduct that violates people’s dignity or creates an
intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.
PART 2 OF THE EQUALITY ACT – DISCRIMINATION ON GROUNDS OF RELIGION OR

BELIEF
The provisions contained within Part 2 of the Equality Act 2006 complement the
Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 and afford protection against
discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief in:
• education
• the disposal and management of premises
• the provision of goods, facilities and services
• the exercise of public functions.
Part 2 of the Equality Act provides protection from direct discrimination, indirect
discrimination and victimisation.
The measures address an imbalance which had emerged from case-law under the Race
Relations Act in which Jews and Sikhs were afforded protection in the areas outlined
above while members of other, multi-ethnic, religions were not.
The provisions within Part 2 came into force on 30 March 2007. The text of the Equality
Act can be found at: www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts2006/20060003.htm
Further information and guidance about the Equality Act can be found at the
Communities and Local Government website at: www.communities.gov.uk
Equality and Human Rights Commission
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) was set up by the Equality Act 2006
to bring a new, inclusive approach to promoting equality and human rights and provide
more effective support for discrimination legislation.
The EHRC was launched on 1 October 2007 and assumed the responsibilities of the
legacy Commissions:
• Disability Rights Commission (DRC)
• Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC)
• Commission for Racial Equality (CRE).
In addition to the duties of the legacy commissions, the EHRC assumed responsibilities
for discrimination relating to age, sexual orientation and religion or belief.
The EHRC is also charged with the promotion and protection of human rights, providing
institutional support for the Human Rights Act 1998. It will encourage public and, where
appropriate, private bodies to comply with the principles that underline the Act and raise
standards by encouraging good practice based on respect for the dignity of each
individual.
The fundamental objective of the EHRC, as summarised in the Equality Act, is to support
the development of a society in which:
• people’s ability to achieve their potential is not limited by prejudice or discrimination
• there is respect for and protection of each individual’s human rights
• there is respect for the dignity and worth of each individual
• each individual has an equal opportunity to participate in society
• there is mutual respect between groups based on understanding and valuing of
diversity; and on shared respect for equality and human rights.
The EHRC is an independent influential champion whose purpose is to reduce inequality,

eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people and protect human
rights. The EHRC will take an active role in helping to achieve change to benefit some of
the most vulnerable and least well-represented people in our society.
CHAIR AND COMMISSIONERS

Trevor Phillips was appointed Chair of the EHRC in September 2006, bringing with him
expertise on race equality issues gained as Chair of the CRE.
Dr Nicola Brewer took up her appointment as Chief Executive in March 2007 and is, as
part of that duty, an ex-officio member of the Board.
Including the Chair there are currently 12 Commissioners on the Board.

In addition to the Commissioner posts, there are three transitional Commissioners who
are serving for two years to ensure that the previous agendas of the legacy Commissions
are taken forward and to provide some continuity and reassurance for external
stakeholders.
Commissioner appointments were made on the basis of experience or knowledge about

the functions of the EHRC – such as business, the public sector, or the trade union
movement – as well as about the specific areas of discrimination and human rights for
which the EHRC has responsibility.
The EHRC also has the power to appoint advisory committees or committees with
delegated powers on any issue or with respect to any community or group.
There are individual Commissioners and Committees for Scotland and Wales. There is
also a Disability Commissioner and Disability Sub-Committee.
REACHING OUT TO NEW STAKEHOLDERS

Recognising the wide remit of the EHRC, and the scope it has to impact on many areas of
national life and in localities, the Commission seeks to reach out to new and different
stakeholders to help it serve modern Britain’s increasingly diverse population and
workforce.
The key challenges ahead

The Equality and Human Rights Commission
The Equality and Human Rights Commission has set a number of challenging goals for
2008-09 which include:
• creating a three-year strategic plan through consultation and involvement with
stakeholders and the general public
• influencing the creation of a landmark Equality Bill to promote equality and human
rights, eradicate discrimination and help promote good relations between people from
different backgrounds
• holding a public inquiry looking at attitudes to human rights and how widely the
Human Rights Act (HRA) is being used in public services. The EHRC will draw on the
results of the inquiry to build up a solid base of evidence and good practice about the
use of the HRA.
The EHRC is also carrying out a number of projects designed to improve community
relations. These include plans to pilot a project for a good relations barometer which will
report on a yearly basis on how good relations are evolving and what the important
issues are as experienced on the ground. The barometer will, in particular, steer regional
and local action on the ground.
The EHRC will build on local knowledge to develop a national measurement framework
for good relations and propose spotlight indicators to establish what the main trends are.
The EHRC will consult on the content of the framework and the potential indicators.
Again, this information will be used to influence the strategic direction the EHRC will
take in regard to good relations.
Following the establishment that there is no bias towards recent migrants in the social
housing allocation system, the EHRC will continue work on this issue by looking at how
migration impacts on social housing policy and in particular how housing policy can be
used to influence good relations.
MORE INFORMATION
For more information please visit: www.equalityhumanrights.com
The Equality Bill
Following the Discrimination Law Review consultation in 2007, the Minister for Women
and Equality announced the key proposals for the Equality Bill in Framework for a Fairer
Future, in June 2008. Download at: www.equalities.gov.uk
Promoting equality is essential so people can fulfil their potential and help create a
cohesive society and strong economy.
Although a substantial body of equality legislation has been introduced over the past
four decades, protecting millions of people from discrimination and promoting greater
equality, the legislation has become complex and hard to understand. The Equality Bill
will de-clutter the legislation and strengthen the law.
DELIVERING PUBLIC POLICY OBJECTIVES – A NEW EQUALITY DUTY ON PUBLIC

BODIES
The three existing public sector equality duties required public authorities to tackle
discrimination and promote equality in race, disability and gender. To help make progress
on our public policy objectives, we will place a new Equality Duty on public bodies, which
bring together the three existing duties and extend them to include gender
reassignment, age, sexual orientation and religion or belief.
AGE DISCRIMINATION
The Bill will contain powers to outlaw unjustifiable age discrimination by those providing
goods, facilities and services. To allow businesses and public authorities to prepare, and
to make sure the law does not prevent justified differences in treatment for different age
groups, there will be further consultation on the design of the legislation and a transition
period before the new legal protections are implemented.
TRANSPARENCY
We cannot tackle inequality if it is hidden. Transparency is essential to tackling
discrimination. We want public bodies to comply with the Equality Duty in their role as
employers by reporting on important inequalities:
• gender pay
• ethnic minority employment
• disability employment.
£160billion is spent by the public sector on private sector contracts every year. The
Equality Duty will require public bodies to tackle discrimination and promote equality
through their purchasing functions. We will use this purchasing power to help us deliver
our public policy objectives of greater equality. We will also ban secrecy clauses which
prevent people discussing their own pay.
The EHRC will carry out inquiries into particular sectors, including the financial services
sector and the construction industry. We will work with business to improve transparency
in the private sector, in particular through the introduction of a new ’kitemark‘, and
gather and publish evidence on the effectiveness of equal pay audits in closing the
gender pay gap.
We expect businesses will increasingly regard reporting on their progress on equality

matters as an important part of explaining to investors, and others, the prospects for the
company.
We will review progress on transparency and its contribution to the achievement of

equality outcomes and consider, over the next five years, using existing legislation for
greater transparency in company reporting on equality.
EXTENDING POSITIVE ACTION

We will extend positive action so that employers can, when selecting between two
equally-qualified candidates, take action to address under-representation or other forms
of disadvantage experienced by, for example, women and people from ethnic minority
communities.
We will also extend the permission to use women-only shortlists in selecting

parliamentary candidates to 2030. While we will not legislate to allow for ethnic minority
shortlists at this stage, we will pursue non-legislative measures to increase the number of
ethnic minority elected representatives in both Parliament and local councils. We will
consider, with the Commissioner for Public Appointments, whether a specific power
within her remit to encourage diversity for appointments would assist her.
STRENGTHENING ENFORCEMENT
We will allow tribunals to make wider recommendations in discrimination cases to go
beyond benefiting the individual pursuing the case, so that there are benefits for the rest
of the workforce if the employer is found to have discriminated.
We will further explore how to allow discrimination claims to be brought on combined

multiple grounds, such as where someone is discriminated against because she is a Black
woman.
We will also consider how to take forward the question of introducing representative
actions in discrimination law to allow trade unions, the EHRC and other bodies (with the
permission of the Court) to take cases to court on behalf of a group of people who have
been discriminated against.
Chapter 5 Working in Partnership | 165
Chapter 5
Working in Partnership

Different areas have different needs and priorities and these are best devised and
delivered at a local level. Voluntary and community groups, social enterprises, charities,
cooperatives and mutuals – the third sector – also play a key role in working with
government and the wider public sector to reduce inequalities and improve cohesion.
This chapter sets out our progress in working with local stakeholders to help deliver race
equality and strengthen our local communities.
As part of the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Third Sector (OTS) leads work across
government to support an environment for a thriving third sector that enables it to
campaign for change, deliver public services, promote social enterprise and strengthen
communities.
The third sector also has an important contribution to make to the many activities that
Communities and Local Government undertakes. We aim to engage with the sector in a
consistent, coherent, strategic and timely manner.
We have lead responsibility for the cross-government Public Service Agreement (PSA) 21,
to build more cohesive, empowered and active communities. Indicator five of the PSA is a
thriving third sector. This is measured through an index of the size of the workforce and
levels of regular formal volunteering.
Communities in control: real people, real power, signalled new funding totalling nearly
£100million from 2008-11, to support the third sector deliver on PSA 21.
• Communitybuilders is a £70million investment fund, run in partnership with the Office
of the Third Sector, designed to strengthen neighbourhood community organisations
to support our empowerment objectives
• The Empowerment Fund will provide £7.5million to support third sector organisations
operating across the country to take forward key themes. Working with marginalised
and vulnerable communities is an underpinning factor of the fund.
Our progress
Working with stakeholders
FUNDING TO SUPPORT IMPROVING OPPORTUNITY, STRENGTHENING SOCIETY

Connecting Communities Plus is an £18million grant running from 2006-09 which is
providing funding to help deliver the Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society
strategy. There are three types of grant:
• strategic grants of up to £150,000 per year, (each award lasts for three years) for
national level organisations which want to develop their work
• project grants of up to £85,000 per year (each award lasts for three years) for
organisations with a track record in delivering outcomes and engaging disadvantaged
communities; and
• community grants of up to £12,000 (each award lasts for one year) for local
community organisations.
Grants have been awarded to 11 national strategic partners and to 70 project partners
running over 60 projects.
More than 300 organisations have benefited from the Connecting Communities Plus
Community Grants programme. In the second round, 109 organisations were awarded
funding in 2007. The third round saw 68 voluntary organisations receive community
grants in the spring of 2008.
The grants are administered on our behalf by two external grant administrators:
• A4e – administer strategic and project grants www.a4e.co.uk; and
• Community Development Foundation administer the community grants
www.cdf.org.uk
Delivering at the local level

New Local Performance Framework
Whether tackling crime, creating more jobs, improving social care, or cleaning up the
environment, local services are at the heart of building the sort of places that people
want to live in.
In 2008 major changes were introduced in the way that national government, local
authorities and local service providers work in partnership to deliver better services and an
improved quality of life for local residents. These changes are all about finding out what
local people need most, prioritising those needs and putting actions in place to deliver
results. The framework empowers residents to make sure that their needs are the driving
force behind change, while holding service providers to account for what they deliver.
This strategy will be delivered through Local Area Agreements (LAAs).

Local Area Agreements (LAAs)
LAAs are three-year agreements between central government and upper-tier local
authorities and their partners (such as the Police, the NHS, Jobcentre Plus and the third
sector). LAAs set out the agreed priorities for service delivery in all 150 local areas across
England – and are at the heart of the new performance framework for local authorities
and their partners.
LAAs are a practical means of devolving decision-making to local service providers and
empowering the people they serve. LAAs aim to deliver better services and stronger local
economies by focusing effort and resources on the priorities that matter most to local
residents.
National Indicator Set
The 198 National Indicator Set (NIS) covers the national priority outcomes which local
authorities are responsible for delivering, whether alone or in partnership with other
public service providers. Targets in LAAs can only be set against the NIS which gives local
authorities and their partners a sharper, more consistent sense of national priorities and
their own responsibilities for delivering them. The NIS also ensures there are clearer
messages for local people on how well their public services are being delivered.
Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA)
The performance of local authorities will be assessed by the new Comprehensive Area
Assessment (CAA).
The CAA will improve local accountability and responsiveness to citizens, with the
assurance and challenge of more risk-based and proportionate assessment and
inspection.
The CAA will assess whether local public services target effort where improvement is
most needed to tackle inequalities within communities, and evaluate the experiences of
people whose circumstances make them vulnerable.
CASE STUDY
Southwark Council – National Empowerment

Champion
Southwark Council has developed an Equalities and Human Rights
Scheme for 2008-11, which sets out how the council will meet its legal
responsibilities following on from the Human Rights Act. In recognition
of Southwark Council’s statutory duties, the scheme provides the
strategic framework for the local authority to tackle inequalities. The
Council’s vision affirms its commitment to reducing the inequality gap.
A recent survey saw an improvement in the percentage of people (86 per
cent) who perceive that the local area is a place where people from
different backgrounds live together in harmony (there was an increase
of 12 per cent since the previous survey was carried out in 2004).
As the scheme continues to develop, a wide-ranging consultation has
taken place with staff, residents and key stakeholders. A number of
themes emerged from this, including the importance of accessibility
of services, community involvement and cultural awareness and respect
for diversity.
Progress has been made in trying to embed equalities outcomes in the
services which are delivered. Equality Impact Assessments and
Community Impact Assessments are a central requirement of Southwark’s
executive decision-making process, ensuring that consideration is given to
equalities issues and securing equality conscious outcomes in all of the
council’s key decisions.
Staff responsible for discharging specific duties within the scheme will
receive the appropriate training to enable them to meet their
responsibilities.
As the scheme develops, all actions will be monitored through a
performance framework. Relevant ethnicity, gender and disability
monitoring will be carried out at service level. The council also maintains
a statutory ‘schedule of relevance’ which identifies the extent to which
any policy, proposed policy, service or function is relevant to a broad
range of equalities issues.
Southwark has recently been hailed as a success at engaging and
empowering its communities. The borough has been chosen as one of
18 National Empowerment Champions.
CASE STUDY
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council:
Addressing inequality
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council commissioned Sefton’s community and
voluntary services (CVS) to deliver the borough’s equality and diversity agenda
and address the systemic inequality and discrimination experienced by many
residents.
The Equalities Review in early 2007 documented how many people become
disengaged from society and their local community because of inequality and
discrimination. Discrimination and hate crimes were often part of daily life for
many local residents. Statistics for the area at the time showed that 70 per cent
of reported third-party hate crimes were racially motivated.
To tackle these and other problems the CVS has:
• developed good borough-wide links with community groups;
• developed links with people from under-represented groups;
• a history of capacity building and supporting community groups; and
• a key role in the borough partnership as champion of under-represented
groups across all areas.
The Chief Executive of Sefton Council championed the work at board level and
as a result there was a high degree of confidence in the capability of Sefton
CVS to deliver effective improvements, agreement and buy-in from the various
community groups.
Representatives, particularly those from under-represented groups, have formal
membership of the various governing boards. The representatives are supported
by staff from the equalities partnership team, with the focus on ensuring that
the Sustainable Communities Strategy (SCS) and Local Area Agreement (LAA)
address the issues that most affect the communities represented on the board.
Several networks were set up and consulted on how life in Sefton could be
improved for residents. These networks included groups specifically for ethnic
minorities, the disabled and different faiths. The networks have played a crucial
role in consulting with local residents on issues that affect their lives and in
monitoring the delivery of public services.
As a result of the consultations, Sefton has introduced an annual equalities
exercise to monitor access to council services of all residents. This information
will be used to inform the design of service delivery to ensure take-up by under
represented groups.
Key learning points coming from this study were:
• that it would be useful for Sefton to conduct a stakeholder mapping
exercise to work out which organisations and individuals need to be
engaged to move the equalities and inclusion agenda forward
• the need to get all key partners engaged in every project was also seen
as important to the success of the programme; and
• reaching neighbourhood level and involving organisations in important
inclusion and equalities issues locally.
CASE STUDY
Lancashire County Council – mainstreaming

cohesion
Lancashire County Council has experienced a wide range of community
cohesion problems over a number of years. This was highlighted in 2001 by
major disturbances in the towns of Oldham and Burnley. In the past, efforts
to promote cohesion have often taken place through special projects which
existed outside the core work of the council.
Lancashire County Council has moved away from this approach by
mainstreaming cohesion into all aspects of its work. Research by MORI
into ‘what works in community cohesion’ found that approaches taken to
tackling community cohesion should be fundamental to service delivery.
Therefore, contributing to this agenda should be seen as the responsibility
of individual services from the outset.
The council has since developed approaches to equality, cohesion and
inclusion at all levels of service delivery. Lancashire’s Community Cohesion
Development Plan includes a goal to promote community cohesion through
mainstream services and functions. Approaches to improving cohesion in the
past have tended to focus on race and faith, but more recent evidence has
shown the need for a broader understanding of what community cohesion is.
By mainstreaming cohesion into the design and delivery of its services,
Lancashire County Council is committed to adopting a more holistic and
comprehensive approach to address different cohesion factors. After
consultation with staff and the council’s Working Group on community
cohesion, a guide was developed outlining the plans to mainstream
community cohesion into service delivery. The guide set out what services
can do to promote cohesion through their design and delivery, thereby
translating broader objectives into positive actions.
Lancashire County Council has also been running workshops for service
managers during 2008 to help them to use the guide in order to deepen
understanding of the issues and approaches to building cohesion, secure
commitment to promoting cohesion and build the confidence of service
delivery agents when dealing with cohesion issues. The council also produced
a good practice digest for use by external organisations and individuals.
The mainstreaming guide and good-practice digest have only recently been
produced so it is difficult to make a firm assessment of their impact at this
stage. However, Lancashire County Council plans to measure progress
against performance indicators to see if mainstreaming is taking place.
The next step will be to introduce a performance framework after the
business-planning period. This will include firm targets on community
cohesion and processes for monitoring them.
The development of the Local Area Agreement (LAA) in Lancashire earlier
this year has supported and reinforced the point that community cohesion
is a key priority for the area and strengthened the partnership working for
the future.
CASE STUDY
East Midlands Economic Network
The aim of the East Midlands Economic Network (EMEN) project, funded
in Round 2 of the Connecting Communities Plus Community Grants, was
to use community bridge-building activities to combat racism and
extremism and enable people from diverse parts of Leicester to work
together and learn more about each other, thus helping overcome
prejudices.
EMEN offered a range of activities and events to local residents, including:
• an intercultural football competition
• a theatrical event addressing topical and sometimes controversial issues
in a comedy show
• a children’s musical to showcase their talents; and
• a comedy show as part of the Leicester Comedy Festival.
Members of different local communities were actively involved in planning
these activities. Training sessions were organised for residents to help
them understand different cultures. The project helped to create better
links between individuals and organisations across communities in
Leicester and brought together over 450 people to celebrate their culture
and build good relations.
CASE STUDY
Aapna Carers Group, North East

Aapna Carers Group was awarded a Round 2 Connecting Communities
Plus, Community Grant of £11,854 to provide links between public service
providers and people with learning disabilities and mental health problems
from Black and minority ethnic communities.
Communities were able to select an advocate who represented the views
of carers and Black and minority ethnic service users at planning meetings
to develop future services. The project helped local Black and minority
ethnic communities have a stronger voice and communicated their needs
and concerns more effectively to the providers. The advocate service also
helped to make the Black and minority ethnic people more aware of
different support services available locally and increase their confidence
in using those services.
CASE STUDY
Sikh Union, Slough – promoting cultures through

performance
The Sikh Union was awarded a Connecting Communities Plus,
Community Grant of £10,100 to run a celebration of diversity in Slough
and as a result promoted greater cohesion amongst its communities.
The one-off event promoted cultures through performance and dress. The
event, the first of its kind in Slough, was very well received in the local
community and everyone who took part had an enjoyable time. Nothing
on this scale had been attempted before and the borough council was
brought in as a partner to help assure its success. The project was a good
example of what the Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society
strategy expected in terms of cultural activities playing an increasing role
in promoting an understanding of, and celebrating, the diverse elements
in local life. The impact of the project has gone beyond original
expectations and resulted in the formation of a multicultural organisation
to represent Slough's diversity in the Olympic Games in 2012.
Engaging stakeholders to advise on race and cohesion issues
We want to ensure that the Government is getting the best advice on race equality
issues. We have moved away from standing advisory committees to a more open,
project-based approach. Stakeholders with relevant perspectives, community links and
expertise are brought together for a limited period of time to offer advice on a particular
issue and/or project.
REACH
REACH was one of a series of time-limited project groups set up as successors to the
Stephen Lawrence Steering Group (LSG) and the Race Equality Advisory Panel (REAP).
Established in February 2006, its focus has been on raising the aspirations and
achievement among Black boys and young Black men, enabling them to achieve their
potential. Evidence shows that Black boys and young Black men face serious challenges
in every sector of society; they are less likely to achieve at school, more likely to be
unemployed, and more likely to become involved with the criminal justice system.
The project has radically changed the way in which we work with external stakeholders,
by putting the community in the driving seat in all aspects of research, development,
implementation, planning and delivery of policy. The REACH report, published in August
2007, was developed by members of the community: the police; local authorities;
schools; other government departments; and community groups, most of whom had
direct experience of front-line working. In addition, the voices of these experts were
supplemented through a wide-ranging consultation with young Black men and their
families. This led to the development of five clear, concise, evidence based
recommendations aimed at tackling the root causes of under-achievement.
The five REACH recommendations are:

• The Government should introduce a structured national role model programme for
Black boys and young Black men
• Voluntary and Community Sector organisations working to support Black boys and
young Black men should form Black-led consortia, supported by the Government
• The Government should establish a national framework for family-school partnerships,
ensuring that the specific needs of Black families are integral to the framework
• Ofsted, the DCSF and relevant field forces (such as School Improvement Partners)
should take urgent steps to strengthen existing systems to ensure that:
– Ofsted effectively and consistently report on schools’ delivery of their race equality
duties; and
– relevant field forces challenge and support schools in the delivery of those duties.
• Communities and Local Government should appoint a task force (with a time-limited
remit) that will drive forward the delivery of the REACH recommendations, within the
wider achievement agenda for Black boys and young Black men, reporting to a
Minister for Race.
As part of the REACH project, PricewaterhouseCoopers were commissioned to estimate

the potential economic benefit of removing the disadvantage and under achievement
experienced by Black boys and young Black men. The study estimated the potential
economic benefit at about £808 million a year. The major components of the estimates
are the costs associated with over-representation in the Criminal Justice System and
reduced gross earnings and taxes associated with educational under achievement. The
costs, if they continue over the next 50 years without any change, would amount to
approximately £24billion.
In response to the report the Government has committed to:
1. Improving the visibility of positive Black male role models.
2. Creating better links between Black families and school.
3. Improving the way that Ofsted reports on race equality in schools, and the way
schools are supported to fulfil their race equality duties.
4. Encouraging small third sector organisations working to support young Black men to
share resources and expertise.
5. Ensuring strong Ministerial oversight of action to support young Black men.

The governance structure for the implementation of the REACH recommendations has
been designed so that it includes external representation at every level including on the
Ministerial Board responsible for overseeing delivery, the Programme Board and on a
wide range of working groups. All decisions as to how work should be taken forward are
made in conjunction with young Black men, the members of the group who wrote the
report and other representatives from across the country.
In December 2008, Hazel Blears announced 20 national role models selected to form the
first national group of its kind - to help raise the aspirations and attainment of Black
boys. The role models from a wide range of occupations and many different parts of the
country include an army officer, a barrister, a TV weatherman, a fire fighter, a Royal Navy
engineer, top business consultants and entrepreneurs, a teacher, local council leaders, a
probation officer, accountants and finance experts, a civil servant and a TV presenter and
were selected because of their outstanding abilities to inspire, lead and connect with
young Black boys.
Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade
March 25 2007 marked a key event in British history: the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act
1807.
Europeans had enslaved millions of Africans through the transatlantic slave trade for
nearly 400 years. It is estimated that over 12 million men, women and children were
transported out of Africa; and that some two million people died.
Although it would take another 30 years before slavery was finally abolished, the passage
of the Act in 1807 was the beginning of the end for this barbaric trade and a landmark
law in the long struggle for liberty and civil rights.
The Government was keen to ensure that we marked the bicentenary by reflecting on
the past and looking to the future. As well as supporting a range of heritage and cultural
events across the country, we also carried a range of activities to address the legacy and
the many contemporary issues associated with slavery.
COMMEMORATIVE HIGHLIGHTS
There were many events and activities around the country to remember those who
suffered as a result of the slave trade and to recognise the efforts of those who struggled
for its abolition, including enslaved Africans, states, people and citizens.
The Heritage Lottery Fund awarded over £15million to more than 180 projects around
the country.
Under its Connecting Communities Plus grants programme, Communities and Local
Government also provided £364,825.92 to 41 small community organisations for
bicentenary-related commemorative projects.
Other commemoration highlights included:

• The launch of Royal Mint’s commemorative £2 coin in December 2006 and the issue
of commemorative stamps by the Royal Mail in March 2007
• The National Service of Commemoration held at Westminster Abbey in March 2007,
organised by Set All Free. This powerful event was attended by Her Majesty the Queen
and the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair
• Debates on slavery in the House of Commons and House of Lords in March, May and
June 2007
• The opening of the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool in August 2007
• The opening of a permanent exhibition called London, Sugar and Slavery at the
Museum in Docklands in November 2007.
Action to tackle contemporary issues
The bicentenary also afforded to the Government an opportunity to redouble its efforts
to address contemporary issues associated with the slave trade including:
• inequality and discrimination in the UK
• poverty in Africa; and
• modern-day forms of slavery.
We are carrying out continuing programmes of work to tackle these important issues as
set out in our end-of-year bicentenary publication, The Way Forward.
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/wayforward
In the meantime, some of the milestones during the bicentenary year included:
• publication of the REACH report on raising aspirations and achievement among young
Black men and the Government’s response
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/reachreport
www.communities.gov.uk/publications/communities/reachresponse
• the study of slavery as a compulsory element in the National Curriculum
• the Human Trafficking Action Plan to tackle forms of contemporary slavery
• establishing a UN Special Rapporteur on slavery following a UK-led lobbying campaign
• a commitment to spend £8.5billion to support Education for All over the next 10 years
to help children in developing countries escape poverty and exploitation, and reduce
vulnerability to contemporary slavery and trafficking.
Annual commemoration – 23 August
The Government wants to ensure that we continue to mark this important part of our
history beyond the bicentenary year.
Towards the end of 2007, we announced that we would adopt 23 August – UNESCO
Day for International Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition – as the focal
date for future national commemorations.
Community groups can apply to the Heritage Lottery Fund, Big Lottery and Arts Council
England for funding for heritage-based projects.
CASE STUDY
Sugar and Slavery

The London Sugar and Slavery Gallery opened to the public at the
Museum in Docklands on 10 November 2007, supported by the Heritage
Lottery Fund with additional funding from Renaissance London.
The gallery builds upon the Museum’s tradition of working with local
communities and its unique location, a former sugar warehouse at
West India Quay created for the produce generated on Caribbean slave
plantations.
A programme of community engagement initiatives and evaluation
ensured a broad appeal and shared ownership of the gallery.
An important element was the role of the Consultative Group, drawn
from the African-Caribbean and Black and minority ethnic communities,
who guided decision-making during the gallery’s development and whose
membership consisted of a mix of academics, cultural and community
leaders. The Consultative Group were involved in choosing the key
messages that the gallery would communicate through the themes and
actual content. They were also heavily involved with the compilation of
the text accompanying the exhibition to ensure that it was accurate and
conveyed the appropriate tone and sensitivities.
A rolling programme of community projects resulting in changing displays
in the gallery continue to provide new and socially inclusive perspectives
on the subject. One example was a display which opened in February
2008, Journey to Accompong, developed by young people from London
who carried our first hand research in Jamaica, visiting the sites of
the ‘maroons’ (enslaved African resistors) to record their history.
Other examples include gallery text written by young people who have
been in long-term unemployment and an interactive computer-based
presentation, researched and developed by members of a local African
Caribbean mental health organisation.
Annex A Victims Fund 2007/08 Recommended Grant Awards | 179
Annex A
Victims Fund 2007-08 Recommended
Grant Awards
Organisation Organisational Geographical Previous Recommended Service Services to be Funded
Details Area Funding Grant beneficiaries
CIS’ters National survivor-led, National coverage 2004-05 £37,088 Women 18+ who Grant will contribute to:
not for profit organisation. £23,350 have been victims of regular service user contact;
Established in 1995 Member 2005-06 historical/childhood survivor workshops;
of Sexual Violence and Abuse £40,000 sexual violence and a helpline; volunteer
Stakeholder Group. Provides abuse. training; and a newsletter;
a range of direct services training/speaking events.
including: group; therapy;
conferences; and a helpline.
VOICE UK Registered Charity. National Coverage 2006-07 £28,000 Adults/Children. Funding will help continue
Has provided support for £30,000 Women/men. the post of the specialist
vulnerable victims who have Individuals with caseworker for vulnerable

experienced sexual crime learning difficulties. victims of sexual violence
since 1994. Voice UK have Any form of sexual and abuse.
played an instrumental role violence/abuse.
in developing support for
victims with learning
disabilities through the
CJS (Intermediaries project,
VAP membership).
Respond Registered Charity. Based in London 2006-07 £50,000 Individuals with Contributions to general
Established in 1991. but National £28,000 learning disabilities services particularly: a
Provides a range of therapy coverage for 2005-06 aged children (5yrs+). Psychotherapists; case
and support to individuals helpline £25,000 Men and women management; clinical
with learning disabilities who who have experienced supervision; and helpline
2004-05
have been victims of any any form of sexual support.
£6,250
form of sexual violence violence and abuse.
and abuse. Member of the
Sexual Violence and Abuse
Stakeholder Group.
One-in-Four Registered Charity. User-led London 2006-07 £48,510 Adult and child Maintenance and
service established in 1999. (counselling, £29,824 victims of any form development of advocacy
Provides a range of direct therapy & National 2005-06 of sexual violence service (established in
services to adult, young helpline, website, £30,000 and abuse. 2006-07); contribution to
people, male and female training, advocacy) increasing therapy hours;
2004-05
victims. training/development
£24,993
for staff.
Lilith Registered charity. London 2006-07 £30,104 BME Women who Continuation of a project
Project/Amina Experienced in supporting £30,000 have experienced which specifically looks at
Project Eaves vulnerable women. Member 2005-06 any form of sexual addressing the needs of BME
Housing for of Sexual violence and Abuse £39,018 violence and abuse. victims of sexual violence,
Women Stakeholder Group. Has a particularly those with high
2004-05
specific project to assist mental health needs. Funding
£14,329
front-line agencies in will provide the salary of the
supporting women who have BME specialist worker to
experienced sexual violence. help increase the ability and
capacity of services to meet
the particular needs of BME
clients.
Survivors UK Registered Charity. National coverage 2005-06 £30,000 Men 16+. Victims of Funding will contribute
Established in 1986. (Helpline). £40,000 any form of sexual towards: therapeutic group
Supports men 16+ who are London based 2004-05 violence and abuse. work; one counsellor;
survivors of childhood and counselling/therapy £24,600 counselling sessions and
recent sexual violence. . related work.
Step Forward Established in 1988. Aims to London 2006-07 £32,190 Young People 11-25 The grant will provide for the
improve the quality of lives (Tower Hamlets) £30,000 who have experienced continuation of the existing
of Young People. Provides 2005-06 any form of sexual specialist project for young
a specific intensive package £30,000 violence and abuse. victims of sexual violence and
of direct support for young abuse. (Established with VF
people who have been money in 2005).
effected by sexual violence
and abuse
Galop Registered charity. Established London 2006-07 £35,122 LGBT victims of all Grant will be used to
in 1982 to support LGBT £28,024 forms of sexual continue and expand the
victims of crimes (including violence and abuse. existing services of the
sexual abuse). Provides a specialist sexual violence and
range of services including: abuse caseworker for LGBT
Shout-line; non-police victims who have experienced
reporting; interactive web- sexual violence and abuse.
site; training/research/Linking
London. Was funded in 2006
to set-up specialist Sexual
Abuse Caseworker service.
Women's Registered Charity. North East 2006-07 £28,038 Women aged 14+ Continuation of Advocacy
Support Established in 1997. (Middlesbrough) £30,000 who have experienced service. Advocacy service
Network Extended service to sexual 2005-06 any form of sexual provides one-one-support
violence and abuse victims £35,000 violence and abuse. to victims of recent and
in 2002. Provides support historical sexual violence
2004-05
for Teesside SARC. and abuse.
£19,450
Redcar & Although started as a North East (Redcar No £41,724 Women and children Expand service to include one
Cleveland specialist domestic violence and Cleveland ) who have experienced full time and one part-time
Women’s Aid charity, the organisation has any form of sexual counsellor.
been providing a specialist violence and abuse.
sexual violence and abuse
service since 2003. Provides
a range of support services
including advocacy;
counselling and crisis
support.
South Essex Registered Charity. East (South Essex) 2006-07 £49,291 Women and girls Grant will help maintain and
Rape and Crisis Established sexual violence £30,000 aged 11+ who have expand service by funding
Centre (SERICC) and abuse organisation. 2005-06 experienced any form a full-time sexual violence
Opened in 1984 and provides £30,000 of sexual violence counsellor and related costs
a range of services for victims and abuse. and providing a contribution
2004-05
including: counselling; towards the helpline and
£31,520
therapy; helpline support; crisis service.
advocacy; and crisis support.
Highly experienced and
professional organisation.
Member of the Sexual
Violence and Abuse
Stakeholder Group.
HEAL (Helping Registered Charity that East (North East 2006-07 £38,038 Adult survivors of Grant will help maintain
Everyone supports adult survivors of Essex and Suffolk ) £13,572 historical/childhood service and undertake
Abused Live) childhood abuse. Established 2004-05 sexual abuse. outreach work for hard-to-
in 1997 by a survivor. £10,286 reach groups (BME). Services
Provides a recovery include: group facilitation
programme and a range of work; counselling; crime
activities to help victims. support work; and outreach
support.
Colchester Registered charity. Has East 2006-07 £21,931 Women, both female Grant will contribute to
Rape Crisis Line provided specialist services (North/Mid Essex) £30,000 and male victims aged general service provision and
since 1989. Organisation 2005-06 up to 19yrs. Victims running of the organisation.
provides crisis and long-term £35,000 who have experienced Services include a helpline;
support. any form of sexual counselling; and crisis
violence and abuse. support.
Rape and Registered Charity providing North West 2005-06 £35,370 Women, men/young Grant is requested to help
Sexual Abuse a range of services for (Cheshire and £40,000 people. Recent and support general services:
Support Centre women, men and young Warrington) historical sexual including the provision of
Cheshire and people who have suffered abuse/violence. therapeutic support and
Merseyside. any form of sexual violence counselling services.
(Previously and abuse. Wide range of
Warrington services provided including
Rape Crisis) helpline/counselling,
practical support, special
young person’s project.
Manchester Registered Charity. North West 2005-06 £25,635 Women and girls Grant will help fund a part-
Rape Crisis Organisation was set up (Greater £30,000 victims of recent time project worker to help
in 1976. Provides a range Manchester) or historical SVAA. increase the capacity of the
of services including: support available.
helpline, counselling,
self-development course,
and advocacy.
RASAC – Registered Charity. South East 2006-07 £26,000 Women, men and Contribution to general
Rape and Established in 1996 to (Central Hampshire) £30,000 young people who running of the support
Sexual Abuse provide a specialist service have experienced service including volunteer/
Counselling for victims of sexual any form of sexual staff expenses and
Service violence and abuse. Part violence and abuse. counselling service.
(Winchester) of the Hampshire SARC Counselling is
Management Group. provided to over16s
but helpline supports
all ages.
Survivors Registered Charity. South East 2005-06 £10,406 Women 16+ who Contribution to support
Network Established in 1990 to (Brighton) £26,000 have experienced service costs including: a
provide services for women childhood sexual ‘speak-out project worker’
who have experienced sexual abuse. and the helpline.
abuse in childhood. Provides
a helpline and therapy
support.
Southampton Registered Charity. Extensive South East 2005-06 £47,804 Men and women Grant will provide a
Rape Crisis and experience (20 years) of (Southampton) £35,000 aged 12+. Has a contribution to individual
Sexual Abuse providing support for target 2004-05 specific initiative counselling and group
Centre group. Provides crisis £3,700 called the Star project therapy work.
support; advocacy; for young people at
counselling and therapy. risk from being
abused. Helpline
extends to family
members and friends.
Supports victims of
any form of sexual
violence and abuse.
No Limits Registered Charity. South East No £26,000 Male and Female Grant will contribute to
Organisation is an (Southampton) victims aged 13-25yrs. specific service for young
information, advice and people who have
counselling service for young experienced sexual violence
people. Has provided and abuse. This includes one-
specialist support for victims one support after disclosure;
of sexual violence and abuse longer term support/
for 14 years. counselling; assistance with
accessing other specialist
services; and reporting.
Bradford Registered Charity. Yorkshire and 2006-07 £45,106 Women and Girls. Grant will contribute towards
Rape Crisis & Established in 1981 to Humberside £30,000 Specialist project providing general support
Sexual Abuse provide support, counselling (Bradford, targeted at BME services (helpline, crisis
Survivors and information to women West Yorkshire) communities (Jyoti). support and counselling) and
Service and girls who have Supports victims who pay for a specialist service
experienced any form of have experienced any worker for BME clients
sexual violence and abuse. form of sexual (part of the Jyoti project).
Has a specialist service called violence and abuse.
Jyoti for BME clients
Doncaster Registered Charity. Over Yorkshire and 2006-07 £44,607 Male and Female Contribution to face-to-face
Rape and twenty years of experience of Humberside £30,000 victims aged 14+, counselling and helpline
Sexual Abuse providing direct services for 2005-06 who have experienced service including: one full
Counselling target group. Core Service is £36,150 any form of sexual time post & one part-time
Centre counselling but also provides violence and abuse. post.
2004-05
a helpline service
£3,066
Grimsby & Registered Charity. Yorkshire and 2006-07 £49,146 Male and Female Contribution towards
Scunthorpe Organisation works in Humberside £29,930 victims aged 16+ who increasing the capacity of the
Rape Crisis partnership with a range of (North and North 2005-06 have experienced service including: funding
agencies to deliver the ‘Its My East Lincolnshire ) £24,405 any form of sexual a contribution towards a
Right’ project to support violence and abuse. service Co-ordinator and a
2004-05
victims of domestic violence new ISVA that will be based
£6,102
and sexual violence and in Scunthorpe.
abuse. The organisation
provides a range of services
including crisis support;
advocacy; and helpline
support.
Sheffield Registered Charity. Has Yorkshire and 2006-07 £18,672 Women who have Grant will contribute to
Women’s offered psychotherapy to Humberside £29,000 experienced increasing the capacity of
Counselling victims of childhood sexual (Sheffield) 2005-06 childhood sexual the psychotherapy services
and Therapy abuse since 1988. In 2002 £35,840 abuse. Young Women for women who have
Service it opened a young women’s 16-25 who have experienced sexual abuse
2004-05
project and in 2005 it set up experienced any form in childhood.
£12,500
a partnership to support of sexual violence.
female asylum seekers. Young women asylum
Provides a range of services seekers who have
including psychotherapy; experienced any form
art therapy; group therapy of sexual violence and
and individual counselling. abuse.
WomanKind Established in 1980 as Bristol South West (Bristol, 2006-07 £41,202 Services support Grant will fund one full-time
(Bristol Rape Crisis. Provides services Knowles West) £30,000 Women and girls children’s counsellor and
Women's for adults and children who who have experienced related costs and will
Therapy have experienced recent and any form of sexual contribute towards the
Centre) historical sexual violence and violence. BME groups. helpline.
abuse. Provides an outreach
service for BME & Asylum
Seekers. Provides outreach
work in male prisons.
Survivors Company limited by South West 2006-07 £35,900 Male victims of Grant to contribute to a full-
Swindon guarantee. Applying for (Swindon) £30,000 historical/childhood time salary for one counsellor
charitable status. Established sexual violence and and related service costs.
as a support group in abuse.
1991and has not progressed
into providing more intensive
support including counselling
and therapy support.
Plymouth Rape Registered Charity that South West No £12,450 Adult Women who Grant will contribute to
and Sexual has been providing free (Plymouth) have experienced provision of counselling
Abuse Line counselling and telephone any form of sexual and running of the helpline
support since 1984. Provides violence (recent and service.
face-to-face and telephone historical).
counselling and support.
Twelve’s Registered charity. Extensive South West 2006-07 £35,827 Men & Women who The grant will fund one full
Company experience of providing (Plymouth & £29,907 have experienced time female counsellor and
services for target client Devon) 2005-06 historical/childhood one part-time male
group. Provides a range of £23,707 abuse. Art therapy counsellor.
therapy and counselling provided for under
services for both male and 16yr olds. Women
female victims of historical who have experienced
abuse. Now provides art recent sexual violence.
therapy to children under
the age of 16yrs who have
experienced any form of

sexual violence and abuse
and supports women who
have experienced recent
sexual violence.
Womens Rape Registered Charity. South West No £32,416 Women who have The grant will fund the post
and Sexual Organisation has provided a (Cornwall) experienced any form of one full-time counsellor
Abuse Centre range of specialist support of sexual violence and and related support costs.
Cornwall services for victims of sexual abuse.
(WRASAC) violence and abuse since
1994. Services include: crisis
support; advocacy support;
counselling and outreach
work.
Sexual and Registered Charity. Set up West Midlands 2005-06 £15,250 Men & Women Grant will provide a
Domestic in 1994. Provides a range (East Staffordshire £25,000 aged 16+ who have contribution to a range
Abuse and of direct support services for and South 2004-05 experienced any form of services including:
Rape Advice victims of Domestic violence Derbyshire) £18,036 of sexual violence and counselling; helpline;
Centre (SARAC) and sexual violence and abuse. and counselling room
abuse. refurbishment.
Worcestershire Registered Charity. West Midlands 2005-06 £28,445 Women aged 16+. Contribution to general
Rape and Established in 1986. (Worcestershire) £24,142 support services (including
Sexual Abuse High level of experience in 2004-05 volunteer training).
Support Centre supporting target group. £23,439
Provides a range of services
including helpline support
and counselling.
Coventry Rape Registered Charity. Has been West Midlands 2005-06 £35,424 Women and girls Contribution towards two
Crisis providing services for target (Coventry and £4,910 aged 14+ who are posts: Senior Counsellor to
group for 26 years. Warwickshire) victims of historical develop services for hard-to-
and recent sexual reach groups and counsellor
violence. for core service.
The Rape and Registered Charity West Midlands 2006-07 £21,090 Adult men and Grant will provide a
Sexual Abuse established in 1979. Provides (Birmingham) £30,000 women who have contribution to: the specialist
Violence a range of services to adult 2005-06 been victims of any BME worker; training and
Project victims of sexual violence £40,000 forms of sexual information for survivors.
(Birmingham) and abuse. This includes: violence and abuse.
2004-05
outreach support; BME Groups.
£12,500
counselling; advocacy;
and therapy.
New Pathways Registered Charity. Well South Wales 2006-07 £23,660 Children 3-13, Young Contribution to training and
established organisation. (Based in Merthyr £30,000 people 13-18, adult general support services for
Set up in 1993. Extensive Tydfil) 2005-06 men and women who victims.
experience in providing £25,000 have experienced any
specialist support services for form of sexual
2004-05
victims of any form of sexual violence.
£16,500
violence and abuse. Provides
crisis support, advocacy and
counselling. Has helped to
establish two SARCS.
Rape and Registered Charity. Has North Wales 2005-06 £25,525 Women, Men, Young Grant will contribute to
Sexual Abuse over twenty-three years £7,685 People aged 12+ who general costs of providing
Centre (North of experience in providing have experienced any direct services and the
Wales) support to men, women form of sexual production of bi-lingual
and children who have violence. material for victims.
sexual violence.
Derbyshire Registered Charity. Provides East Midlands No £19,450 Women and Men Contribution towards
Rape Crisis a wide range of services for (Derbyshire) aged 14+ who have services provided by the
female and female victims of experienced any form Crisis Worker at the SARC.
sexual violence and abuse. of sexual violence and

Provides a range of services abuse.
including counselling;
helpline support; crisis
support; and guidance and
information. Organisation
provides support to Milford
House SARC and has an
ISVA.
Nottingham Registered Charity. Well East Midlands 2006-07 £41,108 Women aged 16+ Salary for volunteer
Rape Crisis established in providing (Nottinghamshire) £30,000 who have experienced co-ordinator and a new
specialist support to target 2005-06 any form of sexual part-time counsellor.
group. Services provided £26,515 violence and abuse.
include: a helpline and
support and counselling
to women who have
sexual violence and abuse.
Involved in SARC
development.
Sexual abuse and Registered Charity. Has East Midlands No £17,767 Women aged 18+ Contribution towards
Incest Line (SAIL) provided targeted support (North Derbyshire) that have experienced counselling (training, support
to adult women who have childhood sexual and clinical supervision).
experienced childhood abuse.
sexual abuse since 1992.
Organisation provides
counselling and therapy
services.
Northamptonshire Registered Charity. East Midlands No £20,000 Adult male and Grant will fund the post of
Rape & Incest Organisation has provided (Northamptonshire) female victims that the outreach worker who
Crisis direct services to both male have experienced will work in the local
and female victims of sexual any form of sexual community to develop links
violence and abuse since violence and abuse. with relevant agencies and
1986. Services include aim to increase the reporting
outreach support, advocacy of sexual violence.
and counselling.
Crisis Point Registered Charity. Has East Midlands 2005-06 £15,368 Adult male and Grant will contribute to
provided specialist services (Walsall) £30,000 female victims of direct counselling and
since 2001. Organisation all forms of sexual therapy services for victims.
provides a range of specialist violence and abuse.
support including:
counselling; crisis support;
advocacy; emergency
support; and exit strategies
for women involved in the
sex industry. Manages
Walsall SARC.
Walsall Street Registered Charity. East Midlands 2006-07 £30,000 Young women aged Grant will enable the
Teams (The The Jigsaw Project provides (Walsall) £30,000 under 18yrs who continuation of the specific
Jigsaw Project) targeted support for young are involved in, or workshop programme for
people who are involved are at risk of sexual young people.
in sexual exploitation. The exploitation
project offers: one-to-one (prostitution).
support; advice; onward
referrals to counselling
services; workshops; and
prevention work.
This report consists of two volumes.
Volume 2 presents the Race Equality in Public Services – Statistical Report
£25
Volume1: not to be sold separately

Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Improving Opportunity, Strengthening Society

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Improving Opportunity,

© Crown Copyright, 2009

Copyright in the typographical arrangement rests with the Crown.

If you require this publication in an alternative format please email [email protected]

Communities and Local Government Publications

75% This is printed on

Ref. no. 08 RFC 05754

Chapter 1: Executive Summary 7

Chapter 2: Reducing inequalities in public service 15

Chapter 3: Building cohesive communities 119

Chapter 4: The legal framework 155

Chapter 5: Working in partnership 165

Annex A: Victims Fund 2007-08 Recommended Grant Awards 179

Volume 2 – Race Equality in Public Services Statistical Report

Rt Hon Hazel Blears MP

The strategy has two closely linked aims:

The structure of the report

Equality across public services

The labour market

The Criminal Justice System

Building cohesive communities

This work is underpinned by a cross-government Public Service Agreement (PSA 21)

The legal framework

There is more on the legal framework in Chapter 4.

To help achieve this, we want to be able to provide, wherever possible, a framework

The Race Equality and Diversity Division Unit and the

The terms used in the report

2.2 The labour market

2.5 The criminal justice system

The background to our work

In 2007, around 22 per cent of pupils in maintained primary schools and

With the exception of Gypsy/Roma and Traveller of Irish Heritage pupils,

Chinese pupils continue to perform considerably better than any other

The achievement of Black African pupils increased by 15 percentage

In 2007 in England, minority ethnic staff (in primary and secondary

For example, the proportion of pupils achieving the equivalent of five or

Chinese pupils continue to perform considerably better than any other

The achievement of Black African pupils increased by 19 percentage

Further education, higher education and skills

Doing more in the early years

The additional funding should help:

• reporting on a range of performance management indicators, including the reach to

An independent report, National Evaluation of Sure Start Impact Study, published in

The DCSF’s National Strategies are working

Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning programme

Early Learning Partnerships Project (ELPP)

Sure Start Gypsy, Roma and Traveller programme

Early Support Programme

Communications and guidance

In Extended Schools: Building on Experience (2007) we ask schools to provide parents

Well-qualified Early Years workforce

Sure Start promoting cohesion

Doing better in school

Tackling the exclusions gap for Black pupils

Tackling racist bullying

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller pupils

Community nursery nurse Louise Leftley, of Bowthorpe and West

Raising participation levels

The E- Learning and Mobility Project (ELAMP)