Who we are andwhat we do

Contents

2 About us4 Why we are here8 Our powers10 Where we work

‘Not a river of blood, but a tide of hope’:our Chair, Trevor Phillips, speaks aboutmodern multiculturalism on the 40thanniversary of Enoch Powell’s infamous‘Rivers of Blood’ speech.

About us

At the Equality and Human RightsCommission we believe that everyoneshould be treated fairly and with dignity.Unfortunately this doesn’t alwayshappen. According to a survey carriedout for us in 2007, discrimination anddisadvantage are still common acrossBritain. We don’t all have equal chancesin life and some forms of discriminationare complex and deep-rooted. Sometimespeople choose to ignore the rights ofothers even when this is against the law.This is why the Equality and HumanRights Commission is here.

We aim to help Britain develop in a waythat values the ideals that most of ushold dear – respect, freedom, equality,

dignity and fairness. These are also thecore principles that underpin ‘humanrights’ – the basic rights and freedomsthat belong to all of us as human beings.

Launched on 1 October 2007, our role is to:

• ensure people are aware of their rightsand how to use them

• work with employers, service providersand organisations to help them developbest practice

• work with policymakers, lawyers andthe Government to make sure thatsocial policy and the law promoteequality and

• use our powers to enforce the laws that are already in place.

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Our specialist helpline advisers are hereto give you information and guidance onyour rights. We have separate helplinesfor England, Wales and Scotland.

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Why we are here

As a single Commission we can act as one source of information and advice andtackle discrimination on multiple levels(many people face more than one type of discrimination). We bring together the work of the three previous equalitycommissions and we also have newresponsibilities. This means we canprovide previously under-representedgroups, such as older people, with apowerful body to tackle discrimination.

We have laws in this country to protectus from discrimination, unequaltreatment and to preserve our rights inrelation to:

• Age• Disability• Gender, including gender reassignment• Race• Religion and belief• Sexual orientation

We also have human rights legislation that guarantees basic rights and freedomsfor everyone.

Marcus Ramshaw, priest Michael Etkind, Holocaust survivor

Alison Lapper, artistGok Wan, television presenter

2008 saw the launch of theCommission’s YouTubechannel. Our ‘Equally Different’campaign features videos ofindividuals from all walks oflife. Visit www.youtube.com/equalityhumanrights

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The rights you have might apply indifferent settings:

• at work• in education and training• in the services you receive, like health

and social care, transport or housing• in the commercial services you buy,

such as in shops and leisure centres or• in the way you are treated by official

institutions.

The law is slightly different depending onthe kind of discrimination or unfairtreatment you may have suffered and itcan be quite complex. We can help you towork out your rights and give you adviceon what you can do next.

This is truly a landmark case and it will have a real impacton the lives of millions of carersJohn Wadham, our Legal Group Director,on Sharon Coleman’s case

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It has taken a lot of courageto fight this case, but noone should have to choosebetween caring for disabledrelatives or their job.

Sharon Coleman took her employerto court after being harassed andrefused flexible working to enableher to care for her disabled son,Oliver. We supported her case,which will lead to greater legalprotection for carers.

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Our powers

Enforcing the lawWe have extensive powers to enforceequality law. We offer advice andinformation through our helplines,website and publications.

We can take legal cases on behalf ofindividuals as well as legal action toprevent breaches of the Human RightsAct. However, we can only take on a limited number of cases each year so wewill concentrate on those cases whichtest the law. In addition we give fundingto organisations that provide legal advice to members of the public.

Our role includes making sure that publicauthorities carry out their legal duties totackle discrimination and promote

equality. We also have the power tolaunch official inquiries and formalinvestigations.

Shaping public policyWe work to influence the Government to develop equality and human rightslegislation that is fit for the 21st centuryand that gives everyone the chance toreach their full potential.

We will use our influence and authorityto ensure that social policy considers the importance of equality and humanrights and that these issues remain at the top of the Government’s agenda. By commissioning, assessing andpublishing research we will become a respected source of evidence-based

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knowledge about the state of equalityand human rights in Britain.

We will also produce a report every three years, which will be presented toParliament. This will assess equality in Britain and how much progress hasbeen made.

Promoting good practiceWe work with public, private andvoluntary organisations and employers

to reduce discrimination, develop good practice and promote equality of opportunity for all. We use ourcommunications and campaigns work to reach new audiences and to push forsocial change and justice.

We help other organisations throughour grants programme, which enablesus to give financial support to local andnational projects that promote equalityand human rights across Britain.

We all have the right to expect that we will be treated fairly,not exploited and that our dignity is respectedTrevor Phillips“ ”

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Where we work

Our work covers England, Wales andScotland. We have offices in Cardiff,Edinburgh, Glasgow, London andManchester as well as a regional presence in Bangor, Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Guildford, Leeds,Newcastle and Nottingham.

For details of how to contact us pleasesee the back cover of this publication.

If you live in Scotland or Wales you canbenefit from our separate offices withspecial remits to take account of theparticular issues that affect you.

ScotlandThe Equality and Human RightsCommission in Scotland is there to

ensure that the aims, vision and strategyof the Commission consider Scottishneeds. The team is based in Glasgow andEdinburgh. We have a Scotlandcommissioner and committee to overseeour work and work closely with theScottish Parliament, the ScottishCommission for Human Rights and other organisations in Scotland.

WalesThe Equality and Human RightsCommission in Wales, based in Cardiffand Bangor, is there to ensure that theCommission takes account of Welshneeds. We have a Wales commissioner andcommittee to oversee our work and workclosely with the Welsh Assembly and otherWelsh organisations.

We gave £10 million to grassrootsorganisations working across all areas ofequality in 2008. One of the recipients isAPORENet, whose project aims to promoteequality and human rights through art.

The aim of creating a diverseand equal society is the greatestchallenge facing Britain today.Together we can make it a realityNicola Brewer, Chief Executive,Equality and Human Rights Commission

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We are a non-departmental publicbody, independent of Government,established under the Equality Act 2006.© Equality and Human RightsCommission July 2008

Photographs courtesy of Pauline Neild,Bob Hopley, APORENet and Airbus UK.ISBN 978 1 84206 058 2

Contact usYou can find out more or get in touchwith us via our website at:

www.equalityhumanrights.com

or by contacting one of our helplines.

This publication is also available inWelsh as a bilingual publication.

If you require this publication in analternative format and/or languageplease contact the relevant helpline todiscuss your needs. All publications arealso available to download and order ina variety of formats from our website.

Equality and Human RightsCommission helpline – EnglandTelephone: 08456 046 610Textphone: 08456 046 620Fax: 08456 046 6309am–5pm, Monday to Friday,except Wednesday 9am–8pm

Equality and Human RightsCommission helpline – ScotlandTelephone: 08456 045 510Textphone: 08456 045 520Fax: 08456 045 5309am–5pm, Monday to Friday,except Wednesday 9am–8pm

Equality and Human RightsCommission helpline – WalesTelephone: 08456 048 810Textphone: 08456 048 820Fax: 08456 048 8309am–5pm, Monday to Friday,except Wednesday 9am–8pm