Equality legislation, equalities groups, faith groups

Resources
Equality Act 2010
NCVO has useful material on its website to help voluntary organisations understand what implementation of the Act means for their management and services. There is a quick overview and this leads to further guidance, especially resources for employers.

Equality duty – new requirements
Equality and Human Rights Commission guidance on the Equality Act 2010 which requires public authorities to tackle discrimination, harassment or victimisation in relation to age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and sexual orientation. The Act expects public authorities to advance equality of opportunity as well as fostering good relations between different groups.  An online starter kit from Commission’s website.

Faith and Cohesion Unit resources
The Charity Commission has published resources for faith-based charities. This guide includes how to develop a governing document for faith-based groups preparing to register with the Commission, a pre-registration checklist to track registration progress and three case studies of mosques showing good governance.

External Publications
Are you saying I’m Racist?
Trust for London, 2012.
An evaluation of work to tackle racist violence in three areas of London.

Building Our Futures
Trust for London
Report on action research on the HR challenges for deaf and disabled people’s organisations (DDPOs) in employing disabled people; and recommendations about better training and support and guidelines for funders and commissioners on working with DDPOs.

Cohesion and equality: guidance for funders
Equality and Human Rights Commission, 2009
Guidance for primarily for public sector funders but with wider relevance. The report provides analysis and ideas on tackling disadvantage and promoting equality alongside work on cohesion. Advice on equality issues for funding single-issue groups is also comprehensively covered. 

Diminishing dollars for social justice philanthropy
Foundation Center and Cricket Island Foundation, USA, 2011
Social justice grantmakers in the US have been disproportionately affected by the global financial crisis and remain vulnerable to economic shocks. Foundations with less than $50 million in assets are struggling the most to recover from the economic downturn and social justice non-profits are having difficulty finding new funders; some foundations are slowly, if unintentionally, depleting their assets, which could mean further reduction in social justice grantmaking.

Ensuring a level playing field: funding faith based organisations to provide publicly funded services
Communities and Local Government, 2010
Guidance for local government on working with and funding faith groups.

The female voice in violence
Race on the Agenda (ROTA), 2011
A research report which highlights concerns about the lack of appropriate services and policies available to help women and girls caught up in gangs or associated with, or related to gang members, who become victims of sexual abuse and violence.

Islam and Citizenship Education project
A report from London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

London LGBT Voluntary and Community Sector Almanac, 1st edition
Kairos, 2011
Statistical and strategic information about London’s diverse LGBT voluntary and community sector, to provide an information base for LGBT voluntary and community organisations to help with development and strategic planning and support arguments for better resources. This is the most comprehensive mapping of the London LGBT sector to date, with a sector analysis, profiles of LGBT organisations; and articles on community engagement written by prominent and experienced figures in the LGBT voluntary and activist community. Available at £25.00. orders can be made via email; info@kairosinsoho.org.uk or see their website www.kairosinsoho.org.uk for further information. In early 2012 information was being collected for a second edition.

No Longer Invisible
Cathy McIlwaine, Juan Camilo Cock and Brian Linneker, Queen Mary, University of London, 2011
Research jointly commissioned by Trust for London and the Latin American Women’s Rights Service on London’s Latin American community. Despite increasing numbers of Latin Americans moving to London very little has been known about this community. This research provides the first large-scale survey of this population and explores key economic and social features of the Latin American community in London.

Refugees, migrants and the Equality Act 2010: A briefing for refugee and migrant community organisations
REAP, 2011
This briefing is intended to support refugee and migrant community organisations in their efforts to ensure that public authorities understand and uphold the conditions under the Equality Act 2010 with regard to the rights of asylum seekers, refugees and migrants.

A shared vision for the future of the BME voluntary & community sector
Voice4Change England, 2010
Over 100 BME organisations contributed to this report which identifies ten steps by which policymakers can help tackle deprivation and inequality. Summary can be found here.

Tackling Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
Trust for London, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Rosa, 2011
Part of a special initiative to tackle FGM through community-based preventative work, peer research has provided new insights into attitudes and behaviour of communities practising FGM. The research highlights key issues and makes recommendations about how these should be taken forward as part of the initiative.

Vital Statistics: The experiences of BAMER women and children facing violence and abuse
RK Thiara and S Roy, Imkaan, 2010
Information on the largest ever research sample of BAMER women and children experiencing violence in the UK. Ten BAMER services from across the UK participated in a three month pilot providing detailed data on 124 women who had accessed refuge, advice and outreach services.

What can housing providers do to successfully handle the consequences of national policies and trends relating to UK immigration?
John Perry, Joseph Rowntree Foundation, 2011
UK migration explored from the perspective of the role of housing providers and steps being taken towards better neighbourhood cohesion and integration. Perceived or actual competition between migrants and host communities for housing are considered, suggesting that more needs to be done to support those neighbourhoods where migrants already live.