Mainstreaming Equalities

Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) is providing exciting opportunities for fellow CVSs, VCs, Interfaces and national intermediaries through the SVA Change Champion project Applying Good Equalities Practice. This is being delivered under the title ‘Mainstreaming Equalities’.

Call for Evidence: Equality and Human Rights Framework for the Third Sector

Does your organisation have experience of the benefits and challenges of mainstreaming equality and human rights?  GCVS and CRER are currently developing an Equality and Human Rights Framework for the Third Sector on behalf of a consortium of organisations including the Equality and Diversity Forum, Shelter, Age UK, Macmillan Cancer, Campaign for National Parks and Action for Children, funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

We're seeking expertise from Voluntary Organisations across Britain to make sure this competency based, outcome focussed performance measurement Framework meets the needs of Britain's diverse Third Sector.  More...

Upcoming Training

The following GCVS equalities courses are delivered in partnership with the Coalition for Racial Equality and Rights (CRER).

Introduction To Accessibility:
10.30 – 4.30pm, 26^th January. Voluntary Sector organisations must be responsive to the needs of their service users and staff in order to comply with equalities law, but with such a wide range of needs, how can we plan ahead to meet our responsibilities? This course looks at a wide range of accessibility issues – physical, social, communication and cultural. It offers an introduction to basic equalities concepts, access auditing and the legal basis behind the need for accessibility. It provides plenty of examples of accessibility issues in employment and service provision, as well as opportunities to share your own experiences with Voluntary Sector colleagues.

Equality In Employment:
10.30 – 4.30pm, 29^th February. The law on discrimination in employment has developed considerably with the introduction of the Equalities Act 2010, and there are more reasons than ever to follow best practice on equality for staff. This course provides practical tips and explanations to help your organisation meet its legal and ethical responsibilities. Issues covered include recruitment, monitoring and dignity at work. It also examines issues around equality in volunteering. This course is designed to enable organisations to share their knowledge and experiences, look at how the law works in practice and learn more about some of the trickier elements of employment equality practice.

Collecting And Using Equalities Information:
10.30 – 4.30pm, 20^th March.  Equalities monitoring is an essential tool for mainstreaming equality and diversity. It’s also an increasingly important element of funding requirements. This one day introduction to equalities monitoring guides you through the process with best practice examples, ideas on how to use the information you collect and practical tips for implementing successful monitoring systems. Issues covered include: Planning, designing and introducing equalities monitoring; protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010; How to maximise response rates; How to use the information collected; Compliance with data protection legislation.

Trainer: Carol Young, CRER COST: £65 Member, £85 Non Member. To book onto or enquire about any of the above courses contact GCVS: stacey.anderson@gcvs.org.uk Tel: 0141 332 2444

Bespoke training

The project also provides a free-of-charge Mainstreaming Equalities Organisational Development Programme. This practical, participative Programme is delivered through four days of training over a four month period and is designed to enable organisations to implement equalities mainstreaming. It includes access to a tailored toolkit and individual support to develop good practice. Booking is now closed for the current run of this Programme. Please contact Stacey Anderson if you would like to express an interest in future opportunities.

Newsletter

The Mainstreaming Equalities project also provides a free regular newsletter on equalities issues for CVSs, VCs and Interfaces. The newsletter aims to:

• raise awareness about current equalities issues,
• provide updates on what is going and how to get involved,
• provide a forum to share information across the Scottish voluntary sector. 

The newsletter will be sent to a named person in each organisation. Organisations may choose to forward it to staff and / or member organisations, to extract information and include it in their own newsletters or to add their own local equalities news. For more information, please email Kate Henderson

The Mainstreaming Equalities Change Champion project is funded through the Big Lottery Fund in Scotland, through the Supporting Voluntary Action Programme being administered by SCVO (the Scottish Council for the Voluntary Sector).