Implementation of the Racial Harassment Strategy
The Strategy will be pursued on two levels, both corporately via a Racial Harassment Task Group and within Service Units by use of an audit of services.
6.1. Racial Harassment Task Group
6.1.1. Membership of the Task Group
The Task Group to be led by a Senior Manager with a knowledge of the day to day issues surrounding racial harassment, reporting to the Director with responsibility for the policy area.
The Task Group will consist of a small number of officers with a knowledge of those service areas where racial harassment directly affects clients, e.g. Children and Families, Older People, Education, Housing, Personnel and Business Planning and the Policy Unit.
6.1.2. Objectives of the Task Group
Racial harassment affects many aspects of a person’s life including their physical and mental health, the education of their children, their housing arrangements, their working life, access to services and opportunities for social interaction. In attempting to combat the problem, several agencies need to become involved in co-ordinating a response to victims of racial harassment.
The Task Group will therefore focus on the service needs of those experiencing racial harassment in line with the policy guidelines detailed in 4.5 and will formulate an Action Plan to address the following items:
- To consider the ways in which racial incidents are reported, recorded and monitored within each Service Unit and the possible barriers to reporting incidents. To put in place procedures to improve the reporting of incidents and standardise the available statistics in this area.
- To consider how liaison and referral between Services can be improved to support victims and deal with perpetrators, bearing in mind the constraints imposed by individuals rights to confidentiality.
- To consider the current involvement of representatives from the ethnic minority community, statutory and voluntary sectors and how this could be developed to strengthen the response to racial harassment in the Borough.
- To liaise with external agencies such as the Police and the Probation Service in developing a more responsive service to clients.
- To consider the current level of information and advice available on racial harassment to clients and professionals seeking help and how this can be improved.
- To co-ordinate a common training programme for staff in order to implement the Council’s policy on racial harassment issues.
6.1.3. Reporting arrangements
The Task Group will report to the General Purposes Committee on the formulation of the Action Plan and on its progress. It will also liaise and consult with the Equal Opportunities in Service Delivery Working Group.
6.2. Service development
6.2.1. Each Service Unit will be involved in development of the Strategy by undertaking an audit on those areas which the Task Group will consider. Gaps in services identified by the Task Group as a result of the audit will then be included in the development plan for each service as appropriate.
6.2.2. An enhanced response to racial harassment requires that those delivering services have a sufficient knowledge of the policies and procedures to carry them out. A programme of staff training is therefore essential to support any service development initiatives.