EHRC Interim Grants Funded Project 2008-09

This project helped to improve 240 people's understanding of equal opportunties in service delivery and employment. 10 workshops, a 3 consultancies and a major conference, in Partnership with GMCVO, were delivered, with the support of partners and consultants.

Our aim was to help organisations in Greater Manchester, voluntary and public, to be more effective in promoting equality and eliminating discrimination. The project was advised by an external steering group.

We produced training materials and information tailored to the needs of each group and organisation, and covered subjects such as:

• Equality and Human Rights Leglisation, currrent and proposed.
• The role of the EHRC
• Scrutiny ofm Equality Plans, Public Sector Equality Duties and Unified appoach to Equality Impact Assessments

We also covered a range of issues, identified by our clients, including:

• Improving Physical Access for Disabled People
• The Equalities Dimension to Strategic Commissioning
• The merits of moving from single strand to a more generic approach to equality policy and management
• The extent to which equality laws were compatible with religious teachings.

Our consultancy work helped GMPTE and Manchester College to develop strategic change teams to promote and deliver equality and the Manchester Drugs and Race Unit and its advisory group to consider whether a single equalities approach is better than a multi-strand approach to delivery of drug and alcohol services.

We also published an "Equalities & Human Rights Training & Consultancy Support Guide , 2009" which distills some of the training materials and exercises.

The work has helped to strengthen relationships and promote collaborative working across Greater Manchester.

Feedback from groups and organisations has been outstanding and we have concrete examples of equality improvement.