EQUALITY BULLETIN - ISSUE TEN: MARCH 2006 News & views from Glasgow’s Equality Forums and Glasgow City Council CONTENTS + (01) ASSIST and the specialist domestic abuse court + (02) Domestic Abuse and the Two Year Rule + (03) Bowling for Glasgow: Glasgow’s Equality Network Forums + (04) Equality Bulletin Issue 11 : Community Safety + (05) The Equality Network Forum (ENF) is online + (06) The Scottish Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation + (07) Reclaim The Kelvin + (08) NHS Inclusion Project + (09) Gender Equality Duty + (10) Fare4All + (11) Disability Equality Duty + (12) GCC Cultural and Leisure Services - Sports Equalities Team (BME Communities) + (13) Ethnic Enable + (14) Glasgow City Council’s Race Equality Scheme + (15) Why the Y? Glasgow YMCA + (16) Chinese Health Living Centre’s Health and Well Being Survey + (17) Back page: Glasgow’s Equality Networks; Equality Bulletin Editorial Sub-Committee; Aims And Submission Details; Formats; E-Newsletters; Contact Details; Disclaimer + (01) ASSIST AND THE SPECIALIST DOMESTIC ABUSE COURT (ASSIST: Advocacy, Support, Safety, Information, Services Together) ASSIST aims to provide an effective multi agency response to domestic abuse Assist’s origins can be traced to the development of the Scottish Parliament. Following the first ever lobby of the new parliament by Scottish Women’s Aid, the Scottish Executive committed resources and set up a National Group from which a National Strategy for Domestic Abuse was developed. The National Group also established a Legislation Working Group, to look at different options in both civil and criminal law. This group recommended the introduction of a pilot specialist domestic abuse court. Sheriff Principal Bowen, then the Sheriff Principal of Glasgow and Strathkelvin, was persuaded of the benefit of specialist courts and the proposal to establish a pilot in Glasgow was accepted. Good practice in relation to specialist domestic abuse courts already established both in UK and beyond showed that services were required for both the perpetrator and the survivor. If the court was to be successful, it had to ensure or enhance a co-ordinated local response. In Glasgow, the CHANGE programme, a court mandated perpetrator programme was already established, so the missing link was support to survivors at the time of the incident and beyond. Glasgow’s Violence Against Women Partnership gathered statutory and voluntary agencies together to develop a proposal for supporting all those whose partners or ex-partners were to be brought forward before the specialist court. A small subcommittee of key partners including Strathclyde Police, Social Work Services, Women’s Aid and the Women’s Support Project then met and following the identification of Strathclyde Police G division as a suitable size, the ASSIST proposal was developed. The Scottish Executive agreed to fund a two year pilot, with added resources from Glasgow’s Community Safety Partnership and the court and ASSIST began in October 2004. The team at ASSIST consists of a coordinator, the equivalent of two full-time women’s Advocacy Workers, a Children’s and Young Person’s Advocacy Worker, an Administration worker and an admin trainee. ASSIST stands for Advocacy, Support, Safety, Information, Services Together and its aim is to provide an effective multi agency response to domestic abuse. No one agency can answer the demands of domestic abuse and it is only by integrated multi agency working that the specialist court has been able to respond in the way it has. Referrals to ASSIST are made by the Police at the time of the incident and ASSIST then make contact with the client – 97% of ASSIST’s clients are women, within 24 hours. If the perpetrator has been arrested, they will appear in court in the afternoon of the following day. After the court, everyone is contacted to let them know the outcome of the hearing and what bail conditions have been imposed. A risk assessment is undertaken and safety planning information given to everyone who is referred. Some clients wish active support throughout the court process and can be supported until 12 weeks after the last hearing. Some however, prefer to focus on information about the court process itself. Most service users are first time referrals and have not been in contact with domestic abuse agencies before. The Children and Young Person’s worker can support the non-abusing parent to support the children or support the children directly. Where ASSIST considers the family to be at very high risk, multi agency meetings are called to discuss what can be done to increase their safety. ASSIST believes they are making a difference and Initial evaluation findings show that their clients are very happy with the support they receive. Domestic abuse robs you of your dignity, confidence and self respect. It restricts your life space till there’s just you and your abuser. It is dangerous and can lead to severe injury and death. It is hoped that the introduction of specialist courts and projects like ASSIST will lead to better services for all those who experience domestic abuse. CONTACT: ASSIST, Station House, 34, St Enoch Square, Glasgow G1 4DF Tel: 0141 847 0306 Fax: 0141 847 0307 email: assist@drs.glasgow.gov.uk + (02) DOMESTIC ABUSE AND THE TWO YEAR RULE The plight of women with restricted immigration status who experience domestic abuse was highlighted at a seminar in Glasgow recently. The Glasgow Violence Against Women Partnership (GVAWP) hosted the seminar to launch a paper on immigration law called ‘the two year rule’. Under this rule, a woman can be granted two years stay in the UK if she has a partner who is settled here. If she is still together with him after two years, she can then apply for indefinite leave to remain. However if the relationship breaks down during the two years because of domestic abuse, she can still apply for settlement here if she meets the criteria under the Domestic Violence Rule. 80 representatives from public and voluntary services attended the launch of the paper, which considers the legal rights of women in this situation. Among other things, the paper explores possible avenues for women who, having left their partners, face difficulties accessing welfare benefits. GVAWP commissioned the paper as part of its work to improve services for black, ethnic minority and refugee women. It was prepared by Legal Services Agency and funded by the Scottish Executive. To receive a copy, please email amy.watts@drs.glasgow.gov.uk or telephone 0141 287 6889 + (03) BOWLING FOR GLASGOW: GLASGOW’S EQUALITY NETWORK FORUMS Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector (GCVS) has created a new post of Equality Networks Development Worker to support Glasgow’s four Equality Networks. Richard Brunner has been appointed and will be in post until November 2006. Below Richard highlights some of the ways in which the Equality Networks are having an influence on Glasgow. The Equality Networks exist to bring together women, black people, LGBT groups and disabled people from the voluntary sector and effectively challenge inequality in Glasgow. My role is to increase the Networks’ influence over equality and diversity in the city I have been bowled over by the expertise and commitment of the leadership teams from Glasgow’s four Equality Networks. Collectively they have decades of experience in working for equality. They are an enormous asset to the city. Coming fresh into this job, I have discovered that the Equality Networks are very effective forces, influencing not just the City Council but also Community Planning. How are the Equality Networks influencing Glasgow?: By influencing Glasgow City Council: The four Equality Networks hold quarterly meetings with senior officers at the City Council. Chaired by Cllr Irene Graham, the meetings enable the Networks to raise issues with the Council, who in turn ask the Networks for advice. Recent discussions have included: • The equality profile of the City Council workforce; • Equalities, diversity and Community Planning; • Equality- proofing the Council’s Best Value review; • Mainstreaming eq uality in Social Work and Culture & Leisure Services. By supporting and influencing strategic partnerships: The Equality Networks are at the leading edge of thinking about how the new Equality Hub will operate within Community Planning in Glasgow. The Equality Hub should transform the way local and city-wide bodies talk with, listen to and provide services for all our diverse citizens. By representing equality groups in the voluntary sector: Glasgow Women’s Voluntary Sector Network, Glasgow Black and Minority Ethnic Voluntary Sector Network, Glasgow Disability Alliance and The West of Scotland LGBT Forum meet independently to decide on key campaigning issues. Each group describes its activities and how people can get involved on the Equality Networks Forum website: www.enf.org.uk. By widening the equality agenda: The first Equality Bulletin was published in 2001, on the initiative of the Equality Networks, GCVS and the Council. It offers an exclusive platform for voluntary organisations working in innovative areas of equality and diversity. Past editions of Equality Bulletin are now online at www.enf.org.uk. Should the Equality Networks be part of your job? The Equality Networks are a great way for equality-focused organisations and equality-based workers to meet and speak with a united voice. They provide a major opportunity for developing professional and organisational relationships, for influencing policy, and for increasing knowledge of equalities and diversity best practice. If you, or members of your staff team, work with an equality group but are not involved with an Equality Network, perhaps you should be! Please get in touch with me, or contact the appropriate Network directly via the contacts on the back page of this Equality Bulletin or via www.enf.org.uk. Contact: Richard Brunner, Equality Networks Development Worker: Tel: 0141 332 2444, email richard.brunner@gcvs.org.uk + (04) EQUALITY BULLETIN ISSUE 11 : COMMUNITY SAFETY The next issue of the Equality Bulletin will be on the theme of community safety. If you have ideas for articles, examples of innovative projects and good practice, or issues that you would like to see covered please contact us. Full contact details are on the back page. + (05) THE EQUALITY NETWORK FORUM (ENF) IS ONLINE Information about the Equality Networks and the work of Glasgow City Council on equality issues. Back issues of the weekly e-newsletters: Equality Updates, Funding Extra and Jobs Extra. Back issues of the Equality Bulletin which you can download as PDF or text documents. Subscribe or unsubscribe online to any or all of the e-newsletters or the Equality Bulletin. Details of forthcoming Network meetings. Access to documents and more to come.... www.enf.org.uk + (06) THE SCOTTISH COALITION AGAINST SEXUAL EXPLOITATION The Scottish Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation was formed in 2004 out of concern regarding the expansion of the ‘acceptable face’ of the sex industry, highlighted by the spread of lap dancing clubs throughout Scotland. The Coalition takes the view that all forms of sexual exploitation are part of a spectrum of men’s violence against women and children, which includes incest, rape, sexual harassment and domestic violence. There are clear links between issues such as childhood experience of abuse and neglect, domestic violence, poverty, homelessness, addiction, and women’s involvement in prostitution, pornography and the sex industry as a whole. The Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation: - works to raise awareness of the harm caused to women through prostitution and other forms of commercial sexual exploitation, including stripping, lap dancing, pornography, sex tourism, mail order brides, and trafficking for the purposes of prostitution. - campaigns for legislative change necessary to: reduce the harm caused through prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation; remove current gender inequality in the law; challenge the demand from men to buy sex. We oppose efforts to categorise prostitution as ‘sex work’. Legalising or legitimising the activity will not remove the harm caused but would simply legitimise that harm. We do not view prostitution as a choice for women, irrespective of age, and believe that it is contradictory to condemn child prostitution whilst condoning or ignoring adult prostitution. Neither do we recognise the false distinctions between forced and so-called ‘free’ prostitution. All prostitution is exploitative of the person prostituted, regardless of the context, or of whether that person is said to have consented to the prostitution. Sexual exploitation eroticises women’s inequality and is a vehicle for racism; Black women, minority ethnic women and indigenous women suffer disproportionately. In 2005 the Coalition was active in raising awareness of the Scottish Executive’s consultation on Adult Entertainment. We contacted over 700 organisations and individuals, encouraging them to respond to the consultation and launched a postcard campaign encouraging people to lobby Tom McCabe MSP, Minister for Finance and Public Sector reform regarding the licensing of lap dancing. The postcard details the harmful and exploitative nature of activities such as lap dancing, pole dancing and stripping and request that such exploitative activities should not be licensed. We had a stall in Glasgow City Centre that we used to distribute the postcards and to raise public awareness of the harm caused by commercial sexual exploitation. Through our network we also raised awareness of the Scottish Executive’s Consultation on Extreme Pornography, again encouraging people to respond. Previously, we have been involved in some general awareness raising through information sessions and articles, and by writing to the media on issues of sexual exploitation. The Coalition welcomes new members. Membership is open to individuals and organisations who support the principles of the Coalition and who have an interest in working against sexual exploitation. If you would like to join SCASE, membership forms can be downloaded from www.womenssupportproject.co.uk (follow the Commercial Sexual Exploitation link). They can also be requested by writing to: Scottish Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation, c/o Rape Crisis Scotland, 1st floor, Central Chambers, 93 Hope street, Glasgow, G2 6LD OR emailing: againstsexualexploitation@yahoo.co.uk + (07) RECLAIM THE KELVIN On 7 October 2005 Farah Noor Adams was raped and murdered in broad daylight as she exercised along the Kelvin riverside. Her attacker has yet to be sentenced. On Sunday 12 March, during International Women’s Week, the Cailleach Collective organised a rally to remember Farah and to protest against violence against women everywhere. Contact: reclaimthekelvin@yahoo.co.uk + (08) NHS INCLUSION PROJECT December 14th 2005 saw the official launch of ‘Fair for All – the Wider Challenge; Good LGBT Practice in the NHS.’ The publication has been produced for NHSScotland but it may be of interest to other agencies and community groups. The Inclusion Project is a partnership between Stonewall Scotland and the Scottish Executive Health Department (SEHD). The aim of the Project is to support NHSScotland in developing policy and practice that is inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The Project was set up in October 2002 and since then has carried out a survey of services within the NHS, sought out research which identifies health issues or risk factors for LGBT people and positive examples of work with LGBT communities. There has also been a significant amount of work in consulting with communities, the Voluntary Sector and NHS Staff. Demonstration work across five Health Boards was also supported by the Project. This included providing training for staff working in GP practices, hospitals and a range of community based settings. All of the lessons learned have been included in the ‘Good LGBT Practice’ guidance. The Project, which is based in Glasgow at the LGBT Centre, works across the whole of Scotland. Steve Aitken, Project and Policy Manager said ‘The staff at the Project hope that the LGBT Guidance will be helpful, not just to NHSScotland but to any group or agency that would like to take practical steps to becoming more inclusive of LGBT communities or individuals and to improve health.’ The Project has two other staff; Paul Barton, Research and Information Officer and Nick Laird, Training and Community Engagement Officer. The Team has also developed a website which is hoped will support people trying to access information about local services, LGBT health research particularly around the impact of prejudice and discrimination, examples of good practice and updates on current relevant legislation. The Project is also working closely with the other SEHD ‘Fair for All’ Equality and Diversity strands; Disability, Race, Faith and Gender. All of the Inclusion Project publications are available at www.lgbthealthscotland.org.uk Contact the Inclusion Project: Telephone 0141 204 0746 or email steve.aitken@lgbthealthscotland; nick.laird@lgbthealthscotland.org.uk or paul.barton@lgbthealthscotland.org.uk + (09) GENDER EQUALITY DUTY You may have heard about the forthcoming public sector duty to promote gender equality, which forms part of the Equality Bill currently working its way through Westminster. Philippa Bonella, Policy Director of EOC Scotland, welcomes the new duty and explains what it will mean for the public sector and for women and men across Scotland. The gender equality duty is the most important change to sex discrimination law for thirty years – a real chance to change the climate and culture in which policies are made. We should never again see government pension policy that forces older women into poverty in retirement; family services which treat fathers as less important parents; local councils which have not taken action to close the gender pay gap amongst their staff; or police and public services which fail women fleeing violence at home. From April 2007, the duty will require public bodies to identify the big issues for sex equality in their services, employment and policy making. They will have to ask themselves a whole range of new questions about their impact on women’s and men’s lives, as they develop gender equality schemes, draft equal pay policies, and assess the impact of new policies and services on gender equality. The final detail of additional ‘specific duties’ for major public bodies, and the exact list of devolved bodies to be subject to these, are still under consultation by the DTI and Scottish Executive – go to http://www.womenandequalityunit.gov.uk/legislation/index.htm. Whatever the final wording, the duty should result in policies and services which better address the needs of both men and women. For example: - Public transport routes which give a better service at non-peak times, addressing the different transport needs of women - New approaches to health care to reflect the fact that men are less likely to access traditional GP services - Careers advice and work experience in schools which opens up non- traditional careers choices for boys and girls. We are advising public bodies to start thinking now about how they will: - establish accountability for delivering the duty, and agree who will steer and monitor the process - we recommend that this is not left to the human resource team but is led by a cross-organisational policy or strategy team. - start collecting and analysing information by gender on the impact of policies, the needs of service users, service outcomes by gender and the issues for employees, as evidence to support decision-making on priorities for the gender equality scheme, and for gender impact assessment. - consult service users and employees about priorities and what action should be taken. There is an important role for voluntary organisations and trades unions working with public bodies to agree priorities that make a difference for gender equality. EOC Scotland will produce a statutory Scottish Code of Practice and sectoral guidance on the duty by September 2006. We launched a consultation draft of the Code in February, with a range of events around Scotland. Further details on our website www.eoc.org.uk + (10) FARE4ALL Community and voluntary organisations from across Glasgow have come together to shine a torchlight on public transport in the city. For 6 months the Fare4All group has been asking older people, disabled people, parents with young children and others about their experiences of services. The results have confirmed what many who rely on public transport have been saying for years – a good service for some, but one with many shortcomings for others. Over 1500 people contributed their views on public transport. Some of the key findings include: * For older people, use of public transport declines dramatically in the evening – only 4% said they would go out at night. * There are high levels of anti- social behaviour on public transport leading to fear and intimidation of passengers and staff – 70% of the people spoken to had witnessed drunken behaviour and nearly half had seen aggressive behaviour towards bus drivers. * For wheelchair users or people with restricted mobility using the bus was either impossible or at the very least extremely difficult. * People with learning disabilities told us they felt frightened, scared and insecure travelling by bus. They felt harassed and threatened, particularly by school children. * Parents with young children expressed anger and confusion at the policy of how many buggies are permitted on a bus. * Travel information is difficult to understand and the print size is too small. * Travelling in and out of the city centre posed few difficulties but cutting across the city was more problematic. One group from Ruchill told us that their journey to Stobhill Hospital required several buses, taking well over an hour to cover a journey that took 5 minutes by car. These findings illustrate how certain communities experience a range of difficulties when using public transport. Many of these, like providing legible information should not be too difficult to resolve. Others, like anti-social behaviour, vandalism or violence require concerted action not just from public agencies and bus companies but also from communities. The findings of this research were discussed at a Transport Summit held in Glasgow with the Minister for Transport, Tavish Scott MSP, Joan Aitken, Traffic Commissioner for Scotland, Councillor Alistair Watson, Chair of SPT and Eric Stewart, Director of First Bus. Soon Scotland will be spending a billion pounds a year on transport so this research and the conference provided an ideal opportunity to let policy makers know the needs and concerns of some of the more vulnerable communities with regards to public transport and to influence this spend. The formation of Scotland’s first National Transport Strategy provides an opportunity to have a say in transport and perhaps to push social inclusion onto the priority list. Paul Martin MSP, the Chair of Fare4All encouraged Glasgow’s communities to take part: “It is important that the public’s voice is heard when the Transport Strategy is being developed by the new Regional Transport Partnerships that have been set up and that problems facing those travelling to facilities such as health centres, hospitals, schools etc are highlighted.” If you would like to submit information, evidence or your own views as to what should inform the National Strategy, please contact the Scottish Executive Transport Strategy & Policy Team on 0131 244 7275 or write to them at Area 2-D, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. For more information on Fare4All please contact Kate Munro on 0141 232 0166 or at kate.munro@gghb.scot.nhs.uk or visit the Fare4All website at www.nhsgg.org.uk/fareforall. + (11) DISABILITY EQUALITY DUTY We all want to live in communities where we can participate fully and equally. We all want our children to do well at school, we all want to be able to use services like hospitals and libraries and to be included. There are many indicators to show that this has not yet happened for disabled people and that there remains considerable work to be done to get to this point. To ensure this happens the Government have introduced a Disability Equality Duty for the public sector. This new duty will mean that public bodies will need to positively look at ways of ensuring that disabled people are treated equally. Any public authority not taking disability equality seriously will be failing 20% of the population. After all, how can they achieve their strategic aims if the equality of 1 in 5 of the population is not high on the agenda? The new duty is not about new rights for disabled people nor is it about changes to building s or adjustments for individuals. It is about giving public bodies a framework and structure to do what they are already doing, but to do it better. This means that public bodies will need to weave equality for all including disabled people, into the culture of their organisation in practical and demonstrable ways. The duty sets a new legal standard for everyone in the public sector, requiring due regard to be paid to the promotion of disability equality in all decisions taken. This is a chance to build in equality at the beginning of new initiatives as well as into on-going programmes and activities. Also, many public authorities will be listed in the Code of Practice for Disability Equality Duty in Scotland which means they will have a further, specific duty, which means that these bodies need to take prescribed steps including publishing a disability equality scheme and reporting on progress on the scheme annually. Two key components of the specific duty for the public authorities who are listed are involvement of disabled people and leadership. Involvement of disabled people does not mean consultation but meaningful, effective and resourced involvement right from the start. Leadership from the top of the public sector is essential in order to deliver the duty so that by December 2006, when this duty comes into effect, the public sector will be delivering real and positive change to the lives of disabled people and these changes will have been endorsed and managed from the very top. Whilst getting the process right is important, the Disability Equality Scheme is not a means to an end. It will be important that public authorities avoid getting bogged down in research and planning processes and instead make real changes. The whole point of this duty and the Schemes is demonstrable improvements for disabled people to close the gaps in opportunity that disabled people still face. Help is at hand: The Disability Rights Commission is here to help you with guidance, information and events. To start making a real difference to disabled people and moving your organisation forward go to the Disability Rights Commission website for DED: www.dotheduty.org. To see which public authorities in Scotland are also covered by the specific duty, turn to Annex 1 of the Code of Practice. Disability Equality Duty: www.dotheduty.org Disability Rights Commission: www.drc-gb.org DRC Helpline: Telephone 08457 622 633, Textphone 08457 622 644 (You can speak to an operator at any time between 8am and 8pm, Monday to Friday), Fax 08457 778 878. Post: DRC Helpline, FREEPOST MID02164, Stratford upon Avon CV37 9BR + (12) GCC CULTURAL AND LEISURE SERVICES - SPORTS EQUALITIES TEAM (BME COMMUNITIES) Supporting Glasgow’s Black And Minority Ethnic Communities to become more physically active and involved in sport. The aim of the Sports Equalities Team is to support sectors of the population experiencing particularly challenging barriers - specifically disabled people and those from BME communities – to become more physically active and to more easily access the city’s sport and recreation opportunities. We have a focused commitment to delivering both on the city’s health agenda –through getting those least active, more active – and also ensuring everyone in Glasgow has the chance to develop their skills and interest in sport. This article focuses on the Team’s work with BME communities and groups who traditionally are less likely to participate in sport for a range of reasons – cultural or religious reason, fear of racism, cost, accessibility, confidence, knowledge of what is available….both simple and complex reasons. Currently the Team delivers 48 different sports and physical activity sessions every week which are designed to meet the needs of people from BME communities. This programme ranges from swimming, badminton and basket ball, to yoga and chair exercise and a Holiday Programme for young people during school holidays. Sessions are promoted through various different agencies/organisations e.g. Meridian, Chinese Healthy Living Centre, Wing Hong, Pollokshields Development Agency, Youth Counselling Service Association, SEMSA (Scottish Ethnic Minority Sports Association) Woodlands Youth Initiative, Afro Scots, Barnardos and Glasgow Ansar (All Nations Sports and Recreation), West of Scotland Commission for Racial Equality and Glasgow City Council Education Department. The programme includes both men-only and women-only sessions, in order to accommodate the needs of different cultural and religious communities. On average twelve hundred people of all ages attend these sessions on a monthly basis. A new development this year has been the introduction of Free Swimming lessons to Primary 3, 4, 5 children which we deliver after-school and in an environment which meets the needs of young people from BME communities. Nine primary schools in Glasgow now regularly participate in this programme. Classes are run on a male-only and female-only basis therefore providing access to meet the needs of communities from diverse cultural backgrounds. The pools used are at Lorne Street Primary School and St Cuthbert’s Primary as these pools are within the locality and offer a ‘private’ swimming environment. This overcomes the issue faced by some cultural groups posed by the glass-fronted and open plan design of most of the Council’s Swimming Pools and the mix of male/female staff and mixed swimming sessions which operate during the majority of opening hours. Our successful holiday programme at Shawlands Academy this year entailed joint work with Woodlands Youth Initiative, Youth Counseling Services Association, and Glasgow Ansar through NOPES (New Opportunities Funding for Physical Education and Sport) funding. A key area for the Team is capacity-building and supporting groups to make grant-aid and other funding applications, in order to become self-sufficient – and also to encourage groups to develop the confidence to access mainstream service provision and programmes. We are working with NHS greater Glasgow at present to develop the city’s first Physical Activity Strategy and a consultation event is planned for 30 March, in order to more fully explore issues, barriers and solutions with agencies working with BME communities. For more information please contact: Anne Ward, Sport Equalities and Physical Activities Manager Tel. 0141 287 9866 + (13) ETHNIC ENABLE Ethnic Enable was established in September 2000 and is a dynamic organisation initiated and run by disabled people for disabled people. The organisation is committed to improving the quality of life of disabled people from black and ethnic minority (BME) communities in Glasgow by improving access to educational, employment, social welfare, health, leisure, recreational and cultural opportunities. We promote social inclusion and community integration. We support minority ethnic disabled people to develop and realise their potentials. Over the next few pages you’ll find more information about the work we do and the services we offer. ENHANCING LIFE EXPERIENCES, REALISING POTENTIALS: Shabbir Ahqir is a young Scottish adult of South Asian origin living in Glasgow with his family. He has recently completed a computing course at Clydebank College. He is passionate about all sports and enjoys keeping in shape by attending his local gym. He also enjoys playing football and he would love to be trained to become a football coach. His other interests include car mechanics, computers and the internet. “So what?” you may ask. “A pretty normal person” you may think. What is unusual about Shabbir is that he is still trying to maintain a normal life despite his mild learning difficulties. By modern day definitions he is disabled. He is disabled not because of his difficulties but because his social environment is not structured to meet his needs. His problems are compounded because he is from a minority ethnic background. So on one level he faces the difficulties that all people from minority ethnic communities have to contend with. On another level he has to deal with the consequences of his disability. In addition to this, in many minority ethnic communities disability is stigmatised. People with a disability are shunned, isolated and socially neglected. Regretably this has also been Shabbir’s life long experience and has profoundly affected his life. Despite his adverse experiences Shabbir maintains a positive outlook on life. His hopes for the future include becoming more independent and learning to drive, securing a job and getting married. In line with his proactive attitude to life Shabbir has recently joined Ethnic Enable as a volunteer. He hopes to gain a range of experiences including interacting with a variety of people in order to enhance his life skills. Currently, the Ethnic Enable volunteer coordinator Julian Evans is working with Shabbir to determine which projects will suit him in order to gain the skills and experience he is looking for and also determine what skills and expertise he has to offer us! Julian has also established what support and training Shabbir will require to carry out his duties. Through the volunteering programme Shabbir has been signed up for football coaching, basketball coaching level one and basic first aid training for people with learning disabilities. Through these volunteering opportunities Shabbir is optimistic that he will gain experiences and skills in line with his interests and ambitions. He will also be able to act as a role model for other disabled people wishing to participate in volunteering activities. His visible presence will help towards counteracting the taboo of disability prevalent in minority ethnic cultures and demonstrate that disabled people need not be a burden on society but can have a constructive influence on their communities. ETHNIC ENABLE VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME Research carried out by Volunteer Development Scotland highlights the barriers faced by people from black and minority ethnic communities and disabled people into volunteering. For disabled people, barriers ranged from physical access to attitudinal /institutional barriers. The barriers faced by people from the BME communities were found to be due to cultural issues and religious provision. Black and minority ethnic disabled people encounter both sets of difficulties. Thus the uptake of volunteering opportunities by these individuals is extremely low. Our volunteer programme aims to tackle some of these barriers. What kind of tasks will the volunteers do? Volunteers have the opportunity to participate in a variety of challenging and interesting activities. These range from general administrative and office duties, organising and participating in fundraising and cultural/community events, befriending other disabled people, a variety of project work, arranging and assisting in sports and recreational programs, and environmental and horticultural activities. What support is provided to the volunteers? To enable volunteers to carry out their duties they will be provided with training ranging from disability awareness, first aid, moving and handling, listening skills, football coaching, basketball level one, cricket introduction, digital photography, face painting, kite making and much more!. In addition, all access issues will be dealt with including special arrangements or physical assistance in the form of a support worker. What will volunteers gain from taking part in Ethnic Enable? By taking part in our exciting projects, volunteers have an opportunity to make a positive and rewarding difference to their community. They have the satisfaction of knowing that they are being proactive in striving for change. They will be assisting other disabled people who require various kinds of support. They also have the chance to meet new people and make new friends. They will develop skills and abilities, which will be of benefit in future employment prospects and enhance their employability. OTHER ETHNIC ENABLE SERVICES: Outreach: we work directly with black and minority ethnic disabled people and their carers to raise awareness on the available services, welfare benefits and support which they are entitled to on a case work basis. A needs assessment is carried out using a person centred approach, after which appropriate advice, advocacy, guidance and practical support is provided to help them obtain such support and services. Ethnic disability consultancy: we provide advice to mainstream, disability and black and minority ethnic organisations on access needs of service users. Mentoring: a trained volunteer mentor provides one to one support to BME disabled individuals to help them develop in life skills. Escapade: provides exciting excursions and activities for young BME disabled people Community Access: promoting access to community events and venues. Research: research into barriers encountered by black and ethnic minority disabled people and their families (in conjunction with NHS Greater Glasgow) Transcription: Literature and materials, which would otherwise be unavailable, are recorded into different formats so that individuals who are blind/visually impaired and deaf/hard of hearing can easily access them. Arabic Braille: enables blind and visually impaired individuals to learn how to read literature and materials in Arabic Braille CONTACT: Ethnic Enable, Napiershall Street Centre, 39 Napiershall Street, Glasgow G20 6EZ Tel: 0141 334 2277, Fax: 0141 341 0020, Email: info@ethnicenable.org.uk Website: www.ethnicenable.org.uk + (14) GLASGOW CITY COUNCIL’S RACE EQUALITY SCHEME Last November the Council published its race equality scheme for the period 2005 to 2008. It is our second scheme and it builds on the foundation laid by the first one. That first scheme resulted in several positive outcomes, for example: - There has been an increase in the number of black and ethnic minority young people applying for the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme - Cultural and Leisure Services, in partnership with the Black Environment Network, the Scottish Museums Council and St Andrews University, has developed a positive action programme; the first trainee started in June 2005 - A race impact assessment is being planned for the reception function, that is, when clients first make contact, in Social Work Services - Social Work Services applied successfully for a grant from the Scottish Executive to refurbish and improve the Gypsy/Traveller site - There has been an increase in the number of black and ethnic minority employees from 532 in 2004 to 545 in 2005 To prepare for the new scheme we assessed, as required by the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000, the relevance, whether high, medium or low, of our policies and functions to the general duty. A list showing the order of priority of all relevant policies and functions is included in the scheme. The scheme is a living document so we will review it annually and present a progress report to committee. We will make available on request a copy of the scheme translated into any of the following languages: Arabic, Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Punjabi, Turkish, Urdu. We will also continue to consult with you through the Equality Networks Forum, the Glasgow Forum of Faiths, the equality networks, focus groups and meetings on progress in implementing it. If you would like to find out more about the race equality scheme you can download a copy at www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/YourCouncil/PolicyPlanning_Strategy/Corporate/Equ alities/Racial CONTACT: Edelweisse Thornley, Corporate Policy, Chief Executive Department, Telephone: 0141 287 5677 + (15) WHY THE Y? GLASGOW YMCA Glasgow YWCA provides education and lifelong learning opportunities for people, and in particular young women, who have been socially excluded. This includes people with health issues that affect their ability to learn, those with English as their second or other language, adults who have experienced homelessness and/or addiction issues, and women who are bringing up children on their own. Faced with these barriers to accessing education and employment, it is often difficult for people to even take the first step towards improving their skills - contacting an organisation that can help. For example, young mums often receive a bad press but it is often the ongoing problems of poverty and social exclusion that is the problem, not the women. Research shows that teenage mums are more likely to experience poverty than their peers, and are often more likely to stay there due to lack of access to education, support and childcare services. At the same time 78.9 per cent of young mums feel that motherhood has increased their determination to get a good job (research and figures quoted from www.ywca- gb.org.uk) At Glasgow YWCA we aim to empower women to empower themselves. We support women to identify and overcome the barriers that stand in their way. We provide a free on-site crèche to everyone accessing our courses. For women who have young children this is a vital part of our service (the crèche can cater for children up to the age of 8). It enables women with young children to take part in education and lifelong learning opportunities that they are normally excluded from due to their childcare commitments. Having the crèche on-site allows women to access these opportunities with their children being cared for within the same environment. This takes away a lot of the fear of starting a new course and being separated from your child. It also allows us to explore family issues such as learning together and healthy eating. Being a free service also means that the cost barrier to accessing education, childcare and support is also removed (some conditions apply). Caren MacDonald, a learner at the YWCA accesses courses whilst her daughter, Erica, goes to the crèche. She says, “,my daughter loves the crèche and the staff have a different activity on each day of the week. If your child doesn’t settle in the crèche, they will come and get you at the course you are attending so that you can come and see your child. I can’t praise the crèche enough. If it wasn’t for the crèche at the YWCA, I wouldn’t be there just now doing the different courses I am doing. I attended the Know How course, and have been involved in writing and performing drama, creative writing and confidence building courses.” Many of the learners at Glasgow YWCA have moved on to further education and employment opportunities and we hope to see more success over the coming years. We have a variety of adult literacy, ESOL and lifelong learning courses that run throughout the year. If you know anyone that is interested in joining the courses, please do not hesitate to contact us. Alternatively, project staff are also available to conduct outreach visits to other projects (to inform staff and/or learners about opportunities). CONTACT: Glasgow YWCA, 3 Newton Terrace, Charing Cross, Glasgow G3 7PJ Telephone: 0141 248 5338 Email: admin@ywcaglasgow.org + (16) CHINESE HEALTH LIVING CENTRE’S HEALTH AND WELL BEING SURVEY The survey can be downloaded from the Chinese Healthy Living Centre’s website at www.glasgowchlc.org The survey was launched in February 2006 alongside the launch of the NHS Greater Glasgow report on “Black and Minority Ethnic Health in Glasgow”. The NHS Greater Glasgow report compared the health and well-being of black and minority ethnic groups including African & Caribbean, Chinese, Indian and Pakistani groups to the General Population in Greater Glasgow. CONTACT: Chinese Healthy Living Centre,138 Holland Street, G2 4NB tel.0141 2484388 fax 01412219921 + (17) BACK PAGE GLASGOW’S EQUALITY NETWORKS: Glasgow Black and Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Network and Glasgow Women’s Voluntary Sector Network Contact: Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector 0141 332 2444 information@gcvs.org.uk Glasgow Disability Alliance Contact: Marianne Scobie, Glasgow Disability Alliance, 203 Old Rutherglen Rd, Gorbals G5 0RE 0141 429 2535 info@gda-online.co.uk West of Scotland Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Forum Contact: Ruth Black at Glasgow LGBT Centre, 11 Dixon St, Glasgow G1 4AL Tel 0141 221 7203 or Matt Johnstone, at PHACE Scotland, 49 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 2DL 0141 332 3838 ruth.glgbt@btconnect.com or mattj@phacescotland.org EQUALITY BULLETIN EDITORIAL SUB-COMMITTEE: One representative each from: Glasgow Black and Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Network, Glasgow Disability Alliance, Glasgow Women’s Voluntary Sector Network, West of Scotland Lesbian and Gay Forum and Glasgow City Council Plus: one representative from Glasgow Council for the Voluntary Sector and the Communications and Resource Worker: Equality Bulletin AIMS AND SUBMISSION DETAILS: The Equality Bulletin is produced on behalf of Glasgow’s Equality Network Forum. The Forum is made up of representatives from Glasgow’s four Equality Networks and from Glasgow City Council. The aim of the Bulletin is to raise awareness of Equality issues in Glasgow, and to support information-sharing and joint working between Glasgow’s Equality Networks and between the Equality Networks and Glasgow City Council. Each Equality Network will be responsible for agreeing its own input to the Bulletin. If you are interested in writing an article or having a particular issue covered in the Bulletin please take your suggestions along to your own Network meeting for their agreement. If you have any comments or ideas, or additional items, reports, news etc. that you feel the Bulletin should be publicising please contact us at the address below. FORMATS: The Equality Bulletin can be provided in large print, braille, on tape, and on computer disc. It can be emailed to you as a text or PDF document. Please contact us at the address below for copies, or download your copy from the Equality Network Forum website at www.enf.org.uk E-NEWSLETTERS: EQUALITY UPDATES, FUNDING EXTRA and JOBS EXTRA e-newsletters Keep up-to-date by subscribing to these free weekly e-newsletters, simply email kate.henderson@gcvs.org.uk or subscribe online at www.enf.org.uk CONTACT DETAILS: Equality Bulletin GCVS, 11 Queens Crescent, Glasgow G4 9AS Tel: 0141 332 2444 Fax: 0141 332 0175 Email: kate.henderson@gcvs.org.uk Web: www.enf.org.uk DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of Glasgow City Council or the Equality Network Forum The Equality Bulletin: funded by Glasgow City Council, produced by Equality Network Forum, printed by Printing Works