This section details news updates relating to equality and diversity.

Help with Accessibility

RNID Products, the charity's retail arm, has produced a guide on the help and equipment available to comply with disability law.

The Sound Solutions catalogue, "helping you make your service accessible to deaf and hard of hearing people", gives basic advice alongside information on what RNID can provide.

Faith and Social Cohesion Unit launched

The Charity Commission has launched the Faith and Social Cohesion Unit to provide support and expert advice to faith-based charities. The unit aims to strengthen the governance of faith-based charities; identify and support organisations that could be but are not currently registered as charities; and improve the regulator's, and society's, understanding of faith-based charities and the contribution they make.

The unit's initial programme of work will focus primarily on Muslim charities and organisations, while a new Faith Advisory Group of external advisers from a range of faiths will play an important role in advising the Commission on policy and issues affecting all faith-based charities.

For more information visit: http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/tcc/faithsc.asp

In a recent case, the Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) has accepted that "Rastafarianism" is a philosophical belief within the religion or belief discrimination legislation. The EAT also accepted that rules requiring tidy hair at work as legitimate.

The Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 give both people looking for work and those in jobs and training a right to complain about unfair behaviour based on their religion or belief.

Sector BME training needs

‘Research into the training and learning needs of black and minority ethnic workers employed in local infrastructure organisations (voluntary and community sectors)’ in England has been published by the Federation for Community Development Learning.

To read and download the report (648Kb) go to http://www.fcdl.org.uk/projects/../BME_workers_research_2007.pdf

Free trainers guide – “Supporting diversity and equality: A 'good practice' guide for voluntary sector trainers,” commissioned by the UK Workforce Hub

This new guide is designed to assist organisations in training staff and volunteers to implement equality and diversity in voluntary and community organisations. The aim of the guide is to encourage individuals to reflect on their own attitudes, values and behaviours, and the effects that they have on others.

The guide includes practical advice on diversity and equality issues as well as practical training exercises.

Diversity factsheet from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) – Revised October 2007

The CIPD has produced a revised factsheet summarising the current issues in managing diversity. The factsheet covers:

• What is diversity
• How the concept of diversity has developed
• The social justice and equality case for diversity
• The business case for diversity, and
• Managing diversity

Racial and Religious Hatred Act 2006

This Act came into force on 1 October 2007 and creates a new criminal offence of stirring up hatred against a person on the grounds of their religion. This offence will be punished by a fine or a prison sentence of up to seven years. It applies to the use of words or behaviour which is threatening and intended to stir up religious hatred. Therefore, an act of religious discrimination in the workplace could be deemed to be an offence under the Act. Where a corporate body is guilty of the offence and "it is shown that the offence was committed with the consent or connivance of a director, manager, secretary or other similar officer" then that individual and the body corporate are guilty of the offence.

Opportunity to Join NCVO’s Diversity Forum

Do you have an interest in, or responsibility for, developing and managing the diversity of your organisation? If so, you may be interested in joining NCVO’s free voluntary and community sector diversity forum for information, resources and learning. Members can attend free events with specialist speakers and will be kept up to date with regular e-briefings highlighting any changes in legislation.

For more information, email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Online training in equality and diversity

An etraining series of Equality and Diversity toolkits, with video tutorials alongside interactive serious games, has been developed by the Institute of Digital Learning at the University of Wales, Newport

‘Addressing Barriers: Enhancing Services’ aims to provide frontline workers with access to appropriate knowledge and guidance to ensure equality opportunities in organisations’ client centred service delivery.

To access the toolkits go to http://equal.newport.ac.uk/