Annual Review

2014

Promoting Equality Through Partnership

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Chair’s Introduction

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the ninth Annual Review of Warwickshire Race

Equality Partnership (WREP) and introduce our achievements over the past year.

This year has continued to bring many challenges to the Third Sector, and WREP has embraced

everything put to it as an opportunity to shape and mould ourselves into a more effective

organisation, that is able to serve members of the community and in particular those that are

often forgotten within society.

Demand for WREP services continue to increase year on year and the current climate further

perpetuates the growing needs of residents of Warwickshire. From the work that WREP has

been engaged in over the past year, we have seen many service users benefit; from health and

wellbeing, being able to access a service that they could not have otherwise, or by means of

support in addressing discrimination. As Chair of WREP, I believe that our ultimate goal is to

serve and make a change for the people of Warwickshire. The feedback that I receive instils me

with great faith that WREP is certainly on the correct path.

I wish to thank the WREP Board of Directors, the WREP Staff and Volunteers for their relentless

efforts and commitment to race equality and their hard work over the past year.

I would also like to thank all of our current partners from the public, voluntary and community

sectors and our funders for staying by our side during these challenging times. I would also like

to extend my gratitude to Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire Police, Warwickshire and

West Mercia Community Rehabilitation Company, and CSWP Ltd for their continued

commitment to race equality.

Dr James Shera MBA, S.Pk, DBA, FRSA

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Chief Executive’s Overview

During the latter part of 2013 and the beginning of 2014, WREP was fully involved in developing its

three year Business Plan 2014 – 2017. Moving forward, we soon realised the extent to which our

services are needed by the communities, agencies and people we serve, as many individuals we spoke

to stated that WREP is the first and last place they would go to for help and support.

We have therefore tried to encompass all of the expectations of WREP within our Business Plan in

terms of the services that we provide, in addition to seeking to further develop resilience to the

economic challenges which continue to present themselves. Despite recent news that the UK

economy is improving, we fully recognise that the budgetary pressures on the Third Sector will remain

for the foreseeable future. With this in mind, the next three years will prove to be the most

challenging that WREP has ever experienced. Needless to say, WREP is adaptable to change and I feel

reassured that our Business Plan will allow WREP to reform itself in order that it can continue meeting

the needs and expectations of all those which we serve.

The work that we have been involved with over the past year could not have been possible without

the support of many of the groups, members and individuals that have gone over and above their

moral duty in supporting us and the race equality agenda. Therefore on behalf of the WREP team,

including the Board Directors, the WREP volunteers and the staff, I wish to extend my sincerest

gratitude to all who have joined and assisted us with our work.

Personally, I wish to thank Dr James Shera and the WREP Board of Directors for their unconditional

commitment in steering WREP forward. Last but by no means least; I wish to thank the WREP team,

including the staff and all the volunteers.

Junaid Hussain BA (Hons), MA

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Casework

Since 1st April 2014, 119 members of the community, victims and witnesses have been supported with

issues concerning their race, race discrimination and racial harassment within areas including;

employment, criminal justice, access to health and social care services, domestic violence and goods

and services.

North

Warwickshire

Nuneaton

and

Bedworth

Rugby Warwick

District

Stratford

on Avon

Unknown Total

Apr 13 –

Mar 14

0

59

70

80

2

0

211

Apr 14 –

Oct 14

11

49

36

18

1

4

119

At the same point in October last year,

WREP reported 116 cases, therefore, the

number of cases dealt by WREP has slightly

increased.

Since 1st April 2014, 119 cases were dealt with in relation to race discrimination and barriers to services.

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Issue

A client approached WREP as she was dealing with a rat infestation in her chalet. The client is a traveller and lives on a

caravan site with her 7 children.

Intervention

WREP intervened and raised the issue with the site manager, who claims that the rat problem was due to external factors

outside the site and also related to the behaviour of the residents. WREP contacted the Borough Council to ask for an

environmental health visit and called pest control to check when the last visit to the site was and what was found. WREP

coordinated all the external organisations and gave regular feedback to the residents of the site.

Outcome

Due to WREP’s positive relationship with the site manager and the Borough Council, the site was visited by pest control

and environmental health to evaluate the situation. The site manager arranged for each chalet to be assessed and put in

extra measures to prevent the rats from entering. The residents were extremely pleased with WREP’s intervention and

coordination of the situation and have now approached WREP for assistance with other concerns.

Issue

WREP was approached by a client who had her passport taken with her indefinite leave to remain in the country stamp.

The client was receiving income support and due to not being able to produce her passport, her income support was

stopped. The client is a single mother of two, one of whom has severe learning disabilities. The client contacted WREP

after 14 months of trying to retrieve her benefits, despite having found her passport 12 months ago. As a result the client

was visited by the bailiffs and British Gas to change her system to a pay as you go which was substantially more expensive.

Intervention

WREP contacted the bailiffs and the council to explain the situation and agreed on an affordable monthly payment

method for a three month period. WREP also contacted the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) numerous times,

explaining her circumstances and included a copy of her indefinite leave to remain stamp.

Outcome

Due to WREPs constant contact and negotiation, DWP agreed to continue paying her income support and back dated her

benefits by two months. WREP were not happy with this outcome and believe the client should have had the income

support backdated 14 months. WREP wrote to the local MP explaining the full account of what happened and sent a copy

to the DWP, a few days later the full amount owed was deposited in the client’s bank account. The client was very happy

with the support received from WREP and has signposted WREP to friends and family who feel they are a victim of race

discrimination.

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Community Engagement and Support

WREP mainly engages through direct contact with community members and groups at locations

that are best suited and convenient for them. This includes visits to community centres and group

meetings on a regular basis.

This is more productive than formal community forums as it allows a more reflective community

perspective in understanding local needs and shaping future priorities.

WREP seeks to bring to light local issues

that culturally or religiously restrict groups

and individuals from accessing any services,

and any other issues of racial discrimination

and harassment.

WREP has supported

Warwickshire’s BME groups

in securing

£14,200

WREP logs all issues raised by the community and

follows up as appropriate. If groups or individuals

perceive they have been victims of or witness to

discrimination, this is then referred to our casework

service.

Through WREP’s support and guidance, BME community

groups have been able to secure £14,200 for local projects.

This funding has allowed for sports and wellbeing, luncheon

clubs, older people’s and day care group activities to take

place.

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Individual Financial Recovery:

Total = £61,082

Through WREP’s

support, clients have

been able to recover a

total of £61,082 of

funds!

DWP rebate - £2,100

Council tax rebate and Attendance Allowance previously not claimed - £4,368

Pension Credit previously not claimed - 2,386

Attendance Allowance previously not claimed - £4,228

Financial Services - £30,000

Support with Personal Budget and Support Plan - £18,000 per year

Community issues which were addressed

Apr 2014 to Oct 2014

Over the past year

WREP has engaged

with 3,050 members

of the community

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Promoting Good Relations

Sport and Wellbeing

1,214 people across

Warwickshire participated in

WREP sport activities.

One of girls said that she has a habit

of being afraid if someone was

walking behind her. She would

normally step aside, let the person

ahead and then continue to walk.

This girl learnt that by doing this she

was alerting any perpetrator that she

was vulnerable and an easy target.

She is now a lot more aware and

continues walking instead of

stepping aside.

I was walking along with my children

and there were a group of drunk men

on the corner. Normally they would

have intimidated me but I felt I was

ready if they did try something. I am a

lot more confident now.

I feel a lot more confident. I was on the train and there were young

men on the train making derogatory comments. I remembered what I

had learnt in the sessions. I looked out for my exit points and made

sure my hands and legs were free. I thought about the techniques I

had learned and what may have helped me in that situation. Normally

that would have scared me. I was not scared.

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Eight presentations were delivered by WREP across Warwickshire. There

was a short presentation on the early signs of Dementia and what people

can start doing now to reduce the risks. This was followed by health checks.

Most of the community members that WREP engaged with did not know

what Dementia was and were pleased to receive the information. Public

Health at WCC provided WREP with leaflets and wristbands, these were

handed out and well received.

There were a number of success stories following the presentations / health

checks.

Dementia Awareness

One lady in Rugby had a blood pressure check and it was very high.

She visited her GP about this the same day and she has been

diagnosed with high blood pressure and is now on medication and

receiving the right medical support.

Ladies in Nuneaton are forming a walking group to be more active –

one of the things that can be done to reduce the risks of dementia.

Four people will now go and get their memories checked as a result

of the presentation.

ready if they did try something. I am a

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End of Life Care Guide

In January 2014, WREP launched its End of Life Care Publication “What to do when a friend or relative dies. A Guide for our Communities.” The launch date was selected to tie in with “Dignity in Action Day”. The Launch was very well attended by members of the community, sponsors, health professionals, WREP Staff and Board, the press and other notable persons including local Councillors and the Mayor of Rugby. The launch featured in various local newspapers and on local radio stations, highlighting the work of WREP and emphasising the importance of the work that was undertaken concerning the end of life. Since the launch WREP has had enquiries regarding the publication from the editors of a large Polish Newspaper, which is distributed over several regions outside Warwickshire and even an enquiry from as far away as America.

From the sponsorship received, the Guide was launched in 5 languages; Punjabi, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese and an English version.

WREP has distributed the Guide to our sponsors and key partners and are now in the process of distributing the Guide to all of the communities across Warwickshire. In doing so WREP is using the opportunity to talk to communities more openly about their choices and the End of Life Care Services available. We are also encouraging people to speak more freely about their wishes to close family and friends.

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BME Day Care Project

WREP continues to work with service users to help them access services that are vital to their wellbeing. It is becoming more evident from the work we are doing that service users who already have access to adult social care, are finding the services they are offered are not meeting their cultural, or in some instances, their basic needs.

The project undertaken by WREP lasted 15 months and came to an

end on the 31st March 2014. Needless to say, the work with BME Day

Care Services, individuals with personal budgets and in receipt of Social

Care Services, as well as members going through the Fair Access to

Care Services (FACS) Assessments, is much needed more than ever

before.

WREP has finalised its report, which summarises the achievements of

the project and highlights the experiences of BME service users when

accessing Adult Social Care Services.

For WREP, the issues do not end here and we will be using this report in discussions with key policy

makers and the relevant commissioning teams, with the hope that the recommendations that we

have determined will be used to better shape Adult Social Care Services.

For a copy of the WREP report, ‘Adult Social Care Experiences of Black and Minority Ethnic Older

People in Warwickshire’, please contact the WREP office.

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Quality Assurance

PQASSO

Our application for level 2 PQASSO Quality Mark has been successfully awarded and is valid for 3 years from 27 March 2014 until 2017. WREP is the first voluntary sector organisation in Warwickshire to be awarded the coveted PQASSO Quality Mark for its governance and management.

We were formally presented with the award by the Chairman of Warwickshire County Council, Councillor Brian Moss, in May 2014 .

PQASSO is the leading quality standard in use in the voluntary and community sector. Being accredited means our users, funders and the voluntary sector nationally recognise that WREP has a clear mission and plans to support the needs of our service users, sound financial and risk management, effective governance and a focus on outcomes.

PQASSO is also well recognised by funders and alongside its logo we can state that:

‘Achieving the PQASSO Quality Mark has helped to ensure management of risk, both legal and financial, and supports a high standard of service delivery. Our organisation regularly reviews our performance against the standards and develops actions plans to help us to improve in all areas. Doing this helps us to maintain our efficiency and effectiveness as an organisation and contributes to our sustainability.’

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Contact Beneficiaries April 2013 – October 2014

275 people called WREP during the period from April 2013 to March 2014 and a total of

360 people called WREP during the period from April 2014 to October 2014 for advice

and support.

WREP website hits average at 482 per month

WREP Newsletter subscriptions have increased

by 392% since April 2014

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Young, Free and Equal Project

WREP organised a trip to the International Slavery Museum in Liverpool for a group of 16 young people

and 3 volunteers.

The idea behind the trip was to encourage young people to think about the history of the BME

presence in the UK and how this has shaped where we are today. They were also encouraged to think

about their identity and who they consider as their role model.

Legal and Civil Rights Project

WREP has organised 5 free information sessions on legal and civil rights for minority groups across

Warwickshire.

This project resulted from enquiries from casework clients and consultation with services users who

highlighted a lack of awareness and thus do not access appropriate services.

WREP invited prominent expert speakers from the public, private and

voluntary sectors.

The sessions covered:

Housing

Employment

Welfare rights

They were tasked with a case study looking at contemporary slavery and the

young people completed this in small groups. The young people also had the

opportunity to watch a short film on the British Empire and the history of racism.

The film certainly provoked a lot of thought and the feedback from many of the

young people listed the film as one of the highlights of the day.

Immigration

Criminal justice system

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Thank you to all contributors and supporters of WREP Thank you to all WREP affiliated members and those who have supported and engaged with WREP.

The work detailed in the WREP Annual Review 2014 would not have been possible but for the invaluable

contributions of the following bodies to whom we extend our sincere gratitude:

CSWP Ltd, North Warwickshire Borough Council,

Warwickshire & West Mercia Community Rehabilitation Company, Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire

Police, and Warwickshire Community and Voluntary Action.

We also wish to thank Steve Burd, Managing Director of Stage Coach Midlands for his kind contribution to

the WREP Annual Review 2014.

www.wrep.org.uk

warwickshire race equality-partnership

WREP_Warks

Registered Office: Warwickshire Race Equality Partnership, Room 127, Morgan Conference Suite, Warwickshire College—Rugby Centre, Technology Drive, Rugby, Warwickshire CV21 1AR

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info@wrep.org.uk

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